Summary -

serendipity (noun): the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Hitomi comes across a blast from the past.

A/N: TSUYOSHI SHIBA WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BECOME THIS. HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BECOME AN ACTUAL CHARACTER HE WAS JUST GONNA BE SOME THROWAWAY LINE LSHFGLSJFLSD

This one-shot takes place during the preparation of the cultural festival arc! So I'd recommend reading it right in between chapters 87 and 88.

Art -

Add /2t49jctdzg9 to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

Hitomi hardly ever thought about the boy she had liked in second grade.

He'd show up in her mind randomly, the instances few and far between. When he would pop up in her mind, Hitomi often got a small laugh out of it, remembering his loud, rambunctious personality, and recalling the pranks he'd pull on their poor teacher who was just trying to control the chaos he and his friends would cause with their quirks. He had always been a bit of a troublemaker.

But once Hitomi had her small laugh at the memories, she'd simply carry on with her day. They had known each other for only a year, after all, maybe a year and a half if you were stretching it, before Hitomi moved away to America. Her thoughts hardly ever lingered on him after she'd left. After all, it was simply a childhood crush, so really, what was the point in wondering what if? She had other things to focus on, like the fact she and her best friend Nari now lived on two separate continents.

Hitomi remembered how Nari had found out about her crush and wouldn't stop bugging her about it.

...

"Hitomi, why do you like Tsuyoshi?"

"Huh?"

Nari placed her hands on her hips, making Hitomi look up from the drawing she was coloring in. It was currently break time, and luckily Hitomi's seat was near the back of the classroom, far away enough that none of their classmates would be able to hear. "Tsuyoshi," the blonde repeated, squinting at her friend. "You like him!"

Hitomi blushed, turning back to her drawing. "N-No, I don't!" She hastily went back to scratching her crayon against the paper, her heartbeat erratic.

Nari placed her hands on the edge of the desk, now kneeling next to it with her chin resting on the surface. "Yes, you dooooo," she whined, her lips pursing in a pout. "Why do you like him? He's so loud, and he and the other boys are always causing trouble for our teacher with his magnet quirk!"

"I'm telling you I don't like him!" Hitomi squeaked, turning so she was facing away from Nari. "I don't!"

"Hitomiiiii." Nari reached across the desk, poking her arm. "Quit lying. You stare at him all the time whenever we're near him during cleaning time-"

Hitomi squealed, suddenly turning around and slapping her hands over Nari's mouth. "Ssshh!"

Nari's eyes widened, effectively silenced as Hitomi's face was filled with panic, her eyes staring at the door of the classroom. Nari leaned away from Hitomi's hands, turning around to see Tsuyoshi and his friends had just walked in, laughing about something with each other. Tsuyoshi paused for a minute as his friends continued to laugh, seeing Nari and Hitomi were staring.

He smiled, giving them a wave. "Yo, Hitomi!" he said cheerfully, before following his friends to his desk.

Hitomi's entire face turned red as Nari turned back to her, getting up from the floor and grabbing her shoulders in a frenzy.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Hitomi flailed as Nari shook her, putting her finger up to her lips and trying desperately to quiet the blonde down. "Shush...! B-Be quiet, Nari!"

Nari let go of her shoulders, eyeing Hitomi's red face suspiciously. "You're telling me everything on the way home today."

Hitomi could only sigh, nodding her head defeatedly as their teacher returned to the classroom. Their next lesson was about to begin.

...

Hitomi remembered the conversation had been mortifying for her. She'd had to explain to Nari how she had actually talked with the boy on a day Nari had been out sick.

When it'd been time for recess, Hitomi had stayed under the shade of a tree, looking through a book on space she'd brought. She'd been too shy to muster up the courage to ask to play with her other classmates. She remembered simply sitting there, staring at the artwork of galaxies and stars and planets before a boy's loud yell had reached her ears.

...

"Watch out!"

Hitomi's head snapped up from the book, seeing a rock was heading straight for her. She flinched and held her hands up in front of her face, a force field suddenly forming as the rock slammed against it. It ricocheted off the barrier, tumbling into the grass as a boy with reddish brown, unruly hair stopped in front of her, panting from the sprinting he'd just done.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, kneeling down to pick up the rock. Hitomi lowered her hands slowly, recognizing him immediately.

"Tsuyoshi… kun?"

He looked up from his rock, staring at her with his olive green eyes curiously and sending a wave of relief through Hitomi that she got his name right. She blushed slightly at his stare, hastily turning back to her book. "Sorry," she mumbled, keeping her eyes glued to the pages. "You should be more careful. You could have hurt someone with that."

Tsuyoshi laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I gotta practice using my quirk somehow! Glad you're not hurt, though. It's a good thing you were able to use your quirk! It's called Force Field, right? That's super cool!"

Hitomi could feel her blush deepen at the praise over her quirk. "...Thanks."

Tsuyoshi smiled, before his eyes fell on her book. "What's that?"

Hitomi flinched, pulling the book close to her. "Uh… just… a book about space."

Tsuyoshi leaned in, peering at one of the pictures. Hitomi couldn't help but blush at the close proximity.

"That's… Earth, right?" he said, pointing at the picture of the planet.

Hitomi nodded timidly.

Tsuyoshi grinned, his finger pointing to the two red lines sticking out from the bottom and the top. "Then that means these are the North and South Pole! Right?"

Hitomi gave him another timid nod, still blushing. "Uh… yeah. That's right."

"That's just like me! I've got a North," he held his left hand up, showing the faint plus sign tattoo on the back of his hand, "and a South Pole!" He showed her the back of his other hand, which held a minus sign tattoo.

Hitomi let out a small laugh, giving him an unsure smile. "You sure do." She glanced at his hands, her own curiosity piqued. "Do… magnets still get attracted to you even when you're not using your quirk?"

Tsuyoshi readjusted himself so he was sitting on the grass instead of kneeling, crossing his arms as he contemplated Hitomi's question. "I don't really think so… Oh, but watch this!"

He held up his rock with hands, squinting his eyes in deep concentration. The tattoos on the back of his hands changed color, the plus sign turning red while the minus sign turned blue. Tsuyoshi slowly loosened his grip on the rock, his hands pulling apart only for the rock to stay suspended in the air between them, shaking only slightly. Hitomi's eyes widened while Tsuyoshi smiled, looking proud.

"I did it!" he exclaimed, the rock wobbling in the magnetic field caused by his hands. "I made it float!"

"Wow," Hitomi breathed out. "Cool!"

Tsuyoshi looked up from the rock, giving Hitomi a toothy grin. "You think so? This is what I've been practicing-"

With his gaze focused on Hitomi instead, his hands shifted slightly, causing the rock to lose its equilibrium in between them. It shot out of his magnetic field, flying up and hitting him smack in the forehead.

"OW!"

"Tsuyoshi…!"

He fell backwards onto the grass, cradling his forehead in pain as Hitomi got up from her spot, kneeling over him in worry.

"Are you okay?!"

Tsuyoshi groaned, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. "Ow ow ow…"

Hitomi grabbed hold of his wrists, pulling them away gently to check his forehead. She flinched when she saw a small cut, feeling herself panic.

"Oh no, there's blood! Ahh, we need to get a teacher! Come on!"

She pulled him up from the ground by his arm, the two stumbling slightly as Tsuyoshi winced in pain. Hitomi never let go of his wrist, pulling him across the courtyard back to the main building. Tsuyoshi kept a hand pressed against his forehead, giving her a sheepish smile.

"It's no big deal!" he laughed, trying to keep the mood light. "This is nothing!"

"You still gotta clean that!" Hitomi said, her tone of voice sounding almost like she was scolding him. "I've read before if you leave a cut open like that it could get infected with germs!"

"You sure read a lot, huh?" Tsuyoshi couldn't help but quip, making Hitomi blush slightly as they ran towards their teacher who was standing by the door, monitoring their class.

"So?" she huffed. "What's wrong with that?"

"I never said there was anything wrong with it," he laughed, shooting her a smirk. The look he was giving her only made Hitomi blush even more.

She pulled her eyes away as they approached their teacher, the older woman bending down and looking exasperated. "Oh, Tsuyoshi, what did you do this time?"

"Hit myself in the face with a rock," he said matter-of-factly.

"He has a cut," Hitomi said, finally letting go of his wrist. "And it was bleeding…!"

"Oh, Tsuyoshi, Tsuyoshi…" Their teacher sighed, standing up straight and blowing her whistle. "Alright, class!" she called out to the group of kids still playing. "Time's up. Time to head back inside!" She turned back to Tsuyoshi and Hitomi, placing her hand on her hip. "Good thing it was near the end of recess, so it wouldn't cut into your playtime," she joked, gesturing for them to follow her inside as the rest of their class made their way across the courtyard. "Now, come on. Let's get you fixed up."

…

"Hey, Hitomi!"

Hitomi turned around, seeing Tsuyoshi was running towards her, a band-aid in the middle of his forehead. It was the end of the day, and Hitomi was about to make it past the school gate to wait for her older brother, ready to go home. She stopped as she waited for Tsuyoshi to catch up, raising a brow curiously.

"Hey!" He panted, taking a moment to catch his breath once he'd approached. "Your… Your name is Hitomi, right?"

She nodded timidly, seeing he was holding something in his hands. Tsuyoshi held it out to her, Hitomi realizing it was a book.

"You forgot this in the courtyard! I realized you left it when you took me to our teacher, and you probably didn't want to lose it, right?"

She gasped, her eyes widening. It was the book she had been reading before he had interrupted her. "Oh my god!" She grabbed it, her mouth wide open in surprise. "I didn't even know that I…"

Hitomi looked to see Tsuyoshi was staring at her, his olive green eyes wide and curious. The sight made her blush, Hitomi cradling the book against her chest. "Uh... thanks. For returning it."

His eyes seemed to light up at her gratitude as he gave her a wide smile. "It's no problem! And hey… you should tell me more about the stuff you read sometime, okay? I bet you know tons of other cool stuff you can show me!"

Hitomi was left speechless, feeling her cheeks had begun to burn as Tsuyoshi walked past her to leave through the school gate. "See you tomorrow, Hitomi!" He gave her a wave, leaving Hitomi to stare as he turned the corner, disappearing from view. Once she could no longer see him, Hitomi looked down at her book, pulling the cover open to see if any damage had occurred on the pages while it was left outside.

