Ember Sunblaze: Happy Holidays Everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed both Halloween and Thanksgiving! (if you celebrate those holidays ^_^) I apologize for the late update. The last month has been filled with yucky viruses and a lot of family visiting from out of state, so it's been a struggle finding time and the energy to write. I hope you enjoy it!

Note: For this chapter, instead of trying to type up Mandarin words for Ya-Ting's character, I will be writing them in English for convenience sake. But her dialogue will be both bolded and italicized to show she is speaking in Mandarin.

Chapter 33: The Free Day, Part 5

Despite the beginnings of a storm brewing over the heroes' free day, the bright Okinawa sun continued to shine brightly upon Midoriya and Uraraka as they trekked together along a beachview sidewalk towards their next destination. Uraraka followed her phone's map, her almond gaze roaming the area. Midoriya followed beside her, trying to shake off the unease he felt as he mulled over what they were up to.

"I shouldn't have agreed to this." Midoriya silently worried. "I'm supposed to be keeping All Might's powers secret and here I am letting Uraraka, of all people, out here trying to help me with one of these quirks! What if she starts getting suspicious, like Bakugo did?! Bakugo knowing is one thing, but Uraraka…."

His green faze fell on the curve of her back, the bare skin of her arm highlighting the scars from yesterday's battle. "...if something happened to her because of her knowledge of One for All, I don't know what I would do…"

"Does this area look okay?" Uraraka asked, pointing to a large outstretch of sandy beach ahead of them.

Midoriya frowned, his anxieties biting at him. "Uraraka, are you sure this is okay?"

"Of course!" Uraraka answered instantly as she took a step into the sand. "There's no one around this area of the beach. And if we need extra privacy there's an outcrop of rocks over that way we can head towards."

"No, I don't mean that! It's just…" He hesitated, unable to be truly honest with her on his concerns. "...do you really want to spend your free day doing this? There's a good chance this could just be a complete waste of time. I can't say I'm really confident after all my failed attempts last night…" He scratched the back of his head self-consciously.

Uraraka tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Maybe… but we won't really know until we try? Right?!" She said, winking confidently. Before he could protest, she trotted further onto the beach, stopping short of the rocky outcrop.

Midoriya sighed, wishing he felt more assured. "I guess there's no helping it. I just don't know how I'm supposed to explain this new quirk to her…" His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he made out her figure in the distance. Her hands casually lifting up her blouse, revealing her pure, untouch midsection. "EHHHHHH!?"

Without thinking, his quirk One For All quirk activated as he dashed towards the rocks, sand flying behind him. "U-U-U-URARAKA!" He blabbered, blushing brightly as he skidded to a halt next to her. "W-W-Why a-are you..uhhh…you know!"

"Hmm?" Uraraka blinked confusedly at him, pausing from undressing. "Midoriya, what's wrong? Did you forget to wear a swimsuit?"

"Swim…suit?" The words sounding like a foreign language to a flustered Midoriya.

"Yeah! Since none of us were quite sure of the plans for today. All us girls wore our bikinis under our clothes. Just as in case!" Uraraka brightly explained, pulling her blouse off and revealing a cute cyan-colored bikini top with small, pink flower patterns along the edges.

Midoriya openly stared, wide-eyed at the reveal. Unaware of his infatuation, she continued, bending down to pull down her shorts. "Since we're on the beach, I think it'll be easier to just train this way. It isn't exactly easy to shake sand out of clothes." She paused, noticing him still gawking. "So did you bring yours, too?"

"Oh! Yeah, I did!" Midoriya replied, snapping out of his infatuated daze. Embarrassed, he pulled his own shirt off as he mentally tried to get his thoughts in order.

"Focus, Midoriya! This is not the time to freak out!" But deep down, the poor boy knew he was trending into unknown waters, with no compass or guide to really go by. Uraraka's confession and their "almost" kiss blazed through his mind, creating an unexpected feeling of red-hot longing that shocked even himside at its intensity.

In an attempt to distract himself, he flusteredly asked, "That bikini…it's different from the one you wore before, right?"

"Yeah." Uraraka answered, blushing slightly. "The other one sorta didn't quite make it through the ordeal yesterday." She self-consciously plucked the shoulder string, commenting. "Luckily I was able to borrow this one from Momo."

"That's… unfortunate." Midoriya remarked, fondly remembering how cute Uraraka had looked yesterday in her flashy pink swimsuit. Blushing, he quickly commented, "UHH! But don't worry! This one looks really cute too!"

Redness crept upon Uraraka's cheeks, lips twitching as she fought back an ecstatic smile. "Th-thanks….that's good to know…hehehe!" Her eyes widened, the laughter dying from her lips. as she exclaimed, "Oh, speaking of yesterday. There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about before we got started."

Midoriya gulped, feelings of unease rising as he took in her serious tone. "Um…sure?"

"It's about you… and what happened last night." She continued, causing the color to drain from Midoriya.

"I…I…see." Midoriya choked out. " Oh crap! This sounds bad! Is it about the quirk? Or worse… is it about the confession? What if she's expecting me to answer now?! But I still haven't had a chance to completely think out my response! Or what if, what if…" His mind clouded over, memories of them leaning towards each other, her lips barely grazing his… Midoriya stiffened, his mental state going into all out panic mode. "No! No! No! That couldn't be what she wants to talk about….right? RIGHT?!"

"I've been thinking a lot about it…." Uraraka confessed, a blush creeping upon her features and sending Midoriya's fears spiraling down even further. "And I just really want to know…."

"Oh no…." Midoriya flinched back, nervous sweat trickling down his body.

"...what do you think of this theory I have about your quirk!"

"My…" Midoriya asked, blinking in surprise.".. quirk?"

"Yep!" Uraraka replied, scratching the back of her head bashfully. "Sorry, I know this must sound weird, but I just couldn't stop thinking about that new ability of yours last night. I mean it's pretty unusual right for someone to have quirks that are unrelated, right?!"

"Ummm…I guess?" Midoriya admitted, feeling like he was digging his own grave.

Uraraka nodded, brimming with excitement. "Yep! So that's why I think we might have the wrong idea about your quirk. Like, instead of your quirk being one that amplifies your physical abilities, maybe it's actually something totally different? Like an imitation quirk!"

"An imitation quirk?" Midoriya repeated, somewhat surprised at her suggestion. "You mean like Monoma's copycat quirk?"

"Sort of…but instead of completely copying the quirk, it creates a similar version of it." Uraraka explained. "And maybe it activates when you are around someone you admire or have a personal connection with."

