While Jirou talked to Midoriya at his doorway, they were lucky that no one had been on their floor and had caught them talking to one another. Many members of Class 1A were downstairs in the common area room, enjoying some hot tea prepared by Yaoyorozu. Among those sitting in the room with Yaoyorozu were Tenya Ilda, Shoto Todoroki, Eijiro Kirashima, Mina Ashido, Fumikage Tokoyami and Rikido Sato.
"Thanks for the tea, Yaomomo!" Ashido said as she gulped it down.
"I must say, this tea is excellent, Vice President Yaoyorozu!" Ilda said.
"The perfect taste! I could use these in fights!" Sato said.
While the class gawked over their tea, Ochaco Uraraka stepped off the elevator and trudged in the room to join them. She sighed as she sat down, slouching her shoulders as Ashido raised a brow.
"What's wrong, Ochaco?" She asked.
"Nothing…" Uraraka said.
"Uraraka, as your Class President - "
"I said I'm fine!" Uraraka said, cutting off Ilda, which prompted him to drop his jaw.
The eight classmates sat in silence for a few moments. Uraraka was always known for her positive, bubbly personality, so to see her clearly feeling down left them completely off guard. Finally, the silence was broken.
"Has everyone kept up with studying? Does anyone need any assistance?" Ilda said.
"Nope - hey, I could actually use your assistance for something!" Ashido exclaimed.
"Did you say no to studying?! Anyways, how can I help?"
"You like anyone, Ilda?" Ashido said, grinning as she asked.
"I happen to like everyone here, for starters! I like anyone with a passion for learning and with heroic instincts!" Ilda stood up as he proclaimed his feelings.
Ashido and Kirashima burst out laughing, with Ashido even falling off of the couch following his remarks. Todoroki and Tokyoyami looked at them at confusion, shrugging at Ilda over what had transpired.
"Are you okay, Mina?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"Should've known you would've taken that literally! I meant do you like anyone in the romantic sense?" Ashido asked Ilda.
"W-what?! No way! W-we are far too young to be thinking about such grown-up and mature subjects!" Ilda practically yelled as his face turned red.
"Hey now, I don't think we're too young to have a relationship for crying out loud! We're high schoolers!" Sato said.
"Agreed, Sato! Come on, there's nothing like a good romance! I want some drama, who do you all like?" Ashido said.
"We should focus on studying rather than marriage!" Ilda said, as his glasses fell onto the ground.
"Relax bro, I'd rather study up on who to date too! Who do you like, Ashido?" Kirashima said with a laugh.
"Yep, I'm out of here," Todoroki said, leaving the room without delay. No one even noticed him slipping out.
"None of your business, Red Riot! I am Mina Ashido, Pinky, the Matchmaking Hero! You all have nothing better to talk about so 'fess up now!" Ashido said.
"Perhaps we can have an impromptu study session instead. I do not think we should be talking about such subjects with peer pressure like this," Yaoyorozu said.
While everyone continued to talk and argue, Uraraka sat without moving a muscle. The topic of romance made her extra uncomfortable considering the incident with Jirou the prior day. Still, she wondered who Jirou liked considering how upbeat she was compared to every other encounter they had shared thus far.
"I-I think studying sounds great, Yaomomo. Who else wants to join?" Uraraka said.
"Bullshit! YOU of all people should be talking about this, Ochaco!" Ashido said, pointing a finger towards Uraraka.
"Wh-why me?!" Uraraka said, as she touched her face on accident and activated her Zero Gravity quirk. She was now above the other class members as she began to sweat.
"You people are hopeless…" Tokoyami said with a shrug.
"We all know you're in love with - "
"WOULD YOU EXTRAS SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY?"
The seven class members turned to see Katsuki Bakugou standing at the entrance of the room with his hands on his hips. He had a snarl on his face far meaner than any the class had seen before.
"Bakugou! As your Class President - "
"You shut up, Four Eyes! You people keep yelling and screaming over who knows what. I can hear you from all the way upstairs… now I'm getting my damn ice cream cone," Bakugou said, as he left the room and went to the kitchen.
With that, Yaoyorozu, Ilda, Tokoyami, and Sato agreed to study upstairs to end the fiery conversation. Kirashima, meanwhile, went to the kitchen to attempt to calm down Bakugou. Uraraka thought about joining them to study, but she decided she had enough close calls for one day. Just as she was about to leave, Ashido put a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not off the hook. We need to chat."
As the conversation deescalated downstairs into an all-out shouting frenzy, Izuku Midoriya and Kyouka Jirou went to the latter's room. Jirou took in a deep breath as she put her hand on the doorknob.
"Are you nervous about something?" Midoriya asked, noticing her panting.
"Just… don't judge me, please," Jirou said.
As they entered the room, Jirou looked straight ahead. She tapped the ends of her jacks together, finding it as an oddly comforting remedy despite the circumstances. She did not look back at Midoriya, but she did hear him gasp moments later.
"I-I know it's weird, not girly, whatever, okay, but - "
"This is such an amazing room! The Deep Dope poster! The guitars, keyboard - an entire drum set?! So you play all this music?" Midoriya was in awe.
"I, well, I can play a little of some of this stuff…" Jirou said, still turned the other way.
"And you have the Singing All Might figure on your shelf, so awesome!" Midoriya said.
"Th-thanks, Izuku…" She said, as she finally began to look towards him.
To her surprise, Midoriya's face went to blank as they made eye contact. They stared at each other for a few moments without talking. No song could capture the level of awkwardness the two felt in that moment.
"Jirou. Remember what you told me at the convention? How you thought my passion for All Might was great and all?" Midoriya said at last.