Her eyes widened as she saw a doodle on the inside cover, the scribbles in pen vaguely resembling Tsuyoshi's face. It looked like he was winking, his hand drawn next to him with two fingers up in a peace sign.

In surprisingly neat hiragana, he'd written a sentence next to the drawing.

"Tsuyoshi Shiba was here!"

Hitomi snorted, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter as she closed the book and began to make her way past the school gate.

...

From that day forward, Hitomi often caught her gaze lingering on him, unable to keep herself from staring as he got himself and his friends in trouble. His pranks were often harmless, the kind where they were so random and puzzling you couldn't help but laugh. Hitomi enjoyed watching them from afar, a smile on her face as their teacher often came across Tsuyoshi's pranks in pure bewilderment.

She had never really mustered up the courage to talk to him again, too shy to approach him. In all honesty, she was nervous. He was almost always surrounded by his friends (or if you wanted to be cheeky, his fellow troublemakers), and Hitomi had always sort of had trouble approaching large groups.

It wasn't until two weeks later, during cleaning time, that she got the chance to talk to him again.

…

"Alright, Hitomi, Tsuyoshi, you two will get the water for the mops and help clean the floors today."

Hitomi pulled her head up from her desk as their teacher continued to list off the cleaning tasks designated for each student, her eyes trailing over to Tsuyoshi from across the room. He was already looking at her, a bright smile on his face as he gave her a wave.

Hitomi felt a burning sensation across her face, turning her gaze back to her desk. She was feeling something weird in her chest, unable to push it away.

What the heck was that…?

…

Hitomi's classmates all got up from their desks, ready to carry out the tasks they'd been given. Nari had been given the task of cleaning the shoe lockers by the entrance, wasting no time in running out of the room with the other kids who'd been assigned the job. Hitomi watched from her desk as her best friend left the room, wearing a small pout. She'd wanted to ask Nari what the weird feeling in her chest was before they got started cleaning for the day.

"Hitomi."

She jumped, not realizing Tsuyoshi was already standing by her desk. "Huh?!"

Tsuyoshi smiled, raising a brow at her being startled before placing his hands in his pockets. "What're you sitting around for? Let's go before Hagihara-sensei scolds us." He gave her a wink, amplifying the odd feeling in Hitomi's chest. She shot up from her chair, feeling the warmth across her face had reached her ears.

"Uh- right. Yeah, let's go."

…

Hitomi and Tsuyoshi walked down the hallway, Hitomi clutching her bucket handle tightly as Tsuyoshi hummed beside her.

Why… was she feeling so nervous?!

His friends finally weren't surrounding him this time, so why couldn't she muster up the courage to say something?

The weird feeling in her chest hadn't gone away either, which was unnerving to her in a way. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him. Only giving him fleeting glances before she felt her face burn, which made her look away immediately.

"Uh… Tsuyoshi?" Hitomi finally mumbled, making him stop his humming as the two of them approached the door that led to the sinks in the back of the school. She was trying to search for something they could talk about to ease her awkwardness. "Did you… still want me to tell you about the stuff I read…?"

Tsuyoshi's eyes seemed to light up, the boy smiling at her as they placed their buckets in the sink. "Yeah!" He scratched the back of his head, his smile turning sheepish. "Sorry I haven't really talked to you lately… I was afraid you might've been mad at me for drawing something in your book."

Hitomi waved her hands at him, feeling that warm sensation across her face again. "No, no, I'm not mad…! I- I liked it! The drawing was cute…"

Hitomi cringed internally, her blush deepening at what she'd just said.

Wouldn't that basically be like saying he's cute?

Tsuyoshi laughed, turning the faucet on. "Glad you liked it! So…" He turned to her, letting the water fill the bucket. "Did you have anything in mind to tell me?"

Hitomi tensed slightly under his gaze, feeling her nerves flare up. Not many people often asked her about the things she read, the only exceptions being her family along with Nari and her own family. She wasn't used to others being so interested in what she spent her free time learning about. "Um…"

Hitomi fidgeted, clasping her hands together as she glanced around, trying to come up with something. Her eyes eventually trailed up to the sky, focusing on the clouds drifting above. She pointed up at them and Tsuyoshi followed her gaze.

"Do you see those clouds up there?"

She looked to Tsuyoshi for his answer, the boy nodding in reply. His eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Those are called cumulus clouds. They look big and puffy because water vapor piles up to form them, and they're the best ones for cloud gazing because of the different shapes that can form from how fluffy they are."

Tsuyoshi nodded along enthusiastically, his eyes looking like they were practically sparkling. "Wow, I didn't even know there were different types of clouds! What are the other ones?"

Hitomi lowered her hand, blushing at his enthusiasm. "Ah, well…" A small smile couldn't help but creep onto her face as she began to fiddle with her hair. "I read that there's also cirrus clouds, stratus clouds, and nimbus clouds. There aren't any in the sky right now though, so I'd have to show you another day."

Tsuyoshi suddenly grabbed one of her hands, making Hitomi flinch as she glanced at him in surprise.

"Promise you'll show me?"

Hitomi's blush deepened, surprised by the hopeful look in his eyes. "Eh…?"

Tsuyoshi leaned forward, bringing their faces in close proximity and flustering Hitomi further. "When the other clouds show up in the sky, can you show them to me?"

Hitomi glanced at his hand that was grasping hers, feeling the weird fluttery feeling in her chest. "Oh… Well… I'd like to, but, uh…" She pulled her hand out of his hold, clasping her hands together behind her back as she looked away. "Your friends… I'm sure they wouldn't want me barging in just to show you some clouds."

Tsuyoshi made a "psshhh" sound as he waved her off, turning back to the faucet to turn the water off. His bucket was filled. "What're you talking about? They're not gonna mind. In fact, I'll get them to watch clouds with me!"

Hitomi turned the faucet above her own bucket on, realizing she'd never filled hers up. "...You mean it?"

Tsuyoshi nodded, carefully lifting his bucket out of the sink. "Yup! So make sure you show me, okay?"

Hitomi nodded timidly, a small smile on her face.

"Okay."

…

From that day forward, Hitomi kept an eye on the sky, waiting for the chance to show Tsuyoshi the other clouds. When the opportunity first arose, she nervously explained to Nari during recess she had to talk to Tsuyoshi about something, reassuring her she wouldn't be gone long before timidly approaching Tsuyoshi and his friends.

…

Hitomi made her way to the playground, feeling Nari's eyes on her as she walked across the courtyard. It was the beginning of recess, and Hitomi had finally mustered up the courage to approach Tsuyoshi. He and his friend group were gathered around the slide, trying different ways to slide down it. Hitomi stopped a few feet away from them, wringing her hands nervously as she waited to catch their attention.

One of his friends noticed her, signaling to the rest of the group she was there.

"What's up, Hitomi?" one of them asked.

"Uh…" Hitomi pointed to the top of the slide, where Tsuyoshi was seated before he pushed himself off the edge, sliding his way to the bottom. He hopped off the slide, looking excited.

"Hey, Hitomi! Oh, are you gonna show me more about the clouds?"

His friends made sounds of confusion, puzzled at the interaction taking place in front of them.

Hitomi tried to brush her embarrassment aside, instead pointing up at the sky. "Do you see that huuuuuge, long one that's really thin…?"

Tsuyoshi nodded, a wide smile on his face.

"That's a cirrus cloud. It's way higher up in the sky than the other ones, so instead of being made of water vapor, it's made up of ice crystals because it's so cold up there."

Tsuyoshi pointed at another thin cloud in the sky, looking at Hitomi with enthusiasm. "Then, is that one also a cirrus cloud?"

Hitomi shook her head, a small giggle escaping her lips. "No. That's a stratus cloud. They're thin too, but they're much closer to the ground and look more like fog. See how they don't stretch across the sky like the cirrus cloud does?"

Tsuyoshi lowered his hand, sweatdropping. "Waah, you're right…" He laughed, scratching the back of his head. "You're amazing, Hitomi! It's so cool you can tell the difference!"

Hitomi blushed at the praise, looking away. "It's not really that special…" She shook her head, feeling his friends were still staring. "Well, those are the only ones I can show you today. Nimbus clouds only show up when it rains, so you'll have to wait until then." She gestured across the courtyard, to where Nari was waiting for her. "I gotta go, so, uh… Bye!"

Hitomi turned away, hastily leaving the group in a fit of embarrassment. She knew his friends had witnessed the entire exchange, and since she didn't have the quirk of melting into a puddle, she ran away instead. She wasn't sure what they'd think of her from that, afraid they'd dismiss her as some weird girl who talked about clouds, and didn't want to stick around to find out. She bolted across the courtyard to where Nari was waiting for her, panting from her run.

"What did you need to talk to Tsuyoshi about?" Nari asked, tilting her head to the side.

Hitomi blushed, avoiding making eye contact with her friend as she tried to catch her breath. "Uh… clouds?"

"Clouds? What for?"

"I… promised him I would show them to him, I guess."

…

Tsuyoshi and his friends watched as Hitomi ran to Nari, the two of them looking like they were exchanging a few words before they left their spot under the tree, walking over to the shed that held all the recess equipment.

One of the boys clasped his hands together behind his head, raising a brow at Tsuyoshi. "What was that about?"

Tsuyoshi smiled, watching as the two girls came out of the shed with some jump ropes. "Hitomi's awesome, isn't she?"

"I mean, I guess," one of the other boys hummed. "She does have a pretty cool quirk. But why were you guys talking about clouds?"

"I asked her to tell me about 'em, duh," Tsuyoshi huffed, raising a brow. "Wasn't that obvious?"

His third friend shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't get what's so cool about them, though."

"Are you kidding me?!" Tsuyoshi exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "I didn't even know there were different kinds of clouds! There's so much cool stuff out there we don't even know about, and Hitomi knows them all!"

One of his friends snickered. "Sounds like someone's got a crush."

Tsuyoshi stuck his tongue out at him as he let go of his other friend's shoulders. "Nah, I wouldn't say that. I just wanna learn more things from her… I think."

"We'll see about that, Tsuyoshi."

…

Since then, if they ever came across each other, Tsuyoshi would always ask if she had anything new to share with him. A lot of the time Hitomi would often shake her head no, mostly out of immense shyness because of the eyes of their peers around them. Sometimes, however, she did manage to muster up the willpower to tell him some random fact she found cool, whether it be about space, some chemical reaction, or almost anything, really.