"Uhh…"

"For instance!" Uraraka swiftly exclaimed, beating Midoriya before he could debuke her claim. "You've admired All Might ever since you were young. So that could be why you obtained a quirk that is so similar to his own." She held up her fingers, knocking them off as she listed the coincidences.

"Well…"

"And then during the joint training battle, we were up against Hitoshi Shinso, a guy you've already had a battle history with! Don't you think your Blackwhips were sorta similar to the binding clothes that he was using for the battle?"

"Errrr…."

"And then there was last night!" She continued, flushing with excitement. "Doesn't your new float quirk seem awfully similar to my own zero gravity quirk?!" Her brown eyes sparkled up at him, fists pumped determinedly up. "So what do you think of my theory?! Don't you think it would explain A LOT of these strange quirks?"

As she eagerly waited for his response, Midoriya struggled to keep his composure, alarm bells from blaring inside his skull. "Urrrrgghh! This is bad! Really bad! If Uraraka is able to make these kinds of connections, who knows when she'll start to pick up on the real reason behind my quirks!"

But despite his concerns, a part of him couldn't help but feel happy how much time she had spent thinking about him. "I'm sorry Uraraka! I really wish I could just tell you the truth…."

He clenched his fists, forcing a bright smile. "Woah Uraraka…that's really…. an interesting theory!"

Uraraka beamed proudly. "You think so?"

"Of course!" Midoriya replied, fighting down his guilt. "I'll have to bring it up with All Might once we get back for sure!"

"You really share a lot with All Might, don't you?" Uraraka asked, curiously.

"Yeah…I guess so." Midoriya replied, scratching his neck sheepishly. "He's the hero I look up to the most. Plus he goes way out of his way to give me extra training."

Uraraka crossed her arms behind her back, her toes digging into the sand. "I'm jealous. It must be nice to be so close to the hero you admire."

Midoriya watched her, curiously asking. "Is there a hero that you look up to, Uraraka?"

"There is…." She answered, shooting him a mysterious smile. "But, it's a secret."

"Oh?" Midoriya answered, wondering which hero it could be.

Before he could delve too much into the mystery, Uraraka clapped her hands together, eagerly turning to him. "Okay! How about we get started?"

"Um..sure!" Midoriya answered, still feeling apprehensive about going through with this. "Guess it's a little late now." He watched Uraraka pace left to right in the sand, her fingers caressing her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm…I'm actually not going to be much help until we get you back into the air." Uraraka said, thinking aloud. "And you said you weren't having any luck last night?" Midoriya shook his head.

"No. Sorry."

Uraraka frowned. "And you're positive that what happened last night…it was you that was doing it? Like…it wasn't my quirk going haywire or something else making you float?"

Again, Midoriya shook his head, his voice confident as he answered. "No. I'm sure it was me."

Uraraka turned away, taken aback at how sure he was. "There's something else behind that answer….I just know it."

She brought her hands to slap her cheeks, forcing herself away from these mysterious thoughts. "Focus! Right now, you're supposed to be helping Midoriya!" She turned back to him, forcing herself to act normal. "Right! So maybe we should try to reenact what happened right before your quirk acti—" She paused, noticing Midoriya's reddening face, his eyes unable to meet hers.

Realization dawned on Uraraka, causing the mortified girl to once again twirl away from him. "U-U-U-Ummmm on second thought, maybe we should try other tactics first!"

"Y-Yeah….It's not like we know for sure that the two events are connected, right?" Midoriya rambled, the beginnings of stage fright taking hold of him at the prospect of continuing where the couple had left off the night before.

"Yeah!" Uraraka quickly agreed, also feeling hesitant. "I mean…that would be pretty weird, right?"

The two gave awkward chuckles, both unable to look at each other.

"I was actually thinking.…" Midoriya began, snapping Uraraka away from her struggles. "...that my quirk may be triggered more by emotions."

He opened his palm, releasing a small tendril of his Blackwhip. "Back when I first activated Blackwhip, it happened right as I felt a surge of anger towards Monoma during our joint battle session." He closed his fist back up, the black tendril disappearing. "I have a feeling this quirk could be similar. But instead of anger…it's activated by a different emotion."

"I see." Uraraka said, nodding at the explanation. "But what emotion do you think it is?"

Midoriya blushed, fidgeting bashfully. "Maybe….happy emotions?"

"Oh! Like in Peter Pan!" Uraraka exclaimed, surprising Midoriya.

"Peter Pan?"

"It's an old western fairy tale." Uraraka explained, growing nostalgic. "It used to be one of my favorites when I was little. In the story, the boy, Peter Pan, teaches other children how to fly by having them think of happy thoughts."

"Really? That's all they needed?" Midoriya asked, questioning the logic of this children's tale.

"Well, not exactly. They also needed other things, like magical pixie dust. But the happy thoughts were important!" Uraraka pressed. "Did you really never read this book as a child?"

Midoriya chuckled. "My bad…I guess when I was a kid the only stories I felt like reading were those about heroes."

"Figures." Uraraka replied, with a knowing laugh. She looked down at her hands with a wistful expression. "I always thought the pixie dust in the story was similar to how my quirk made things float. So much so, that I dressed up as a fairy for almost every Halloween. Pretty silly, right?"

"I think that's adorable." Midoriya replied, easily picturing a young Uraraka bouncing around in a fairy costume.

Uraraka's cheeks turned bright pink at his compliment. "L-Let's go ahead and start our practice! Are there any happy thoughts you want to try out?"

"Yeah, just give me a sec." Midoriya said, kneeling down and pulling a notebook from his backpack. He flipped it open, searching through the contents. Uraraka stood over him, peering curiously over his shoulder.

"What's this?"

"Last night as I was trying to activate my quirk, I made sure to jot down all the happy thoughts that I could think of so I could give them all a try." Midoriya explained, stopping on a page filled to the brim with quick scribbles, with several scratched out.

"Wow, so organized! Can I see?!" Uraraka asked, eagerly stealing the notebook from his clutches. Midoriya gawked.

"W-W-Wait! U-Urakaka!"

But Uraraka's eyes were already hungrily scanning through the notebook's contents.

-Watched my first All Might clip on Metube.

-Was given my very first limited edition All Might figure, U.S.A Edition, Premium Packaging for Christmas when I was four.

-Went to an All Might Festival for a whole weekend for my fifth birthday. Won first place at the All Might Fan Trivia Event during the festival.