"Um, I kinda do - hey, that's Kyouka, by the way," Jirou said, blushing as she remembered the past conversation word-by-word.
"Right, sorry! Music is your passion, right? Well, I think it's cool too! Show me your passion, with confidence. Kyouka," Midoriya said with a smile.
"S-sure, Izuku," she said as she felt her heart race.
Her eyes wandered around the room, trying to not burst out of their sockets as she looked for ideas. Should she sing? Play bass? The drums? Maybe just a room tour?
Finally, she decided to grab one of her basses - she had four in the dorm each with different, specific purposes - and strummed a few notes.
"I know I-I'm not all that good, but, um, here's one you might know," Jirou said.
Forgetting Midoriya was right in front of her, she played her bass aggressively and full of vigor as she sung "Heroes are Dope," the trademark song by Deep Dope. After a little over three minutes, she stopped and opened her eyes.
"I-I forgot you were even there! Sorry, I guess I like to close my eyes while I play," Jirou said.
"Kyouka."
"I-Izuku, I know - "
"That… was the best song I've ever heard! Even better than Deep Dope themselves! Why didn't you tell everyone about this sooner? You're the best singer I've ever heard!" Midoriya said.
"N-no, I'm not, really, it's just some dumb hobby of mine… but thanks," Jirou said as she put her bass away.
"Do you think you can show me how to play bass? At least the basics," Midoriya said.
"Wait, for real? You really care that much?" Jirou asked, twirling her left jack.
"Deep Dope is amazing, but… you're even more amazing, Kyouka. I'd love for you to teach me your passion!" Midoriya said.
Jirou's face flushed to an ever darker shade of red. She had never played or sang for anyone before besides her parents, yet Midoriya was inspired to learn how to play her favorite instrument after just one song! Her hands twitched as she put the bass strap back around herself.
"Here, grab the green one over there. I'll show you a few notes," Jirou said.
While they played together, Midoriya began to get the hang of how to hold the instrument. He was even able to play a few notes in succession without it sounding horrendous. Jirou made sure to not get too advanced, just like how her parents had originally taught her. She smiled with a hint of a blush on her face as the playing went on. And so did Midoriya.
As Midoriya and Jirou continued to play music together, Uraraka sat with Ashido on the latter's bed in her dorm room. Uraraka tried her best to keep a straight face, as Ashido, giggling the whole time, put her thumb and index finger on her chin in thinking-like fashion.
"So is it Ilda or Midoriya? I know you like one of them," Ashido said.
"No, no, Mina! Really, I do - don't like them!" Uraraka said.
"Ha, ha! Nice try, girl, but I'm undefeated! So if Ilda asked you out, would you reject him?" Ashido said, now holding a piece of paper in her hands along with a pen.
"I guess I would, now that you say that," Uraraka said.
"And Midoriya?"
"I - "
Uraraka was unable to answer the question. Should she say out loud that she would reject him? She would be a liar in that case. Should she tell the truth? Ashido would then know her deepest secret.
"That hesitation! Aw, I knew it! You love Midoriya!" Ashido said.
"Wha?… Okay, fine. I do like him. But please don't tell anyone!" Uraraka said, blushing at admitting it aloud for the first time.
"I knew it! I knew it! Ochaco loves Midoriya, woo! Since you're a good friend, I won't tell anyone… but only if you make a deal with me," Ashido said, throwing a pillow across the room to release her energy.
"A deal? What kind of deal?" Uraraka said, half-nervous, yet half-curious.
"So. All the girls are going to Yaomomo's on Friday for a sleepover. You, me, Tsuyu, Toru, and Kyouka. I have a burning suspicion about Kyouka in particular…" Ashido said.
"Really? Oh, you mean you think she likes someone?" Uraraka said, remembering her incident from the prior day with Jirou as well as ever.
"Absolutely! Like I've said, my matchmaking skills are undefeated… and I think I know who it is, too," Ashido said.
"It's gotta be Kaminari, right? They're always hanging out together, although not as much recently…" Uraraka said.
She felt very much like Ashido herself as they practically gossiped over Jirou's romantic interests. Guilt was beginning to build up inside of her, coupled with the fact that she knew Jirou did indeed like someone as well. But she could not help but continue on.
"Exactly! Ya see, I thought that at one time, but I think Jirou just sees him as a really good friend. She never gets nervous about him, and we all know how she acts when embarrassed! Now Midoriya on the other hand…" Ashido said.
"Deku?! No, no way!" Uraraka yelled.
"Well, that's what I suspect! But it's not certain by any means, so I need more evidence before declaring them as a match. So…" Ashido waved her hands as she went on.
"So what?" Uraraka said, biting her tongue.
"The deal is, you'll help me make her 'fess up at the sleepover! Maybe we get her cornered, maybe we play a game… regardless, I'll spare your own secret if you help me out!" Ashido said.
Uraraka gulped. Jirou potentially liking Midoriya? And now Ashido knew about her own feelings? She hated the idea of embarrassing Jirou, yet she knew how much trouble there would be if Class 1A found out about her own feelings. Besides, she doubted that Jirou actually liked Midoriya like that.
"Deal," Uraraka said with a swift nod.
A/N: I think the story speaks for itself at this point. I thought about calling this chapter "Feelings" when you consider all the different angles of what's going on, but I went with "Music" instead.
Mina Ashido and Ochaco Uraraka are teaming up, Izuku Midoriya and Kyouka Jirou are playing music together, Katsuki Bakugou is mad at the others, just another day in Class 1A!
Next Wednesday, the story continues. What happens next? And what will Ashido and Uraraka plan? Thank you for reading, and for the comments, favorites, and follows!