He continued to cause trouble with his friends as Hitomi watched from afar, and at one point Hitomi had even given him an idea for a new prank when she told him mixing baking soda and vinegar could cause an explosive reaction.

He'd gotten scolded for that one because of the mess it caused, and Hitomi couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for getting him in trouble. When she tried to apologize to him though, he'd simply shaken his head, giving her a toothy grin and saying, "You showed me something really cool, so I don't mind."

Hitomi figured that with how much she stared at him, and with how often he asked her for something new to teach him about, Nari was bound to find out.

…

"Wow, I can't believe I never picked up on how much you guys actually talk," Nari hummed, kicking a stray pebble as they walked down the street to their houses. Hitomi had just finished explaining the time she and Tsuyoshi first really talked, and how he always asked her about new things after that.

"Yeah, but… it's not like I actually… like him, or anything," Hitomi huffed, gripping her backpack straps. "He just asks me about the stuff I read, that's all."

"Hitomi, you stare at him all the time."

"So?"

"And your face always turns red when he talks to you."

Hitomi blushed, averting her eyes. "That doesn't mean anything…!"

"Hitomi, do you ever feel weird when you're around him? Like, you got butterflies in your stomach, stuff like that?"

Hitomi looked back at Nari, surprised. "How'd you know that…?"

Nari giggled, a mischievous smile forming on her face. "Because it means you got a crush~!"

Hitomi froze, her entire face red now as they stopped in front of her house. "H-Hey! No I don't!"

Nari skipped around her, giggles escaping her lips. "Yes, you do!" she singsonged, dancing around Hitomi in a circle. "You like Tsuyoshi~! It's so obvious!"

"N-No, I don't-!"

Nari jumped on her from behind, making Hitomi stumble. "Aw, come on Hitomi, quit lying. It's so easy to tell that you do!"

Hitomi stepped away from Nari, shaking her off. "S-Stop saying that…!" she spluttered, feeling like she could practically be on fire. "It's not funny, Nari!"

Nari laughed as Hitomi puffed her cheeks out at her. "But you admit it, right?"

Hitomi hmphed, turning around to walk to her house's front door. "See you tomorrow, Nari."

"Hey, answer me first!" her friend whined.

Hitomi gave her a noncommittal wave as she took out her key, unlocking the front door. "Bye, Nari."

Nari pouted, crossing her arms as Hitomi finally opened the door. "I'm gonna get you to admit it, just you wait! See you tomorrow, Mimi!"

…

It took Nari a few days, but after a bunch of pushing, prodding, and insisting, Hitomi had finally, finally admitted, that she might have just a teensy little, itty bitty crush on the boy known as Tsuyoshi Shiba. She begged Nari to just let it be, to not try to set them up into situations that'd make "sparks" fly between them that'd just end up embarrassing Hitomi in the end. Although reluctant, Nari promised her she wouldn't do anything, and from there, Hitomi and Tsuyoshi continued to toe the line between classmates and friends. They never really hung out like they did with their own friend groups, often simply catching each others' eye from afar. Sometimes, Tsuyoshi would come bounding up to her, wanting to show her a new trick he learned with his magnet quirk or ask her something he was curious about, and other times, Hitomi would timidly approach him, giving him silly prank ideas she came up with based on science experiments she read about.

And then, by the next school year's summer break, her entire family was whisked away to America for her father's promotion, leaving without so much as saying goodbye. Hitomi had been sad to leave her home, her school, the familiar lifestyle she had enjoyed for nine years. What she was most heartbroken over, though, was leaving Nari. When Hitomi had heard the news they were to move three months prior to their leave, she had broken the news to Nari in tears, unhappy about having to leave her best friend. She and Nari had pinky-promised to keep in touch, the two so heartbroken that it eventually convinced their parents to do their best in keeping in touch as well for the sake of their friendship.

Hitomi had decided not to tell any of her other classmates about her leaving, telling her teacher it would only make her goodbye more painful than it already was. During the three months Hitomi was anticipating the move, she got caught up in packing, going over the curriculum she'd have to adjust to in a new country with her teacher, and generally getting herself ready to say goodbye to Japan. She didn't have as much free time to read her science books, and so, she was sad to disappoint Tsuyoshi whenever she had to tell him she couldn't tell him anything new that day. Tsuyoshi quickly took notice of her sadness, but with them now being in third grade and in different classes, he never really found the chance to ask her what was wrong.

After Hitomi had left, adjusting to life in a foreign country and trying her best to keep in contact with Nari, Tsuyoshi was eventually pushed to the recesses of her mind as a distant memory. He was simply known to her as her first crush, the instances of him popping up in her mind few and far between. Very few times did she wonder what things would've been like if she had told him how she felt about him before she left.

After the whole incident of Nari gaining her scar, romance had become the last thing on Hitomi's mind. She became hyper focused on hero studies, intent on getting into a school with a good heroics program. She still read the occasional romance novel or watched the newest cheesy romcom movie every now and then, of course (she was a romantic after all), but she never thought about the idea of herself being involved in a romantic relationship.

But now that she was a student at UA High School, practically guaranteed to become a hero so long as she did well in her studies, Hitomi didn't have to worry about getting into a good school anymore.

Which meant that now there was more room for her to think about other things.

Hitomi tapped her pencil against her notebook, turning to look out the cafe window. She couldn't help but give a fleeting glance to the boy sitting across from her, taking note of the way his red eyes were narrowed in deep concentration as he tapped his fingers against his spiky, ash blonde hair.

Katsuki Bakugou.

Known to many as the winner of the UA Sports Festival First-Year Stage, or the boy who had been taken hostage by the League of Villains during the Camino Incident, or heck, even the middle schooler who had resisted a sludge villain by himself until the heroes had arrived, he was Class 1-A's resident explosive, short-tempered Pomeranian (although he hated being called that).

He was also Hitomi's second ever crush.

Hitomi wasn't sure how it had happened. One moment, she was antsy about being left alone with him, intimidated by his power and angry demeanor, and the next, she was grasping his hand, the two standing alone in front of the dormitory elevators with Hitomi just barely stopping herself from telling Bakugou she loved him.

Everything in between those two points was something Hitomi didn't want to think about too much, the pain and embarrassment she'd put herself through while they were celebrating Yaoyorozu's birthday especially being something she'd rather forget.

Thank goodness they were finally past that. She and Bakugou were back to normal with each other, and she was relieved their friendship hadn't been tarnished by the things she'd done during then.

"Hello, earth to Hitomi?"

Hitomi finally snapped out of her daydreaming, quickly turning away from the window to see the Bakusquad was staring at her expectantly.

"Eh…?"

Bakugou scoffed, raising a brow at her. "You've been staring out the window for the past five minutes, idiot."

"Everything good?" Kirishima, who was seated next to her, asked worriedly. "You're not feeling sick again, are you?"

Hitomi blushed, waving her hands sheepishly at the group. "Oh, no, no! I'm perfectly healthy, I promise! I was just… thinking about stuff."

Kaminari sipped his drink absentmindedly. "Like what?"

Hitomi's mouth snapped shut as she sheepishly turned back to her notebook, her blush deepening. Her friends could not know she was thinking about her crush on Bakugou again. "Ah, well… the… school festival…?" she squeaked out.

"Now that's clearly bullshit," Bakugou huffed, crossing his arms on top of the table.

Hitomi groaned, burying her face in Kirshima's shoulder. "It's not like it's that important. I was just spacing out again."

Kirishima laughed. "Excited for the festival, huh? I wouldn't blame you, it is your first one after all."

"Guys, stop talking about the festival!" Mina whined, bopping her fists lightly against the table. "You're just gonna make me wish I was choreographing our dance instead of studying for this dumb test!"

"You should've been paying closer attention in class, Mina," Sero deadpanned, "instead of playing Love Live behind your textbook."

"Well excuse me for wanting to scout for the new set!" Mina huffed. "The new fairy outfits Aquours is wearing is too cute!"

Mina had suggested to the Bakusquad to study together for the upcoming math test that was coming the following Monday, it being on exponential and logarithmic equations. The group had decided to study for the test off campus instead of at the dorms, wanting to try out the new cafe that had just opened the previous weekend.

Hitomi sipped the straw of her drink, finishing off the last of her melon soda as her friends discussed with each other the different components of how to solve a logarithmic function. She felt confident about this test with math being one of her strong suits, and although she didn't often study for the subject she figured it wouldn't hurt to just in case. Plus, her friends were bound to ask her for help anyway.

Hitomi paused when her straw made a "skrrr" sound, pulling the glass away to see it was empty save for the ice cubes left at the bottom. She patted Kirishima's shoulder, catching his attention.

"Scoot. I'm gonna get a refill."

…

Hitomi readjusted the straw, her glass now being filled with water. Although she would've loved to get another glass of melon soda, she also had to be more responsible. Living away from home meant her parents could no longer make sure she was eating healthy, leaving it up to Hitomi to discipline herself and make sure she didn't stick to having junk food all the time.

She sighed, feeling the slight homesickness that always came whenever she thought about her family as she turned into the aisle that would eventually take her back to her group's table. With her mind preoccupied, she didn't realize someone was walking down the same aisle in the opposite direction, bumping straight into them.

Hitomi snapped back to reality as she stumbled, her eyes widening as she saw the water from her glass splash right onto the other person's jacket. They both yelped, flinching back as Hitomi's face turned bright red.

"Sorry…!" she spluttered, internally screaming at herself for how unaware she could be. She quickly placed the now empty glass down, hastily grabbing a handful of napkins from the nearest table and wiping furiously at the other person's soaked jacket. "I'm so, so sorry! I wasn't looking at where I was going, and now your jacket's wet, and there's a mess on the floor…"

As she desperately tried to dab at the water with her napkins, she felt her face heat up rapidly, knowing for a fact that everyone in the cafe (including her friends) was staring at the scene. Worst of all, she could feel the eyes of the poor person she'd stumbled into, practically bracing herself for the judgement or harsh remark she was going to get in reply. She kept her eyes glued to the person's jacket, garnering it was probably a guy based on the flat, firm chest she could feel through his clothes.

All she wanted to do was die.

THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING! WHY COULDN'T I JUST PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE I WAS GOING?!

She continued to wipe at the guy's jacket as people gradually began to look away from the scene, back to minding their own business. Once Hitomi had finally used up every single napkin she'd grabbed, she glanced up to see what kind of person she was dealing with, finding herself face to face with a boy who looked to be her age with… well, what she'd describe as a very attractive face. She looked back down, blushing furiously as she kept her eyes glued to the wet stain on his leather jacket. She noticed that he sported beige pants and dark gray sneakers, with a phone held in his hand.