The list went on in this manner for the rest of the page. The energy drained from Uraraka, her lips giving off an odd twitch as she continued reading.

"These….ARE ALL ALL MIGHT RELATED!" she exclaimed, berating herself for not making the list. "I mean…I totally expected this….BUT STILL!"

Fighting back overflowing emotions of disappointment, she handed the notebook back to Midoriya with shaking hands. "These all seem…very happy!"

"Hmm, you think so?" Midoriya murmured, taking it back and scanning its pages. "After last night's failed attempts, I think I need to go in a different direction. Memories that have more impact. Like the day I got my acceptance video that I made it into U.A.. Or maybe the time you agreed to team up with me during the sports tournament last year…."

A soft thud interrupted his thoughts. He peered over his notebook, eyes widening at the sight of Uraraka on her hands and knees in the sand. "Uraraka! What's wrong? Did you trip?!"

"I'm….fine…." Uraraka replied with her back towards him. Unbeknownst to him, she wore a wide victorious grin, happy tears streaming down her face. "I DID IT! I made the list! I made the list with All Might! I'm so relieved!"

Midoriya shut the notebook, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready to try."

Uraraka stood up, fists pumped determinedly. "Go for it! Remember, I'm right here if anything happens!"

"Okay, here goes…." Midoriya closed his eyes, squinting as he concentrated. Uraraka waited expectantly, eager to step in if he began to take off. But after several long moments of silence, it seemed clear nothing was happening.

Uraraka crossed her arms, disappointed. "I don't think this is working."

Midoriya heaved a sigh. "Yeah, you're right." Scrunching his face in forced concentration, he hopped up and down, his arms flapping at his side as he strained to lift himself off the ground. "Come on! Come one! Float! Float!"

His efforts remained fruitless, only causing Uraraka to double over in laughter. "Heheehe! Midoriya! You look like a baby bird!"

Midoriya allowed his bottom to hit the sand, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated at his failure. "Maybe last night WAS just a fluke…"

He glanced over at Uraraka, her bikini clad body hunched over in giggles. He smiled, glad at least she was having fun. His thoughts moved to the night before, of her gazing up at him with eyes still glistening with tears, the overwhelming urge to hold her close and to never let go. He hunched over, hoping she wouldn't see him and the uncertainties that overwhelmed him.

"I have to give her an answer today. I just hope…" He thought, looking back up at her. "...it all turns out okay."

He felt a tug on his back. His eyes widened, shock engulfing him as familiar lightness suddenly overcame him. "U-U-URARAKA!"

Uraraka ceased her laughing, surprise seizing her as Midoriya's body lifted from the ground. In a panic his arms reached down, clawing uselessly against the sand that became out of reach.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" She darted forward until she stood under him. Already he was several feet into the air, rising up at a faster pace than before. Cupping her hands against her mouth, she called up loudly. "Try positioning yourself downward!"

Midoriya attempted to maneuver himself to point down, like a diver leaping into the pool. But the action felt even more disorientingly in the daylight, the blood rushing to his head. His body was unable to find a sense of balance. He felt his stomach churning, and he suddenly wished he had never eaten breakfast or those rice tacos.

Down below, Uraraka watched with equal unease, noticing his discomfort. "I can't do anything from down here." Pressing her fingers together, she pushed as hard as she could against the sand, using the force to propel her past where Midoriya floated.

"Don't worry! I got you!" She reassured him, her hands coming down on his shoulders. "From this position I might be able to stop you from going higher."

Midoriya looked over his shoulder, smiling in relief. "Thanks, Urara—GAH!"

Horror gripped him as he realized at this position, Uraraka's bikini-clad breasts were right in his line of vision. He felt his body temperature rising by several degrees, redness enveloping his face. Without thinking, he pushed himself away from her

"Midoriya!" Uraraka gasped, watching him half float, half swim away in surprise. "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry!" He apologized, not trusting himself to look back at her. "I….don't think that's going to work!"

"Why?!" Uraraka demanded, floating after him.

"I…I can't say!"

Uraraka huffed in annoyance, her hand reaching out towards him. "Just…..WAIT!" She demanded, her fingertips about to touch down his back.

A shockwave ran through Midoriya and before he could utter a cry, he felt himself falling. Urararak came after him, deactivating her quirk, so she could try to reach him before he hit the ground. But unlike before, instead of falling straight down, his float quirk unexpectedly activated AGAIN.

"HUH?!" Both teens exclaimed, their eyes meeting in panic as Uraraka's falling body crashed into Midoriya's floating chest. The force knocked the wind out of him, propelling them both to the sand with a painful thud. Midoriya lay stunned with Uraraka sitting upon his chest, apologizing profusely to him.

"I'm so sorry Midoriya!" Uraraka cried. "I should have caught you with my quirk! I just wasn't expecting you to stop falling so quickly!"

"Hehehehe!"

Uraraka's head whipped around, sure she heard a small giggle of some sort. "Did…Did you hear that?"

But it was clear Midoriya was too out of it to have noticed anything, dizzy swirls replacing his usual eyes. "Maybe….Maybe we should move to the water instead?" He uttered weakly, not looking forward to taking another fall to the ground.

"Oh, sure!" Uraraka agreed, deciding she must have just been hearing things. "Let's hit the waves!"

Location: Okinawa World

Two hours into their first date, Kirishima and Ashido found themselves mentally and physically drained from the morning's events. They sat slumped face down against the hard wooden surface of one of the many tables that occupied The Fruit Shop, a bustling shop located in the middle of the Tropical Orchard area of Okinawa World. The area itself was very pleasant, highlanding the island's local tropical fruits and decorated with stunning, flowers in bloom. The teens did take notice that some of the quaintness of the gardens were diminished by the somewhat exaggerated displays of the island's pro-heroine, Vitamin C, plastered upon many advertisements.

"Is it just me or does this island really like their pro-hero?" Kirishima commented, tone hollow with exhaustion.

"Guess it's one of the perks of being the only hero out here." Ashido replied, giving a tired shrug. "By the way, where are the grannies?"

"Shopping, I think?" Kirishima answered, glancing up across the shop where the three elders were huddled together scrutinizing the wares.

Kirishima and Ashido caught each other's eyes, both seeming to reflect upon the stressful events of the morning.

The Gyokusendo Caves:

"Watch your step! Don't slouch and keep those hands on the rails! For heaven's sake! You're going too fast! Do you want to kill us all?!"