"I'm really, really sorry!" she exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment. The boy still hadn't said a word, and she was scared he could blow up at her any minute. "I should've been looking at where I was going, and now because of me your jacket's ruined…!" She opened her eyes back up, gasping as an idea came to her mind that would hopefully placate this embarrassing situation. "I know!" She suddenly slapped her hand against his chest, smack on top of the wet stain and making him flinch slightly. "I'll just dry it…!"

The boy still hadn't said anything, the only sound he'd made being the small grunt he'd breathed out when Hitomi hit his chest. Hitomi's eyes glowed as she activated her quirk, feeling the temperature rise at her palm as she dried off his jacket.

"Hitomi… Kanetsukabe…?"

Hitomi paused, finally looking back up at his face at the sound of her name. "Huh…?"

The boy's face suddenly lit up, his mouth in a wide grin as he gasped. "Oh, wow, it really is you!"

Hitomi pulled her hand away from his jacket, the fabric dried off as her eyes lost their glow. There was the gnawing feeling of familiarity tingling in the back of her mind as she stared at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side. "Uh…? Sports Festival fan…?"

The boy shook his head, pointing at himself. "Hitomi, do you remember me?!"

Hitomi blinked at him, an unsure smile on her face. "Um…"

"Oh, hold on." The boy put his phone away and readjusted his jacket sleeves, before holding his hands up to display the back of his hands. "Earth has a North Pole and South Pole just like me, remember?"

He gave her a toothy grin as Hitomi's eyes fell on his hands, catching the sight of the plus and minus signs tattooed on his skin.

Wait…

Realization slowly started to dawn on Hitomi as she looked back at his face, taking note of his light, reddish brown fluffy hair and his bright, olive green eyes.

The blush came rushing back to her face as she took a step back, her eyes wide in shock.

"Tsuyo- I mean- Shiba-kun?!"

Tsuyoshi lowered his hands, a confused look on his face. "Why're you using my last name?"

Hitomi recoiled, drawing a blank as she remembered how big of a crush she'd had on him when they were kids. "Uh, I- I just- Well-" She couldn't form a single coherent thought, the only thing she could think clearly being the fact she couldn't help but notice how attractive he'd turned out in the 7 years they hadn't seen each other. "I-"

"Alright, alright, people, move along."

Hitomi jumped, turning to see an employee had finally arrived, holding a mop and a wet floor sign.

"Ah, sorry-!"

"Don't worry about the mess," she sighed, setting the sign down. "Just head back to your tables so I can clean this up."

Hitomi took a step back, unintentionally stepping right into Tsuyoshi's chest. She jolted when she felt his hand on her shoulder, stumbling away and waving her arms frantically at him. "Wagh, sorry! And I'm sorry about the- about spilling water on you! It was nice to see you again Tsu- Shiba-kun, bye!"

Before Tsuyoshi could say anything in reply, Hitomi bolted away, making a beeline for the Bakusquad's table.

The Bakusquad had watched the entire exchange, staring at Hitomi in concern as she approached.

"Hitomi," Kirishima started, "are you okay? Who was- Hitomi?!"

Hitomi had dropped onto the floor, crawling under the table and scaring the rest of her friends with her odd behavior.

"Wha-?!"

"What the hell?!"

"What's wrong?!"

"Hitomi?!" Kaminari exclaimed, the group feeling Hitomi crawl over their shoes. "What's going on?! You're scaring me!"

"I'm fine!"

Sero and Mina, being the ones seated at the edge of their booth, both peered under the corner of the table, seeing Hitomi had curled up at the other end against the wall.

"What's wrong?" Mina asked, looking somewhat panicked. "Who was that guy…?"

"Don't worry about it!" Hitomi spluttered, hugging her knees to her chest. Her face was bright red, though they couldn't see it.

"Did he do something to you?!" Sero's eyes narrowed. "Do you need us to intervene-"

"Hitomi?"

The entire group flinched at the sound of the new voice, turning to the edge of the table to see the boy Hitomi had bumped into standing there.

He pointed at the table, staring at the group. "She's under there, right?"

"Who's asking?!" Kaminari exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table in an attempt to come off as intimidating. He was unsuccessful, as the newcomer seemed to be unperturbed.

"I'm an old classmate of hers."

"Yeah, well you can fuck right off," Bakugou growled, shooting him a murderous glare. His intimidation tactic was more successful than Kaminari's, because the boy seemed to flinch slightly. "She clearly doesn't wanna be near you."

The boy sighed to himself, scratching the back of his head. "Seems like it…" he mumbled. He crouched down, the Bakusquad ready to pounce on him if he made any move to crawl underneath the table.

Hitomi saw Tsuyoshi bend down so he could see her, the boy giving her a sheepish wave. "Hey, Hitomi," he started slowly, mustering up a smile. "Sorry if I scared you out of nowhere like that… I didn't mean to. I'll let you get back to your friends."

His body language made it obvious he was a little disappointed, causing guilt to build up in Hitomi's stomach. Right as he was about to get up, she squeaked.

"Sh-Shiba-kun, wait!"

The entire group seemed to be holding their breath as Hitomi crawled over their shoes, making her way out from under the table. She stopped in front of Tsuyoshi, kneeling on the floor since he hadn't gotten up from his crouching position yet.

"I-I'm the one that should be apologizing," she mumbled, her blush now apparent. "I spilled water on you, and then I tried to hide when you were just being friendly…" She bent over slightly, in a bow. "So, I'm sorry…!"

Tsuyoshi's shoulders relaxed, his disappointment slowly fading. "Don't sweat it. It's water under the bridge." He laughed, holding his hand out to her. "Now come on. You probably don't want to stay under a tiny table, right?"

Hitomi was still blushing as she slowly placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her up.

"Um…"

They turned back to the table at the sound of the voice, seeing the Bakusquad was staring at the two of them in disbelief.

Sero pointed at Tsuyoshi, his eyes wide. "Excuse me, but…"

"Who the fuck are you, Broom Hair?!" Bakugou growled, a scowl on his face.

Tsuyoshi laughed, holding up a peace sign. He didn't seem to be bothered by Bakugou this time. "My name's Tsuyoshi Shiba! Nice to meet you-"

"Long-distance boyfriend?!" Mina screamed, slamming her hands down on the table and springing up from her seat. "Hitomi, did you have a secret boyfriend you weren't telling us about this whole time?!"

"Huh?!" Hitomi stared at Mina in shock, before looking back at Tsuyoshi, her face bright red. Her eyes fell on their hands, which were still grasping each other, and she hastily pulled hers away. "S-Sorry!" she stuttered, before turning to Mina. "And he's not my boyfriend!"

"Then who the fuck are you?" Bakugou growled again, looking like he was ready to jump out of his seat and tackle Tsuyoshi as Mina sank back into the booth, sighing in disappointment.

"Like I said, I'm an old classmate of Hitomi's," Tsuyoshi replied, placing one of his hands on his hip. "We were classmates in elementary school. I'm assuming you guys are her friends? I recognize your faces, but…" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I don't remember all your names," he chuckled.

"I'm Mina Ashido!"

"Hanta Sero."

"Eijiro Kirishima!"

"My name's Denki Kaminari! Nice to meet an old friend of Hitomi's, dude!"

The group all turned to Bakugou, seeing he was glaring at Tsuyoshi.

"Come on, man, don't be rude," Kirishima said, raising a brow. "At least tell him your name."

Bakugou growled, resting his cheek against his hand. "Why? It's not like I'm gonna see this fucking extra ever again."

"B-Bakugou!" Hitomi spluttered, feeling secondhand embarrassment for his rudeness. "You don't have to be so harsh…!" She turned to Tsuyoshi, scratching the back of her head. "I'm really sorry about him, Shiba-kun… He's a little, well…" She paused, trying to come up with a suitable description. "...rough around the edges."

Tsuyoshi waved her off, unbothered. "It's no worries. He doesn't need an introduction, he's pretty famous already. Katsuki Bakugou, right?" He turned to the ash blonde expectantly for confirmation, only for Bakugou to shoot him another glare before scoffing and looking out the window. It made Hitomi sigh, exasperated with his stubbornness.

"Hey, man, don't just stand there!" Kaminari exclaimed, giving Tsuyoshi an inviting smile. "Grab a chair and sit down!"

"Huh? Well, I didn't mean to interrupt your guys' lunch…"

"It's fine!" Mina exclaimed, her voice stern. "We needed a break from studying anyway."

Sero raised a brow at her. "We just had a break 10 minutes ago-"

"Ssshh!" Mina held a finger up, cutting him off. "Don't be shy, Shiba!"

Tsuyoshi glanced at Hitomi, as if asking her for approval. Hitomi couldn't help but blush as she was hit with the thought of how attractive he'd become again, looking away hastily and nodding. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tsuyoshi grin, before he turned away, looking to go find a chair.

…

"So what grade did you guys meet?"

Tsuyoshi hummed, his eyes trailing up to the ceiling in thought. "Mm… second grade, I think. Right?"

Hitomi nodded quietly, feeling she was nervous again. Tsuyoshi had grabbed a nearby chair, now seated at the very edge of the table. Instead of sitting by the window like she had been earlier, Hitomi was at the edge of the booth so she was next to him, allowing her to chime in if she ever wanted to about the various questions her friends were asking Tsuyoshi.

"So what was she like back then? We met her friend Varsteg once, but she never got the chance to tell us what she was like in elementary."

"Varsteg…?" Tsuyoshi's eyebrows raised into his hair. "Oh, are you talking about Nari Varsteg?" He glanced at Hitomi, looking surprised. "You were able to keep in touch with her?"

"Of course I was…" Hitomi mumbled, covering her the bottom half of her face with her sweater sleeve. She couldn't handle looking at that face. "She's my best friend. There's no way I could just say goodbye to her like that."

Tsuyoshi smiled. "That's fair."

"Shiba, tell us!" Mina exclaimed, pulling his attention back to her. "What was she like?"

"Mina, I'm right here," Hitomi grumbled. "You could always ask me that whenever you want."

Mina waved her off. "All you'd say is something boring like 'oh, nothing interesting.' I need a bystander's perspective!"

Hitomi sighed in exasperation while Tsuyoshi rested his cheek against his hand, humming in thought once again.

"Hitomi when we were back in grade school, huh…" He smiled a soft smile, a serenity to it. "She was a nerd, but in the best way." He glanced at her again, his heartfelt expression making Hitomi's heart pound like she was in grade school all over again. "Super super smart, and teaching me things about the world I never even knew about."

Hitomi was holding back the heat wave threatening to escape, squeaking as she held her cheeks. "I- wha…? C'mon, Shiba-kun, they were just silly science facts…"

"They weren't silly," Tsuyoshi smiled again. "And why're you still calling me by my last name? You never did that when we were younger."

Hitomi spluttered, fiddling with her hair. "I- Well, I didn't want to be rude…! It's been years, and I didn't want to act overly familiar with you…"

Tsuyoshi rested both of his arms on the table, tilting his head. "Tsuyoshi is fine."

Hitomi stared at him, unable to look away from his eyes. They were still wide and curious, just like back when they were in grade school.

Even now, after 7 years, staring into them for too long flustered her.

Hitomi looked down at the table stiffly, her face bright red now. "Tsu-Tsuyoshi…"

"Oh, you're dropping the honorific too?"

Hitomi scratched her cheek, unable to calm her flustered nerves. "I prefer not to use them that much, actually. Only when I feel the need to be formal."

Tsuyoshi gave a light chuckle, the sound of his voice and how it changed causing Hitomi's face to redden even more. She shot up from her seat, her legs feeling wobbly. "I'm going to the bathroom…!"

She sped walk away from the booth, everyone watching as she made a beeline for the women's restroom.

…

And now Tsuyoshi was alone with the Bakusquad.

They had been eerily silent during the exchange between this new person and Hitomi, none of them daring to say a word.

But now that Hitomi was in the bathroom, it was fair game.

"Shiba…" Mina mumbled, blinking in disbelief. "Do you… like Hitomi?"

Tsuyoshi raised a brow. "Of course I do. I find it hard to imagine why anyone would hate someone like her."

Mina, Sero, Kirishima, and Kaminari shared a glance. Bakugou's eyes were glued to the table and hidden by his bangs, his arms crossed with his body tense.

"No, I mean like… romantically…?"

Tsuyoshi's eyebrows raised into his hair, looking surprised for only a moment before he chuckled. "Oh. Well then, I'll say no comment," he laughed, shooting the group a wink.

His cheekiness pissed Bakugou off.

"Why the fuck can't you just give a straight answer?!" Bakugou suddenly growled, giving him a glare. He paused, not meaning to have said that out loud.

Tsuyoshi smirked, the expression on his face only heightening Bakugou's annoyance.

"Why should I? I mean, that's kind of a bold question to ask someone you just met."

This guy-!

Mina clapped her hands together apologetically while Bakugou just scowled, hissing a sharp "tch" as he turned to look out the window. "Whatever. Not like I fucking care, anyway."

Tsuyoshi's eyes seemed to widen slightly, as if he had a sudden spark of realization.

"Bakugou, no need to be so uptight!" Kaminari whined, poking the ash blonde's shoulder. "Can't you be a little nicer to Hitomi's old friend?"

"I don't give a damn. It's not like Moon Face made any effort to keep in touch with him like she did with Pudding Head anyway, so it's obvious they weren't even that close," he sneered.

"Dude!" Kirishima exclaimed, his eyebrows furrowing. The entire Bakusquad was appalled at Bakugou's sudden rudeness. "What's with you?" He turned to Tsuyoshi, who looked as if he was in deep thought. "I'm really sorry about him, man," Kirishima said, scratching his head sheepishly.

Tsuyoshi smiled lightly, not the least bit offended. "It's cool. After all, he's right in a way. We were just in the same class, and we usually hung out with different friend groups. We only knew each other for maybe a year and a half before Hitomi moved away."

Something about the way he used her first name so familiarly was really irritating Bakugou.

"Then, what was it you guys were talking about earlier?" Sero asked, trying to move the conversation past Bakugou's rudeness. "That science fact thing you mentioned."

"Oh, that?" Tsuyoshi picked up a spoon, twirling it around in between his fingers as he spoke. "When we first talked, Hitomi was reading a book about space. I thought that was really cool, that she was already able to read complex stuff like that, so I asked her to tell me more about whatever she read whenever she got the chance."

"You could have always just read that shit yourself, y'know," Bakugou scoffed. Kaminari elbowed him, in a futile attempt to get him to stop being rude and earning himself a glare from the ash blonde.

Tsuyoshi continued to twirl the spoon, the minus sign on the back of his hand turning blue, meaning he'd activated his quirk. He hummed, beginning to do small tricks with the utensil. "True, but Hitomi's explanations were really simple and easy to understand. They were more interesting to hear coming from her than from some books."

"Oh man, I know, right?" Kirishima exclaimed, his face breaking into a grin. "'Tomi's real good at explaining stuff!"

Mina sighed, resting her elbows on the table and cradling her cheeks as she pouted. "It's hard to believe that girl hardly ever studies."

"She doesn't study?"

Kaminari shook his head rapidly, looking defeated. "No! And she always gets good grades. I don't know how she does it. She's truly an anomaly."

"Nah, you're just a dumbass," Bakugou huffed, a small smirk on his face. Kaminari stared at him in shock, faking some tears.

"Bakubro!" he wailed, clutching his chest and feigning hurt. "How could you?!"

Bakugou didn't answer, his eyes falling on blue hair that was nearing their table. It seemed like Hitomi was back from the bathroom, cradling her arm and staring at the ground as she approached.

He noticed her cheeks were still flushed, as if she was embarrassed. Hitomi's eyes trailed up, falling on the back of the Broom Hair's head before they quickly darted away, the pink color on her face turning into a dark red instead.

The way she seemed to look at him, how he seemed to affect her, it didn't sit well with Bakugou.

It felt like there was some obnoxious, gnawing feeling clawing at his heart.

And he hated it.

Hitomi finally stopped by the edge of the table, making eye contact with Bakugou. She seemed to flinch slightly, her expression turning into one of worry. Bakugou's eyes widened, realizing he was glaring at her.

Shit.

He looked away quickly as the rest of the group greeted her, welcoming her back. Hitomi didn't stop staring at him as she sat back in her seat, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

…

Tsuyoshi elbowed Hitomi as she sat back down, back from the bathroom. "What's this about you not having to study?" he laughed.

Hitomi's eyes left Bakugou, her attention now on her old classmate. "Eh? Oh, well…" She began fiddling with the hair framing her face, blushing. "Yeah, I don't really study that often…"

Tsuyoshi smiled. "I already thought this when we were younger, but man, you really are amazing, Hitomi!"

Hitomi looked as red as a tomato, stumbling through her words. "Uh- that's- well… thank you…" She couldn't help but squeak, covering her flustered face. She heard Tsuyoshi and the rest of her friends laugh, peeking through her fingers sheepishly before her eyes fell on the spoon Tsuyoshi was twirling around his fingers. "Tsuyoshi…" Hitomi mumbled, lowering her hands slowly.

"Hm?"

She eyed the spoon, unable to quell the spark of wonder that had always come when he showed her his quirk. "It… looks like you got a lot better at doing tricks."

"Oh, thanks!" Tsuyoshi was wearing a grin, his twirling becoming more elaborate as he started to use both his hands, the spoon moving and spinning around in between all of his fingers. "I've been able to pull off way more intricate pranks once I got better at using my quirk!"

Hitomi couldn't help but smile slightly. "Pranks? You're still doing that sort of thing?"

"Of course I am!" Tsuyoshi shot her a wink, which sent flutters through Hitomi's heart. "Seeing people's reactions is too priceless to give up."

"What's this about pranks?" Sero asked with a raised brow.

Tsuyoshi stopped twirling the spoon, catching it right side up as he glanced at Hitomi. "Would you like to tell them?"

Hitomi couldn't help but grin, remembering the shenanigans he and his friends had gotten into. "Sure," she said, turning to face the Bakusquad. "Tsuyoshi was a huge prankster back in grade school; or, well, I suppose he still is, but he'd get himself and his friends into trouble so often I'm surprised our teacher never got fed up with him! Although, I suppose they were so random and funny you couldn't really stay mad."

Kaminari and Kirishima leaned forward in their seats. "What kind of pranks did he do?" Kirishima asked, wearing a smile of his own.

"I stapled baguettes to some trees in the courtyard once."

The Bakusquad (minus Bakugou) burst out laughing, Sero and Kirishima banging their fists against the table.

"You… You what?!" Mina wheezed, holding her stomach.

"I remember that!" Hitomi exclaimed through her giggles. "I never got to ask, but how did you even get the staples through the bread?!"

Tsuyoshi smiled, holding one of his hands up and showing off the tattoo from his quirk. "Magnet has its uses."

The group (still minus Bakugou) continued to laugh, the image of pieces of bread hanging off of tree trunks simply too hilarious.

"Holy shit," Kaminari laughed, wiping the tears that had formed in his eyes. "That's amazing, dude."

"Truly," Sero chuckled.

Tsuyoshi let out a small chuckle of his own. "Thanks. My favorite ones were the ones I got from Hitomi, though."

Hitomi's giggles faded as she pointed at herself. "Me?!"

"Yeah!" Tsuyoshi nodded avidly. "The ones you came up with from those science experiments you read about were always awesome!"

"B-But they got you in trouble!" Hitomi spluttered, the blush returning. "The ones I told you always caused a mess…!"

"Didn't I tell you already?" Tsuyoshi gave her a toothy grin, just like they were back in grade school again. "They were the coolest, so I didn't mind."

Hitomi felt butterflies in her stomach, her eyes darting away. "Oh…" She began twirling her hair, a wobbly smile on her face. "W-Well… how about now…? What kind of pranks are you doing now in high school?"

Tsuyoshi closed his eyes, recalling his most recent prank. "I filled the school pool up with rubber ducks."

The Bakusquad (still minus Bakugou, of course) burst out laughing again, their loud voices carrying throughout the cafe.

"Oh… Oh my god!" Kirishima shrieked, his mouth wide open from his laughter. "That's so ridiculous!"

"Exactly," Tsuyoshi chuckled, beginning to twirl the spoon again. "My goal when I pull pranks is to leave people completely confused, but still able to laugh."

"C-Couldn't you get in trouble, though…?" Hitomi breathed out as her other friends continued to laugh. "I get that back in grade school we were young enough they'd let it slide, but now…"

"Oh, that? Don't worry about it. I always clean up after myself, which the teachers use to serve as my punishment anyway."