Granny's complaints spilled upon Kirishima as he struggled down sloping steps that allowed visitors to enter The Gyokusendo, a 300,000 year old limestone cave and one of the main attractions in Okinawa World. After a heated argument between Granny and Ya-Ting, at which Ashido was forced to step in, they had decided to escape the heat and see the caves before grabbing food. A problem instantly arose when the elders caught sight of the long sets of stairs they needed to descend downwards. This was when Kirishima stepped in.

"Can you PLEASE stop wiggling around?" Kirishima begged, sweating profusely as he struggled to support a dozing Suzu-san under one arm, Ya-Ting moodily clinging to his back with reptilian claws digging into his skin and a persistent Granny sitting perched upon his shoulders shouting directions. "Also you're being way too loud! This is supposed to be a quiet site…OUCH!"

Her cane tapped him roughly over the head. "Quick the yapping and keep those eyes on the road! I swear, if it wasn't for Miss Tour Guide here, I don't know how we would survive."

Ashido forced a smile, leading the way. "Yep, that's me! Miss Tour Guide." She shared a sympathetic look with Kirishima. "Sure, you don't want me to help?"

Before he could reply, Granny answered. "Don't bother yourself. Work like this builds character!"

"Weakling." Ya-Ting muttered, digging her claws deeper into his back. Kirishima cringed.

It was a relief to both teens when they reached the landing. Kirishima set his load down, leaning against the railings to stretch his strained back muscles. As he did, the three elders began to ooh and aah at the large stalagmites and stalactites that adored the cave, already moving towards the metal footpath that led to the rest of the cave. Before they could get far, Ashido pounced sternly in their way. "I may not be much of a stickler for rules, but even I have to make a few things clear!"

She held up a finger. "One, stay together as a group. That means for NO absolute reason should you leave the footpath!" She held up a second finger. "Two, this is a cave, a wet cave mind you, so watch your step!" She held up a third finger. "Three!" Her glower was replaced with a toothy grin. "Enjoy yourselves!"

She moved aside, letting them pass. Suzu-san tugged on her sleeve, shakily asking. "Tell me, will we pass the tomb with the mummies?"

Ashido blinked, hesitating. "Uhhh….sure! Just follow the path! You can't miss it!"

"Didn't I tell you? We are in the right place!" Suzu-san announced, cheerfully prodding Ya-Ting. The Taiwanese elder shot a spiteful glare at the pink hero, causing the girl to inwardly shudder.

"Everything okay?" Kirishima asking, joining her as he gave his shoulders one last crack.

"I'm not sure I making a very good impression…" Ashido answered, grin fading.

"Welcome to the club." Kirishima joked, causing Ashido to giggle. The two allowed the three elders to move ahead, their chattering echoing in the vast cave. Kirishima gave a low whistle, marveling at the interior. "Sure is impressive!"

"You know what's really impressive?" Ashido said, fanning her shirt out. "This natural air-conditioner!" It was Kirishima's turn to laugh. After coming from the tropical island heat, the cool darkness of the cave was a blissful relief. However, the chuckle died from his lips as her movements diverted his gaze towards her sweat stricken chest, to top of her bosom glistening with moisture.

He quickly turned away, thankful the area was so dim. He coughed, trying to clear his lewd thoughts as he noted. "Uhhh…is it me, but does this place seem pretty similar looking to the cave we were in yesterday?"

"I think it might be even bigger than this." Ashido pointed out, grinning amusedly. "We might have unknowingly ruined one of Okinawa's biggest attractions."

Kirishima snickered. "I'm sure this place will do just fine. I mean, just check that out!" He pointed to beautiful pools of light blue water. He leaned over the rail, getting a closer look. "Bet the caves we were in had nothing like that."

"Maybe." Ashido answered, studying the artificial lights bouncing off the stone walls. "It's hard to say. If we weren't all so busy fighting for our lives, we might have discovered it was a really pretty place."

Despite her lax tone, Kirishima found himself darkening at the reminder of the ordeal she had been through. He fidgeted, regretting bringing it up. "You know…if you start feeling uncomfortable with being down here…."

She turned, staring up at him with an unreadable expression. Kirishima panicked, wondering if she was suggesting she was weak. "Uhh, what I mean is….if you are feeling uncomfortable in general…That snake granny did bite you back there. Even if she is dried up, I'm still worried!"

He fell into an awkward silence. Ashido's mouth fell open, realization kicking in.

"Oh! That's right!" She exclaimed, pumping her fist against her palm. "I forgot to mention…. snake bites don't really affect me."

"Huh?" Kirishima asked, blinking confusedly. Ashido giggled.

"Sorry! I should have said something earlier. But with my acid quirk, as long as I'm aware of the bite, I can quickly just melt the venom away before it gets into my system."

"That's straight up awesome!" Kirishima exclaimed, totally impressed.

Ashido shrugged modestly. "Not really. Like I said, it only works if I know instantly that I've been bitten." She pointed to her chest, adding. "I'm still pretty screwed if the venom gets into my system. But you know…" Ashido continued, her golden eyes illuminating softly in the darkness. "I know that's not the REAL reason you're worried."

Kirishima rubbed his neck guilty. Ashido laughed. "Don't worry. I like being down here." She twisted around, leaning casually against the path railings. "Especially with you."

A blush rose upon Kirishima, the coolness of the cave diminishing as heat overtook him. He wavered, unable to draw his eyes away from the curve of her back, the smoothness of her exposed shoulders daring him to come closer. He swallowed, the action feeling painful against his tightening throat. "Should I make a move?"

Ever since he had felt Ashido's soft lips upon his skin, he had battled with the notion of returning the gesture. After all, HE did care about her! And he definitely WANTED to kiss her. But the action itself seemed almost as daunting as taking on five villains single handedly. This thought once again backed up his belief he still had a lot of growing to do before he even came close to Ashido's level. But right now…with nervous adrenaline pumping through him and her tender words ringing in his ears, he felt that he might be able to go through with it.

With her back still facing him, he reached his arm out, shaking fingers inching towards her shoulder….

"MOVE IT YOU BIG LUMP!" Granny spat, her small frame casually pushing him aside. "You're blocking the path!"

Two things happened at once. A reddened and startled Kirishima shot back, the movement causing his foot to slip. He shot his arms forward, palms gripping the railings to stop his descent just as a confused Ashido turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise to find Kirishima looming over her, pinning her between him and the path railing. They blushed, neither knowing how to proceed. Then at the corner of their vision, both noticed the hunched form of Granny swinging her cane at a group of Indian tourists attempting to file through.