Hitomi smiled softly as the Bakusquad's laughter slowly subsided. "I suppose that makes sense. I guess you never lost your knack causing trouble, huh?"

Tsuyoshi laughed, Hitomi finding the way his whole face seemed to light up cute. "Yeah, I guess so. How about you, though?"

Hitomi's brows raised as the Bakusquad slowly started to calm down. "Hm?"

Tsuyoshi stopped twirling the spoon, pointing at her with it. "When'd you decide to go for the hero course? You told me you wanted to be a chemist or astronaut when we were kids, so I assumed you wanted to work in the science field. I was really surprised when I saw you on TV for the whole USJ thing and the Sports Festival!"

"Oh…" Hitomi looked down at the table, flashes of blood splattering across tiles and Nari in a hospital bed resurfacing in her mind. She took a deep breath, repeating the sentence in her head that it wasn't her fault. "Sort of personal reasons, I guess. But…" Hitomi stared down at her hands, thinking back on her quirk. "My quirk can be used to help people. I realized that I didn't want to live the rest of my life knowing I could protect others with it and not doing exactly that."

The table was silent for a few seconds until Sero eventually hummed. "Woah, Hitomi. I had no idea that's why you wanted to be in the hero course…!"

Hitomi scratched the back of her head, a sheepish smile on her face. "Ahh, I suppose I never explained why I wanted to be a hero to all of you guys… It was never really my dream, at least, in the beginning. But now it feels like the right thing to do. I can't imagine myself as anything else."

"Well, I'm glad you're training to be a hero right along with us!" Mina exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her and patting Hitomi's head lovingly. "After all, we may have never become friends! And I just can't imagine being without my adorable little 'Tomi-!"

"Wah…! Don't just say such embarrassing things like that!" Hitomi blushed as Mina continued to nuzzle her hair, the rest of their friends chuckling lightly.

"Well, it's true!" Kirishima laughed. "I wouldn't want to be without one of my closest friends."

"And we'd be dead from Bakugou beating knowledge into our heads if you weren't around to explain things for us too," Kaminari added.

"What the hell?!" Bakugou growled. "It's not my fault you aren't paying attention when I actually try to show you how to do the simplest shit!"

Sero seemed to wear a deadpan expression. "Can't you do that without batting us with paper?"

"You're the ones that don't listen to me! If you don't want the paper, then listen the first time I explain things to you!"

Hitomi, having finally wiggled out of Mina's grasp, smiled sheepishly before turning back to Tsuyoshi. He seemed to be amused by the group's dynamic. "So, how about you, Tsuyoshi? Are you in the heroics course too? Actually, what school are you going to?"

Tsuyoshi leaned back in his seat, setting the spoon down. "I'm in general studies at Taishi High School, actually."

The Bakusquad (minus Hitomi and Bakugou) made sounds of awe.

"Taishi?" Kirishsima asked. "Isn't that the school founded by Taishi Technologies?"

Tsuyoshi nodded. "That's right."

Hitomi sighed, slumping over slightly in shame. "Yet again, another school I don't know…"

"Aw, don't sweat it, 'Tomi," Mina hummed, patting the bluenette's head. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Taishi is another high school here in Musutafu," Sero explained. "It was founded by the support company Taishi Technologies, like Kirishima said."

"It's an international boarding school, so they get exchange students from all over the world!" Mina giggled, cradling her cheek. "Which means there's probably lots of cute boys!"

Kaminari leaned forward, looking a little offended. "Oi. What's that supposed to say about the boys in your own school like us?"

Mina pushed his face away, whistling in false ignorance. "No comment."

"Huh…" Hitomi hummed, turning back to Tsuyoshi. "That's actually pretty cool. How is it over there?"

Tsuyoshi shrugged. "Honestly? A bit strict. At least, compared to what I've heard about UA's rules and teaching methods. They're pretty particular about how we wear or accessorize our uniforms, barring the variations they provide for us, and we have to wear a pin with the school emblem at all times. We even have a different uniform specifically for ceremonies or special events, so they're a little over the top, too."

"But, Taishi's uniforms are so cute!" Mina exclaimed. "I would love to wear one!"

"What do they look like?" Hitomi asked.

"Ah, hold on." Tsuyoshi reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and unlocking it. He scrolled through his pictures, smiling when he found a good one. "Here." He handed the phone to Hitomi, who took it curiously.

The picture he'd chosen seemed to be one of a club or committee he was in, the group of students in the photo striking fancy or elaborate poses in front of a classroom blackboard that said "Let's go, festival!"

Mina leaned over Hitomi's shoulder to get a better look, grinning at the sight of them. "See? Aren't they super cute? The girls even have two different types they can wear!"

Hitomi observed the photo, seeing that Mina was correct. A tan girl with bubblegum pink hair was wearing a blazer variation, while another girl with cheetah ears and spot patterns around her eyes looked like she was in a jumper skirt variation of the uniform.

The school blazers seemed to be a navy blue color with white lining along the lapels, worn over white dress shirts and red neckties or bow ties. A bronze and silver pin of the school emblem seemed to be present somewhere on each of their uniforms. The skirt for the girls' blazer variation was a dark red with a black checkered pattern, while the jumper version seemed to be a solid dark gray.

Hitomi even noticed that the boys seemed to have alternate variations of their uniform too, seeing one had a single-breasted blazer while another wore a double-breasted one. The boy wearing the double-breasted blazer had solid dark gray pants while the other's had a checkered pattern.

Her eyes soon fell on Tsuyoshi in the picture, who was wearing a large grin and holding up a peace sign. He also seemed to be holding up bunny ears behind the boy next to him. Even though he was being silly, and wore his uniform unlike the rest of the boys in the picture, with the blazer jacket unbuttoned and a sweater vest inside, Hitomi couldn't help but think he looked very handsome. Unbeknownst to her, a light blush was dusting her cheeks at the thought.

Though Bakugou noticed.

"Hey," Kaminari cut in, "I wanna see!"

"Me too!" Kirishima chimed in.

Hitomi snapped back to reality, looking away from Tsuyoshi's phone. "Eh?! Oh, uh, right…" She held the phone up for the others to see, the boys leaning in to get a better look.

Sero whistled. "Wow, those sure look swanky. You said there was a special one reserved for ceremonies, right?" he asked, turning to Tsuyoshi.

"Ah, yeah." Hitomi handed the phone back to Tsuyoshi, allowing him to find a picture he'd taken of the other uniform. "This one." He held the phone up, which displayed a picture of him in a black double-breasted blazer with gold lining and gold buttons. The school emblem was embroidered right into the breast pocket and the blazer was worn over a navy blue dress shirt and dark gray tie. Tsuyoshi also wore dark gray trousers that had a single gold line running down the outside seam of each leg, and had his hair styled neatly to complete the look.

"This is our 'Gold Standard' uniform. If we show up to a ceremony without it or wear it improperly we could face serious penalties," he laughed lightly.

As the others talked to Tsuyoshi about his school and its uniform policies, Hitomi's face was blank as she stared at the picture of Tsuyoshi in the Gold Standard uniform.

All she could think was…

That he looked hot in it.

Hitomi's face quickly turned red as soon as she realized the thought, looking away sheepishly and slapping her hands over her cheeks.

What the hell?!

Chill out, Hitomi…!

She sighed, trying to calm her embarrassing thoughts as she tuned back into the conversation.

"...and this is the girls'. Pretty much the same, except it's a pencil skirt instead of pants."

"Such a pretty uniform…" Mina sighed, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms. "You'd think the number one school in Japan UA would have something like that, yet they don't. What a shame…"

"Don't be ridiculous, Pinky," Bakugou huffed. "All that money from the government has to be put into the training facilities and other materials and resources for all the non-gen ed courses. UA doesn't get extra funding from a fancy company like Taishi does."

Mina hmphed, puffing her cheeks out. It was clear she was still envious of Taishi's variation in their uniforms regardless.

"Well, all this talking has made me thirsty," Tsuyoshi chuckled, getting up from his seat. "Hitomi, mind coming with me?"

Hitomi's eyebrows raised into her bangs. "Eh? But…" She glanced at her friends, only for Mina to nudge her slightly.

"Go on ahead!" she exclaimed, a sly smirk on her face.

"Now that I think about it, you two haven't had the chance to really catch up, have you?" Kirishima mused.

Sero gestured for her to exit the booth. "We need to get back to studying anyway." He shot a meaningful glance at Mina, who groaned in reply.

"Oh… alright then. See you guys in a bit." Hitomi then got up from her seat, blushing slightly as she followed Tsuyoshi to the register.

She felt self-conscious that the two of them were now alone, unable to dredge up any conversation as all the words got stuck in her throat. Especially after she'd just had the thought that Tsuyoshi was "hot" only a few minutes ago. As they stopped at the counter, Hitomi stared at the floor as Tsuyoshi placed his order.

"Hitomi, you want a ramune too?"

"Huh?" Her head snapped up, her blush deepening as she stared at his face. She quickly looked away. "Oh, no… I already had melon soda earlier. That was enough for me."

"Then, want a sweet or anything? It'll be my treat, since I kinda crashed your study session," he laughed.

Hitomi held her hands up, waving them sheepishly. "You don't have to…! Actually, I should be the one treating you since I spilled water on you earlier…"

Tsuyoshi waved her off, wearing an amused smile. "Like I said, don't sweat it. You already dried my jacket up anyway with your quirk, so it's not a big deal. Now, anything you'd like? I really don't mind."

"Oh… well, then…" Hitomi walked up to the counter, staring through the glass container that held all the confectionaries the cafe had to offer. "Um... the strawberry daifuku, then. I don't want to make you spend too much just for me."

"Alrighty!" Tsuyoshi chirped, placing the order and pulling money out of his wallet. "Still have that sweet tooth, I see."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hitomi spluttered as the cashier handed Tsuyoshi his ramune and Hitomi's mochi.

"Easily flustered as ever, too," Tsuyoshi laughed, holding out the paper bag of Hitomi's treat.

Hitomi swiped it from his hand, turning away and huffing. "And you've still got your mischievous streak yourself," she hmphed.

Tsuyoshi walked past her, the two of them leaving the register. "You flatter me," he chuckled. Just before the two of them reached the dining area, Tsuyoshi tapped Hitomi's shoulder. "And hey… Hitomi?"

"Hm?"