"Move it! Elderly coming through, you ingrates!" She barked, despite no one in that group knowing one bit of Japanese. "How dare you ignore me! I'll call social security on yo—HEY!"

Like a feral cat being manhandled, she wriggled about angrily as Kirishima lifted her with both hands.

"Sorry about the fuss!" Ashido apologized, bowing to the foreign tour group. The members gave hesitant smiles in return, shooting nervous glances at the spitting Granny being wrangled by Kirishima. Only when the group had passed, did Kirishima firmly set her back down.

"Granny, you do know that this is a one-way path?" Ashido explained. "That means YOU CAN ONLY GO ONE WAY! Plus! I told you all to stay with the group…" She paused, peering into the darkness. "Um….where the others?"

Granny huffed, taking out a handkerchief to rub against her thick glasses. "How should I know?! Darn humidity is making my glasses fog up." Ashido and Kirishima shared worried glances.

"I'll go on ahead and look for the other two." Kirishima said, already quickening his pace. "Stay with Granny and meet me at the end of the caves!"

Ashido reached out her hand, voice desperate as she cried. "Wait! No! Don't leave me with….." But Kirishima had already maneuvered his way past the Indian group and disappeared from her line of vision. "...Granny." She finished, wearily glancing down at her new date.

Granny quit her cleaning, placing her glasses back upon her head. She looked up at Ashido, impatiently snapping. "What are you looking at?! Do your job, Tour Guide!" She pointed her cane to a random stalagmite, demanding. "I demand to know what type of rock that is!"

Ashido covered her face, groaning aloud.

Meanwhile, Kirishima rushed down the metal path, politely scooting past other tourists as his eyes scanned ahead for the elders. "There's only one path. Surely they can't have gone that far, right?! RIGHT?!" He paused, narrowing his eyes as he spotted a cavern up ahead. In it, people were observing several lit up aquariums that held fishes and other aquatic creatures that are native to the cave. Zooming in, he could just barely see a wrinkled, lethal-like manicured hand rising above one of the tanks. "Oh boy…"

Ya-Ting snickered to herself, narrowed gaze peering hungrily into the watery tank where a large crab scuttled about. "Hehehe, leaving food down in this dank cave. So wasteful these Japanese are." She grinned, showing off lethal sharp fangs. "Don't worry. I won't leave you to spoil!"

Getting up on her tip-toes, she reached an arm over the edge of the tank, ignoring the many DO NOT TOUCH signs. Her fingertips barely skimmed the water, when she felt herself being lifted up. "HEY!"

"Don't HEY me!" Kirishima scolded, moving the elder away from the tank. "Were you really about to EAT that crab?! And where's Suzu-san?"

Ya-Ting tsked, pointing a disgruntled finger away from them. "There."

Kirishima turned, spying a group of kids surrounding the cheerful, older woman. As he moved closer, still maintaining a firm hold of Ya-Ting, he could make out Suzu-san holding out her frail, wrinkled arms to the children, their exclamations of delight echoing in the taverns. He felt himself paling, dropping Ya-Ting to the ground in horror at what he was seeing.

"See here…" Suzu-san explained, pointing at several large white, translucent cave spiders that crept along her the length of her arm. "These here were revered in ancient Egypt. Legend has it they'll crawl into your skin and eat your flesh if you displease them." She picked one up, tangling it in front of the horrified children. "Now who would like to hold one?"

The children screeched, running back to their equally horrified parents.

Kirishima dashed over, swiping the arachnids off her. "Suzu-san! You can't just pick up random creatures!" He exclaimed, chills running through him at the unpleasant task. "Who knows if they're dangerous or not….HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU!?" He snapped, catching Ya-Ting in the act of preparing to drop one of the arachnids into her mouth.

"Very!" Granny answered, as she and Ashido appeared. "Let's grab some grub. This hole in the ground is far too damp. And this sad excuse for a tour guide wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a conglomerate rock and piece of coal to save her life!"

Kirishima blinked, "Uhhh?"

"Don't ask…." Ashido grumbled, brow twitching in annoyance.

The rest of the morning's activities bore similar disastrous results.

Glass Blowing:

"Woah look at those guys go!" Kirishima exclaimed as he, Ashido, and several tourists observed a Okinawan craftsman expertly molded hot, melted glass into a circular shape. Beside the work area, stood a fancy shop filled with the bounty of their hard work. Shelves and tables were covered with beautiful glassware in all shapes and colors of the rainbow.

"Wow! It's crazy how these were all made here!" Ashido commented, admiring a glass cup colored a soft pink hue. Her eyes lit up as they fell on a table adored with glass shisa dog statues. "Oh, aren't these cute!?"

"Yeah, they are. Hey! Doesn't this remind you of Bakugo?" Kirishima asked, holding up a red shisa with tufts of blonde fur, its mouth wide open in a distempered snarl.

"Oh! You're right!" Ashido laughed. "Think we should buy it to show him?"

"Nah, he'll just break it." Kirishima replied, knowing his buddy all too well. "I'd feel bad for the little guy." He studied the table, scratching the back of his neck. "You know…" He finally said, sounding nervous. "These guys all come in matching pairs….do you want to get a pair for ourselves." He shot her a shy sideways glance. "Kind of like a souvenir from our date?"

"That's a great idea!" Ashido answered, sounding so happy that Kirishima couldn't help but blush. "Come on!" She said, wrapping her arm around his. "Let's pick one out together—"

"WHERE'S MY CANE AT!?" A familiar voice shrilled out, interrupting their romantic moment. "Oh! There it is! GIVE THAT BACK TO ME YOU ISLAND THIEF!"

The young couple whipped around, gawking as Granny attempted to wrestle the melting pole out of the bewildered craftsman's hand. With a surprise kick to the groin, the craftsman fell off his bench, allowing Granny to have full control of the dangerously red, hot mistaken cane.

"Oh shit!" Kirishima cursed, hardening his body as he dashed forward to quickly receive the dangerous weapon. "Granny let go of that! It's not your cane!"

"Don't you think I'd know my own cane when I see it?!" Granny snapped.

"Errrr…" The young man debated on how to answer that.

Granny fumed, swinging the burning tool his way. "Show your Granny some respect!"