"If you don't mind… could we talk outside for a bit?" Tsuyoshi scratched the back of his head, a barely noticeable blush on his cheeks that Hitomi didn't even notice. "I've been wanting to talk to you one-on-one for a bit now, actually."

"Oh…" Hitomi fiddled with her hair, looking away shyly. "Uh, sure… I don't mind."

She followed him out of the cafe, the bell above the door making a small ring as they stepped out. As they sat down on a bench near the entrance, Hitomi pulled her phone out, sending a text to the Bakusquad she was outside with her childhood classmate.

Kirishima picked up his phone at the sound of a chime, seeing a text from Hitomi in the group chat.

hitomi⭐️: I'm outside with tsuyoshi. We're just gonna catch up a bit so you guys can continue studying without me :)

Kirishima gaped at the message, turning to the window as Bakugou scolded Mina for trying to dodge answering the question he'd just asked her from their workbook.

"Looking for something, Kirishima?" Kaminari asked through his straw.

"Uhh… Hitomi said she headed outside with Tsuyoshi for a bit."

Kaminari spat out his drink in surprise, making the group flinch back. "Where?!"

"Oi, Dunce Face!" Bakugou growled, slamming his rolled up booklet against his palm threateningly. "If you do that again I'll kill you!"

"Move over, Bakugou!" Kaminari exclaimed, shoving Bakugou away and crawling over him to get to the window. "I get the feeling something crazy's gonna happen!"

"Hey, what the fuck?! Get off!"

Mina, jumping at any opportunity to run away from the study session (that she had called for, don't forget that), rushed to the window as well, crawling over Kirishima. "What are we looking for?!"

Kirishima continued scanning outside, looking for their friend's bright blue hair. "Hitomi's outside with Tsuyoshi. Something's definitely bound to happen!"

Mina squealed, pressing her face further against the glass. "Oh, then I gotta see this! Childhood friends reuniting in high school after so many years apart… it's like something straight out of a shoujo manga!"

Sero whistled. "Guys…" he said, an exasperated tone in his voice, "we're not doing this again, are we…?" The ever-present voice of reason when it came to Hitomi's romantic affairs.

"Come on," Mina whined, rolling her eyes. "It's obvious their relationship doesn't exactly seem platonic. Did you see the way they kept looking at each other? And Hitomi was blushing like crazy! It'll be fun. Don't you wanna see what happens?"

Sero let out a huff. "…I guess I'd be lying if I said no," he chuckled. He crawled over to the window as well, having to kneel on the seat so he could see above Kaminari as Bakugou was pushed back against the glass.

"O-OI!" Bakugou growled, getting increasingly angry from being squished against the window by Kaminari and Sero's weight. "GET THE FUCK OFF!"

"Sorry, dude!" Kaminari exclaimed, continuing to scan outside for the childhood classmates. "But this is something I don't wanna miss!"

"Over there!" Mina yelled, pointing at the bench that was by the cafe door. It was a bit difficult to see because of the angle the placement of their booth caused.

Bakugou growled, elbowing Kaminari in the stomach to give him space to see the two outside properly.

Even if he didn't want to admit it…

He wanted to see just exactly what would happen between them, too.

Hitomi reached into the paper bag as Tsuyoshi popped out the marble in his ramune bottle, the two unaware of the audience they had. She took a small bite of the strawberry daifuku, still filled with immense shyness at the fact she was alone with her childhood crush.

"The cultural festival is coming up soon, right?"

"Eh?" Hitomi hurried to swallow the mochi she was eating, wiping her mouth. "Uh, yeah, that's right…! We've still got a few weeks to prepare…"

Tsuyoshi hummed, taking a sip of his ramune. "What's your class doing?"

Hitomi couldn't help but smile at that, leaning back against the bench as she felt herself beginning to relax. "A dance performance! We feel kinda bad that we've caused stress for the other classes because of everything that's happened to us, so… we just want to help them relieve it by throwing a fun event they can enjoy. Although…" Hitomi glanced to the side, unamused. "Bakugou sees it as a challenge to win over the other students, so he's mostly doing it out of spite."

Tsuyoshi laughed, his voice sounding adorable to her. "Man, really? I can see that!"

Hitomi smiled, continuing to eat one of her pieces of mochi. As Tsuyoshi's laughter settled, he leaned over to rest his elbows on his legs, glancing at her. "How are you, though, Hitomi?"

Her eyebrows raised, seeing Tsuyoshi's expression was now one of slight concern. "Me…?"

"You said the other classes were stressed because of all the repercussions of the villain attacks that happened to your class, right? But… what about you? You were the one to experience them, so… are you okay?"

Hitomi's eyes widened, feeling the familiar fluttery feeling she used to feel in grade school around Tsuyoshi. Even though they hadn't been the closest of friends, and hadn't seen each other for more than half a decade, Tsuyoshi still went out of his way to show his concern for her. As if they had been friends for ages and hadn't even been apart at all.

Hitomi turned to look at her boots, fiddling with the paper bag that held her mochi in her lap. "At first… I wasn't okay. I was scared, terrified even, when I realized the world I was getting myself into. I felt… guilty… that I had let Bakugou get kidnapped right in front of me."

Tsuyoshi's eyebrows furrowed, feeling sympathy for the bluenette because of what she had to go through in just her first year at UA.

"But…"

Hitomi took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the bag and wrinkling the paper. "I also decided to do something about what had happened to him. And I realized I can save people in this world. So, I guess... to answer your question…" Her unsure expression shifted into a small smile as she glanced at Tsuyoshi. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Tsuyoshi held eye contact with her for a few moments, soon looking away quickly. His cheeks colored the slightest bit due to her soft smile (although it was unbeknownst to Hitomi). "Oh, is that so?" he said, scratching the back of his neck. He took a deep breath, composing himself and gaining his usual wide smile back. "I'm glad to hear it."

Hitomi nodded, her smile only widening. "If I'm being honest, I'm actually really excited for this festival!" she exclaimed, pumping her fists lightly. "I wasn't in elementary school here for long, and I've never really had the experience of getting everything ready for the cultural festival myself anyway since the adults always handled it for us. So this is technically my first time participating in it!"

Hitomi looked like there could be sparkles floating around her from her excitement. Tsuyoshi leaned back against the bench, his smile faltering slightly. "…Right. You… you had to move, huh?"

Hitomi faltered at Tsuyoshi's sudden unsure tone, turning back to him. "Huh…?" Her eyes widened as there seemed to be an air of melancholy around her old classmate. Almost like there was a hint of sadness in his olive green eyes as he stared at his ramune. "Ah… I… yeah…" She trailed off, an air of silence overtaking them.

"So what was it like?" Tsuyoshi suddenly said, back to smiling so brightly Hitomi nearly thought what she'd seen had been a figment of her imagination. "I think Varsteg told me you moved to America, right?"

"That's right…" Hitomi's gaze lingered on his face, her eyes scanning for that melancholy she'd seen only a few moments ago. "It was… a bit hard, actually." Her eyes turned back to her lap as she pulled out another piece of strawberry daifuku to eat. "I was kinda embarrassed over my accent if I'm being honest, and it was a little difficult adjusting since their customs were so different compared to here…" Hitomi laughed lightly, staring at her mochi. "I actually didn't have many friends. The ones I did make… we weren't that close, honestly. I haven't really talked to any of them since I moved back here. Kind of sad, right?"

"I wouldn't say so," Tsuyoshi hummed as Hitomi ate her second piece of mochi. "You grow apart. It happens. It happened with my elementary school friends, too." He took another sip of his ramune, staring at the sky. "But that's okay. Sometimes your goals or interests will lead you in different directions, and you go your separate ways."

"I suppose," Hitomi mumbled, smiling timidly. "I probably won't move back to America, so I may not see them again. I told them that too. Now I just hope they're doing okay."

"I'm sure the same goes for them about you, too."

Hitomi hummed in response, leaning back against the bench. "I guess you're probably right…" She gave him another fleeting glance, trying to find that glimpse of sorrow she'd seen. Tsuyoshi was all smiles, staring at the road as people walked down the sidewalk.

Why had he had that look?

It had appeared as soon as he asked about her move…

Oh.

Was that why he had looked so happy to see her again…?

Hitomi turned back to her bag of mochi, trying to muster up the courage to say something.

"...I'm sorry."

"Huh…? What're you apologizing for?"

Hitomi scratched her cheek, embarrassed. Maybe she'd been wrong?

"Well… when I moved away… I didn't even say goodbye. I didn't want my class to know because a going-away party would've been embarrassing, not to mention it would have made me feel worse, so I didn't mention it to anyone. And it was sort of like… I disappeared without a trace. I never got to say goodbye to you. Even though you were so nice to me… You showed so much interest in what I liked that the other kids would've called 'nerdy'... You even tried out all the prank ideas I told you, even though they got you in trouble. And I left without a word. I don't know… Looking back on it, it wasn't right of me not to tell you goodbye, at least."

Hitomi laughed sheepishly, fiddling with her hair. "I mean… I couldn't even tell you that I liked you before I left."

Eh?

Hitomi's hand froze, all her thoughts halting.

Wait.

Wasn't I just supposed to be explaining that I was apologizing for never saying goodbye?

Her jaw dropped, blood rushing throughout her entire face as what she had just said started to sink in.

I JUST FUCKING CONFESSED MY CHILDHOOD CRUSH TO HIM!

SHIT! FUCK!

Hitomi started waving her hands frantically at him, now a total flustered mess. "UM-! That is- I- Uh- What I meant was-!" She stumbled through her words, her eyes darting around wildly as she tried desperately to find a way to retract her sudden confession. Her face could have been mistaken for a cherry from how red it was getting, and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. At this rate, a heat wave was going to form.

"I knew."

Hitomi froze, finally looking back at Tsuyoshi to see he was wearing an amused smile.

"EH?!"

Tsuyoshi snickered, which only worsened Hitomi's mortification.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNEW?!" she practically screamed.

Tsuyoshi held his hands up, as if in surrender. "What do you mean, 'what do I mean?'" He laughed as Hitomi stared at him in utter shock. "I already knew you had a crush on me when we were kids."

Hitomi squeaked, covering her face and pulling her legs up onto the bench, as if she was trying to curl into a ball. The bag of mochi slipped off her lap onto the bench. "I- I…" She groaned, wanting to crawl into a hole and die at this point. "You… You're telling me you knew…? The whole time… you knew I liked you…?"