Kirishima was forced to weave and dodge out of her reach, blushing in embarrassment as the other tourists took out their phones to film the outrageous display. Mina stood alone at the Shisa table, facepalming in frustration at another missed romantic opportunity. Suzu-san and Ya-Ting waddled over, the Taiwanese elder snacking on a cup of tropical flavored shaved ice. She snickered in satisfaction at the chaos, while the always bright Suzu-san commented, "Oh my! look at the pretty glowing wands. This must be the wizard world I've heard so much about!"

Habu Show:

Feeling exhausted and extremely overheated from the tussle of dislodging the stubborn granny from the hazardous crafting tool, the group decided to head to the indoor, reptile museum as their next destination. There they got to take a breather to observe the many varieties of reptiles on display, along with getting to sit and enjoy a Habu Show, which featured Okinawa's most dangerous viper, the Hapu Viper.

"Urggh, finally!" Kirishima groaned, plopping down on the bench, a dozing Ya-Ting clinging to his back. "These ladies are heavier than they look!"

"Does she always fall asleep right after eating?" Ashido asked, turning to the other two elders as she also took a seat on the bench.

Granny snorted. "What do you expect? She's Taiwanese! That's all they do is eat and sleep!"

"Now, now…" Suzu-san chided her friend. "That's not nice." Turning to Ashido she answered, "That's also the snake in her, dear. You know how they are."

"Hmm, guess that makes sense." Ashido said, remembering reading about how snakes often have to rest after a meal. "Oh! The show's starting!"

A pleasant looking female reptile trainer, clad in a safari outfit, appeared on the small stage. She bowed and merrily waved to the audience. "Good morning! We hope you are enjoying your time here in the Okinawa World!"

"Hardly!" Granny whispered loudly. Both Kirishima and Ashido sank lower in their seats.

"Today we have a very special guest!" The trainer continued, not missing a beat. Using a long snake hook, she reached into a plastic bin and pulled out a long, brown snake. The audience gasped as she held it at a safe distance towards the audience. "This here is a Protobothrops flavoviridis, Okinawa's own personal pit viper native to our islands. A.K.A The Okinawa Habu Viper!" The snake gave a dangerous hiss, showing off long, pointed fangs.

"Oooh! Impressive!" Ashido commented, munching on popcorn.

"Hate to be bit by one of those." Kirishima said, his hand reaching for the popcorn. He jumped slightly, not expecting to find Ya-Ting's reptilian eyes open and unblinking as they stared at the stage.

"Um…enjoying the show?" He asked, hoping since she was awake she would crawl off his back. No reply came, her gaze fixated on the trainer as she placed a balloon in front of the serpent, teasing it to strike. With lightning speed it struck, loudly popping the balloon. The impressed audience clapped enthusiastically. Kirishima shrugged, letting her be for now.

"Next up, we'll be having a little competition!" The trainer announced, her assistant carefully setting the viper back into his bin. "Between two natural rivals! Our native sea snake, the black-banded sea krait vs our little non-native friend, the mongoose!" She gestured towards a separated water tank. The upper part held a small, curious mongoose. The lower tank, which was completely submerged in water, had a water snake swimming about. The trainer held up the whistle, explaining. "On the count of three, we'll release the door and see which one will be the first to swim to the otherside of the tank!"

"Ooh! Think the sea snake will win?!" Ashido asked, growing excited.

"Nah, my bets on the mongoose!" Kirishima replied, also getting pumped for the race. "Those little guys are pretty spunky!"

"One! Two! THREE!" The trainer opened up the doors, allowing the mongoose to slip into the water and begin paddling. The sea snake followed, moving at his own pace. The crowd cheered wildly as the slender mongoose easily made it to the other side first.

Kirishima stood up, clapping jubilantly. "Yes! What a manly victory! Huh?" He glanced over his shoulder, realizing Ya-Ting was no longer clinging to his back. "Hey, where'd she go?"

"I think I know." Ashido stated, pointing at the stage.

The tiny elder had wandered onstage, ignoring the bewildered trainer trying to politely ask her to return to her seat. Snatching a balloon from a young child in the front row, she began whacking the trainer across the face with it, cursing in rapid Mandarin.

"Pop the balloon! Pop the balloon! How does it feel having a damn balloon blasted in your face!?"

"This isn't good." Kirishima groaned.

Trainer's assistant quickly ran to help. But Ya-Ting swiveled around, giving a vicious hiss and showing off her own set of fangs. The young assistant gave a terrified yelp, tripping and tumbling over the bin that held the Habu viper. The serpent slipped out, slithering across the stage. In his haste to get away, the now frantic assistant knocked another bin that held the next animal act….a deadly Indian cobra.

"THIS REALLY ISN'T GOOD!" Ashido cried, as the people gave startled screams at the sight of two venomous snakes loose on the stage. Thinking quickly, she gripped Kirishima's shoulder, whispering, "I'll take care of the audience! You grab the snakes!"

Kirishima nodded. "I'm on it!"

As he rushed down the benches to make it to the stage, Ashido moved to stand in the front row, a broad smile brimming her face. "Isn't this exciting everyone!? We've got a double duo act with our friends, Cobra and Viper!" She gestured to the two highly venomous snakes that a hardened Kirishima was timidly picking up. "Let's give them a hand for being good sports to our fabulous snake wrangler, Red Riot!"

Kirishima gave a nervous grin, holding both snakes up as far away from his face as possible. The Indian cobra gave an angry hiss, attempting to bite through his hardened skin. In the background, Ya-Ting was wielding the snake hook like a sword, keeping both the assistant and trainer at bay as they attempted to subdue her.

"Let my people go!" Ya-Ting hissed in Mandarin, the hook missing the trainer and hitting the top of the water tank. The crowd gave startled gasps as a crack appeared in the glass.

"No worries! All part of the suspense of the show!" Ashido called to the audience cheerfully. Over her shoulder, she hissed out, "Eijiro! A little help!?"

"Kinda have my hands full here!"" Kirishima replied, casting a look around for someplace to set his hissing, wiggling load. Though he did feel a rush of joy at hearing her call him by his first name.

Down on the bench, Granny and Suzu-san watched the happenings on the stage with interest.

"Why's everyone making a fuss?" Granny demanded, her eyes squinting through her thick eyeglasses. "Did an idiot get bit!? You know that's the only reason these people come to these shows!"

"No, no." Suzu calmly reassured her. "These are all stunt animals. Very professional."

"Nope! Not stunt! Very real and very dangerous!" Ashido said, her smile straining to remain present as the chaos behind her increased in volume. "But no worries! Everything is totally under control! No one's getting bit today!"

"SHE'S BITING ME!" The snake trainer shrieked as Ya-Ting's jaws attached to the worker's arm.

"Oh, no! The sea snake just leaked out!" Kirishima groaned, just after he had put the other snakes into their bins.

"TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL!" Ashido forcefully repeated to the bewildered audience.

"This one isn't dangerous. He's friendly." Suzu stated, pulling out a disgruntled mongoose from the confines of her sweater. "I'm calling him Tin-Tin."

"Yeeeaaaahhh, I'm just going to take Tin-Tin." Ashido replied, carefully taking the writhing mongoose away from Suzu-san.

Present Time:

Both Kirishima and Ashido gave heavy sighs, the memories of the morning bringing on a second wave of exhaustion.

"How can three old grannies be this much of a handful!" Ashido groaned, ruffling her hair that she had worked so hard to make look good for her date. "Aren't old people supposed to be sweet and frail and just want to give out candies to everyone?!"

"I wish!" Kirishima complained. "The only thing these ladies are giving out are headaches and bruises." He rubbed his shin which had been repeatedly abused by Granny's cane.

Ashido sadly glanced at her phone, where a picture of Tsuyu and Kyoka posing near the water had just come through. "I wonder how long we'll have to keep this act up?"

"She seems really bummed." Kirishima noticed, his own spirits feeling deflated. After all, babysitting a bunch of crazy old women could hardly count as anyone's idea of a romantic first date. "I'm not sure…hopefully—OUCH!"

"What is this?!" Granny demanded, giving the back of Kirishima's head another nudge with her cane. "Lying on your bum as your elders wither away from thirst?!"

"Shameful." Ya-Ting murmured, shaking her head.

"Okay! Okay!" Kirishima replied, standing up. "I'll go grab us some juice!"

Once he was gone, the three elders squeezed themselves into his seat opposite of Ashido, squabbling over the heat and which fruit held the most nutritional benefits. The pink heroine rested her chin in her hand, boredly listening to the same bantering she had been listening to all morning.

"So I know this is a little late, but how exactly are you all related to one another?" The three ladies grew silent, staring across the table at her.

"Why does Miss Tour Guide want to know?!" Granny demanded. Ashido shrugged.

"Well you don't exactly seem like best friends…"

"You're darn right we aren't friends!" Granny snapped, as Ya-Ting grunted in agreement. Only Suzu-san smiled, patting the two fondly.

"How bright you are." Suzu-san complimented Ashido. She set a hand on Granny's bony shoulder. "You see, we both are cousins. While Ya-Ting here is…."

"The condescending viper who my damn brother decided to share our family name with!" Granny interrupted, pointing an accusing finger at Ya-Ting. The Taiwanese woman smirked mischievously, unperturbed by her sister-in-law's outburst. "All because he had a thing for exotic women!"

"It was so easy." Ya-Ting continued in Mandarin. "After being raised in a household filled with squabbling chickens, I was like a radiate swan."

Ashido wasn't sure what she said, but Granny must have understood the gist of it. She reddened, looking ready to argue. Thankfully, the kindly Suzu-san cut in, asking Ashido. "What about you dearie? Anything bothering you? You look rather glum."

Ashido sighed. "To be honest…today I was supposed to go on a date with a guy I really liked. But some very unexpected events came up. So…here I am now." She finished, head falling miserably onto the tabletop.

"Sounds like a YOU problem." Granny replied. Ya-Ting nodded in agreement. "Don't see how it has anything to do with us."

Ashido lifted her head, brow twitching in annoyance.

Suzu-san reached over, patting her hand sympathetically. "Now, now. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Besides letting us be?" Ashido wanted to shout, but knew better. After all, heroes didn't complain about helping others, even on their days off. "Maybe I should just make the most of this opportunity…" She rested her chin on her palm, regarding the old ladies curiously. "You all have a few years under your belts. Have any sage wisdom about men?"

"Dump them!" Granny instantly answered, her wrinkled hand slapping the tabletop. "Men are nothing but worthless sacks of semen!"

"You know your 'grandson' falls into this category?" Ashido reminded her.

"WORTHLESS!" Granny repeated with conviction.

"Come on, men aren't THAT bad." Ashido said, thinking of her male classmates and all the good traits they possessed. "There are plenty of good guys out there. I mean, we have plenty of heroes out there that are guys."

Immediately she knew she had said the wrong thing. Ya-Ting grumbled, clutching the bridge of her nose. And even the aloof Suzu-san wore a disgruntled expression. Between the two, a livid Granny shook with rage.

"OH, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON HEROES!" The elder snapped, banishing her cane at Ashido.

"Oh, dear…" Suzu-san tutted.

"Here we go…" Ya-Ting muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I tell you, dating heroes is the WORST!" Granny heatedly insisted. "They're always dashing off after some riff-raff, completely ignoring your date plans! Might as well be dating a wall for the amount of attention you'll receive! Then you have to deal with them coming home all bloodied up and collapsing on your…"

"French Lavelle Pearl-Tufted Velvet Sofa." Ya-Ting and Suzu said in unison, obviously having heard this story more than once.

Granny scowled, owl-like eyes narrowing distastefully at getting interrupted. "And completely ruining it!"

"I'm sure he didn't mean to…"

"RUINED IT!"

Sensing her cousin's blood pressure rising, Suzu-san patiently patted Granny's bony hand. "He did, didn't he? Such bad manners." She turned to Ya-Ting expectedly. "Perhaps you can ask Ya-Ting here? I remember her being quite popular with the men back in our younger days…"

"It's called WHORING!" Granny snapped. "Get the term right!"

The Taiwanese elder sniffed disdainfully, ignoring the comment as she applied more powder to her face. While fixing her cosmetics, she advised, "Tell the girl to learn to breathe through her nose and don't be scared of the serpent. Remember, she is its master."

"Oookay, what did she say?" Ashido asked the other two.

"Probably something dirty and inappropriate." Granny replied, giving the hair-ornament in Ya-Ting's bun an annoyed flick. Ya-Ting hissed, snapping her vanity mirror shut and glaring at her sister-in-law. Not wanting a fight between the two, Ashido quickly looked to Suzu. "Um, how about you Suzu-san? You seem really nice. I'm sure a lot of men liked you."

Suzu-sam gave a blank star. "Well…"

"As if she knows anything about men!" Granny rudely cut in. "She's one of those lesbian types! She wouldn't know a cock from a rooster!"

"Granny!" Ashido moaned, regretting even starting this conversation.

Fortunately, Suzu-san didn't seem fazed by her cousin's backlash. In a thoughtful tone she replied, "Well now, I'm not sure about that. I like to think I have a lot in common with men. If I recall, men do have a deep fondness for cats."

"It's not cats they have a fondness for, you old goat!" Granny heatedly corrected her. "It's puss—"

"WAIT! STOP! I'M GOOD! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ashido cried out, blushing wildly as she slammed her palms against the table top. "How about we change the subject!?" It was at that awkward moment that Kirishima made an entrance, carrying a tray of tropical juices with him.

"Sounds like you all are having fun over here." He commented, setting the tray down. "Mind filling me in?"

"Absolutely not!" Ashido answered instantly, shooting the ladies a warning glare.

The three looked at her, their expressions curious. Ya-Ting pointed, for once, speaking in perfect Japanese. "What happened to you?"

Ashido looked down. She gave a startled gasp, just noticing the bandages from her right arm had slipped off, revealing skin still raw and covered small stitches. Immediately she turned to Kirishima, who stood frozen, his gaze locked on the wounds on her arm.

"Girl!" Granny snapped, her cane tapping the ground impatiently. "We asked you a question!"

"Mina…I'm so sor—" Kirishima began, his voice breaking.

"IT'S NOTHING!" Ashido answered both of them loudly, faking a smile as she sat back down and hastily tried to wrap the bandages back around her forearm. She bit her lip, struggling with doing the task with only one arm.

"Mina, let me help…" Kirishima begged, tentatively sitting beside her.

"I'm fine! Really!" Ashido urged, shifting away from him in an attempt to hide her fruitless efforts. A surge of gratitude overwhelmed her as Suzu-san's soft, wrinkled hands fell over hers.

"Now, now no need to fuss." She said, expertly rewrapping the wound. "I used to be a nurse after all."

"Thanks." Ashido mumbled, embarrassed at needing the help. Kirishima was silent next to her, watching. The guilt probably weighing heavily upon him. "I didn't want this to happen. Today was supposed to be about us forgetting about all the drama from yesterday."

Across the table, Granny and Ya-Ting watched their exchanges, brows furrowed furiously as understanding dawned upon them. Granny grabbed her juice off the tray, pointing the straw accusingly at Kirishima. " Eiji-kun? YOU did that to her?! My own grandson abusing a lady!?"

"Shameful." Ya-Ting muttered darkly.

"No! No, I didn't!" Kirishima stuttered, defending himself under their accusing glares. "Well.. I mean I did…but…"

"What is it boy?!" Granny heatedly demanded. "Did you hurt her or did you not! Answer like a MAN!"

Kirishima quaked, her words cutting at his pride. "Alright…I did. But you don't understand! You see, there was this lady…"

"Oh, so now there's another woman involved!" Granny exclaimed lividly. Beside her, Ya-Ting shook her head in disgust.

Seeing that Kirishima was floundering under the two elders' interrogations, Ashido decided it would be wise to step in before things got out of hand. "Let's all calm down. What happened here had nothing to do with him."

Kirishima opened his mouth to protest, but Ashido brought her hand down upon his shoulder, reassuring him as she continued. "Your grandson here is a good guy. In fact, probably the nicest I know." She set both bandaged arms upon the table. "You see, these injuries here are actually really important to me. Because I got them…from helping a friend." She folded them back upon her lap, grinning broadly at the elders. "So there's really no need to fuss!"

"Mi-Mi-Mina!" Ashido glanced over, startled to find Kirishima sniffling with fat tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "You're, you're…so MANLY!" He bawled, covering his face with his forearms to hide his crying.

"I'm…not sure that's the most appropriate compliment for the girl you're going on a date with." Ashido commented with a laugh.

"What are you talking about!? It's the BEST compliment!" Kirishima insisted, returning her grin.

"If you say so!" Ashido replied warmly, feeling a surge of affection towards him.

Unbeknownst to them, the three elders were studying the heroes' interaction, their minds connecting the dots. They locked eyes with each other, each giving an affirmative nod. Granny cleared her throat, complaining loudly. "Dry you those eyes Eiji-kun! You're embarrassing yourself! Can't you see all this unnecessary drama is making my blood pressure sky rocket here?! Make yourself useful and get me something to eat to calm my nerves!"

Kirishima turned to her in alarm. "Your blood pressures' high? It could be because of the sugar in the fruit juice. Here! I'll take it and grab you some tea—" He reached to grab the cup from her, but Granny protectively pulled it towards her.

"It's changed! It's low now!"

"Shouldn't we take you to a hospital?!" Kirishima asked, growing concerned.

Granny scowled impatiently. "Never mind! It's in the middle!"

Kirishima scratched his head, confused. "So wouldn't that make it….normal? OUCH!"

Under the table, Granny had angrily whacked his shin with her cane. "You men are all the same! Trying to tell us women how our body's work! How about you go through a menstruation cycle AND menapause and then tell me how to read my blood pressure!"

Kirishima backed away, both hands held up in a defensive manner. "I"m sorry! I'm sorry! I'd never try to do that! I love women's bodies….wait, I mean not all of them!" He corrected himself with a panicked side glance at Ashido. "It's not like I look! I just really respect—"

"Quit yapping and get us some food!" Ya-Ting demanded, throwing an empty juice cup at him.

"Okay! Okay!" He retreated, giving Ashido a small wave as he turned back towards the food stalls.

Ashido waved back, feeling giddy all over about her and Kirishima's newfound before she could bask in the glory of couplesome, she felt herself being forcefully dragged off the bench. "Hey! What's going on?!" She asked, finding Granny and her companions quickly pulling her away from the table.

"Hush tour guide! If that is your real name!" Granny growled, roughly pushing Ashido from behind. The pink hero rolled her eyes. "How dare you not tell us you and my grandson were an item?!"

"Well…" Ashido began.

"No worries, Dear." Suzu-san kindly interrupted, pulling at her wrists. "We'll have you fixed up nice and pretty!"

" We'll get that serpent out of hibernation, for sure." Ya-Ting assured her in Mandarin.

"I…don't understand."

"It's simple. I want great-grandkids!" Granny briskly explained, as the ladies nodded in agreement. "And I ain't getting them if this doesn't go well! So be quiet and let us elders show you how things gets done right!"

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Ashido couldn't help but be amused as they determinedly escorted her to some unknown destination. Back at the table, Kirishima returned with a tray filled with steaming bowls of taco rice. He stared at the deserted table, bewildered.

"Ummm, where did everyone go?"