She peeked through her fingers to see Tsuyoshi cross his arms, tilting his head to the side in thought. "Well, I guess not exactly. It was more just a hunch. Even though you're shy and easily flustered in general, it felt… different, I guess, when you were around me."

Hitomi sighed, pulling her hands away from her face to drop her forehead onto her knees instead. "Ahhh, someone end the world. I could just die right now," she deadpanned.

"Ah, it's nothing you need to feel embarrassed about, Hitomi!" Tsuyoshi tried to reassure her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. "If it makes you feel any better…

I liked you, too."

Hitomi's heart skipped a beat.

"Eh…?"

She lifted her head from her legs, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Wait- you… I… Me?!"

"Why so surprised?" Tsuyoshi chuckled, raising a brow. "Is it that hard to believe?"

Hitomi dropped her legs back onto the ground, her eyes narrowing. "Uh, yes!? I mean-" She placed a finger on her forehead, beginning to mumble to herself in a fashion similar to the way Midoriya sometimes did. "Even back when we were kids, you had a really cute face, and paired with your outgoing personality, I definitely wasn't the only one to have a crush on you-! And- And you seemed a lot closer to other girls in our grade than you were with me- The odds of your first crush liking you back are honestly not that high- not to mention, all I ever talked about was dorky stuff… " The finger that was touching her forehead she used to point at herself instead, turning to Tsuyoshi in disbelief. "I mean… Me?! You- You liked me… out of all those other girls who told you they liked you back then?!"

Tsuyoshi nodded. "Yeah," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hitomi leaned back in her seat stiffly, her face back to being bright red. "I… I don't know what to say."

"Not that I knew, though," Tsuyoshi laughed lightheartedly.

"Huh…? What do you mean?"

Tsuyoshi draped an arm across the backrest as Hitomi stared at him. "I liked you… and I didn't realize it. At least, not at first."

Hitomi could see there was a light blush across his nose as he scratched his cheek.

"Whenever someone confessed to me… and I told them I didn't like them that way, you'd always pop up in my head. I couldn't understand why. When we moved on to third grade and I found out we were in different classes, it kinda bummed me out to say the least. Which was why I sought you out whenever I could."

Hitomi couldn't help but blush herself, her hands tightening around the fabric of her dress as she hung onto Tsuyoshi's every word.

"When you moved away…" The melancholy look Hitomi had seen earlier in Tsuyoshi's eyes returned, his smile now small. "I was kinda in a daze. At first, I thought you were sick, but after some time, seeing Varsteg without you for so long eventually made me ask her myself where you'd gone. You could imagine my shock when she told me you moved to America!" he laughed.

"Tsuyoshi…"

"When I found out you had left, that was when I realized. I couldn't show you tricks I could do with my quirk, couldn't see you smile at my jokes or pranks, couldn't see your face light up when I asked you to tell me a random science fact. It was after you were gone that I realized I liked you. A lot."

He turned to her, giving her a wide grin. "After all, I thought your smile was the cutest thing in the world."

Hitomi flailed at that, holding her hands up. "Eh?! Tsu-Tsuyoshi…! Don't just say that out of nowhere…!" She cradled her cheeks, looking away. "That's so embarrassing…"

Tsuyoshi shrugged. "I'm only saying the truth," he smirked. "Honestly, I think it still applies."

Hitomi's blush deepened, pulling her hair up to cover her face. "I think that's an exaggeration…" she mumbled. She sighed, letting go of her hair and placing her hands in her lap. "So… you realized you liked me… after I left?"

Tsuyoshi replied with a nod. "Yep. Wonder what things would've been like if one of us had said something, huh?"

Hitomi nodded timidly. "Yeah…" She stared at her hands, words coming out of her mouth before she could realize what she was saying. "How… how about now? Do you… still like me…?"

Tsuyoshi placed his hand on his chest, feigning surprise. "What a bold question!"

Hitomi slapped her hands over her mouth, appalled at herself. "S-Sorry!" she stuttered beneath her hands, screwing her eyes shut. Why do I keep blurting out stupid stuff before I think?!

"I'm only teasing," Tsuyoshi snickered, elbowing her arm playfully. "But, to answer your question…"

Hitomi lowered her hands, bracing herself for his answer.

"I always wondered what it'd be like to see you again. I wanted to know if you'd changed, know if you were doing okay, see what you'd look like when you were older." He stared straight into her eyes, so intensely Hitomi couldn't pull away as he smiled. "And you've grown up to be really pretty, I'd say."

Hitomi blushed but held back the urge to deny it, seeing Tsuyoshi still had more to say.

"Looking at you now, it's like you're still that same girl I met in elementary school, yet different. And in all honesty, I wouldn't mind spending more time with you and getting to know you all over again."

Hitomi finally looked away, getting impatient. "Stop saying such embarrassing things…!" she whined, feeling like she could melt into a puddle at any moment. "It was a simple 'yes' or 'no' question…"

"I'm getting there!" Tsuyoshi held his hands up sheepishly, his smile airy. "I was trying to make a point…!"

"And… that is…?"

Tsuyoshi dropped his hands back onto his lap, settling back into his seat. "What I was getting at was that… yes, I do still sort of like you." He scratched the back of his head, embarrassment finally showing through his otherwise carefree demeanor. "But… those feelings are based on how I felt about you when we were in elementary school. I don't know what you're like now. And the same goes for you too, right?"

Hitomi looked up from her lap, taking in his question.

While yes, she did find him very attractive, more so now than back when they were kids, she…

She didn't know him that well anymore.

Tsuyoshi's looks aside, all her feelings of flusteredness about him had come from remembering how she felt about him back then, not… now.

In the present.

Hitomi nodded slowly as she realized that in a way, Tsuyoshi was right. The adorable, mischievous little boy she'd liked in second grade had grown up. He wasn't the same person he was when he was 7.

"In all honesty, I don't actually know if we'd still get along," Tsuyoshi laughed. "I don't know about you, but… I know I can be pretty loud and disruptive. And sometimes I flirt with girls, which some people find annoying; I even did it with you today-"

"Huh?" Hitomi cut in, pointing at herself. "You… you were flirting with me? When?!"

Tsuyoshi stared at her, for the first time not wearing a smile. "Uh… Whenever I winked at you?" He raised a brow, now looking unamused. "When I called you pretty? Said you have the cutest smile in the world?"

Hitomi jolted back, her face red again. "That was you flirting with me?!"

Tsuyoshi nodded, squinting at her. "Yes? You didn't realize?"

Hitomi shook her head rapidly, her hair waving around. "No…!"

"...Ah. I see now you're the dense type," Tsuyoshi deadpanned, turning back to face the street. "Bakugou sure has his work cut out for him," he chuckled, quiet enough Hitomi couldn't hear him. She only continued to stutter embarrassed noises and sounds out, filling him with amusement.

"Well, anyways," he continued, quieting Hitomi's flustered mumbles, "I don't know if we'd get along the way we did before."

Hitomi's brows furrowed. "What's… What's that supposed to mean…?"

"Like I said, I can be pretty loud, which can grab the attention of a lot of people." Tsuyoshi gave a small shrug, eyeing her. "You're not one for crowds, right? Being around me could tire you out and annoy you. I'd be lying if I said that hasn't happened with other people I knew before." He scratched his nose, laughing to himself. "I'm probably the type of person you'd go out of your way not to avoid, honestly. Not to mention, I'm a terrible student…"

"Tsuyoshi… I…"

Tsuyoshi crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. "You remember my older sister, right? She was a perfect student, still is even in college, and she's gotten lots of awards for her perfect academic record, along with some other things. And our parents started having the same expectations for me." As he opened his eyes back up, his words made Hitomi falter.

"They expected me to achieve the same things, maybe even do better than her… And to be honest, it was kinda annoying. It made me want to try as little as possible in school. You know, the teachers say I'm smart, and that I have a lot of potential, but the problem is that I don't apply myself." Tsuyoshi's smile turned sad, even sadder than when they had talked about Hitomi's move away.

His smile looked tired.

"And they're right." His fingers tightened around his arms as he slouched further against the backrest. "It's part of the reason why I do those pranks all the time. I'm trying to tell my parents that I'm not the same as my sister." He let out a deep breath, leaning his head back.

"But it all got set back when I got into Taishi. Taishi has a really good reputation, and I only took the entrance exam because my mom kept nagging me to, so when I found out I got in it just… strengthened the expectation my parents had for me of being like my sister. It showed them I was smart like her, which was the last thing I wanted to do. Honestly, I did all those pranks in hopes of getting myself expelled, so I could put the idea in my parents' heads that I didn't belong there."

Hitomi flinched at that, trying to take in everything Tsuyoshi was telling her as he brushed his bangs back.

"The principal refuses to, though." He covered his eyes with his hand, sighing. "Said I would really thrive in his school, and that he wouldn't throw away my opportunities at a successful career just because I wanted him to."

Hitomi didn't say anything, at a loss for words.

Tsuyoshi really had changed. He wasn't the same, happy-go-lucky kid he used to be. He was chained down by expectation, and because of that, he felt the need to go out of his way to dumb himself down, to get himself into trouble, just so he wouldn't be crushed by the overwhelming idea to be just as good as or better than his older sister.

Tsuyoshi suddenly jumped, sitting up straight as he covered his mouth. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I totally went off on a tangent there! I didn't mean to drop all that baggage on you like that, I'm so sorry, Hitomi!"

Hitomi waved her hands rapidly, trying to reassure him. "No, no, don't apologize! I- I didn't mind listening…!"

Tsuyoshi lowered his hand from his mouth and let out another sigh, although sheepish this time. "I really didn't mean to tell you all that stuff," he mumbled, staring at his jeans. "I can't believe it just slipped out like that. I knew I shouldn't have slept so late last night…"

"Tsuyoshi, it's okay…"

"It's something I'd be embarrassed about you finding out, honestly. After all, I still kinda wanted to impress you even after all these years." He laughed, scratching his cheek.

Hitomi stared at him, a number of thoughts rushing through her mind on everything he had just told her. "Bound by expectation, huh…" she mumbled.

"Hm? You say something?"

Hitomi blinked, refocusing on her childhood classmate. As Tsuyoshi stared back at her, awaiting a response, she frowned, put off by his smile.

So he'd been hiding that all this time…? Who knows how long he'd felt that way?

Before Hitomi could hesitate, she placed her hand on top of his, wrapping her fingers around it. Tsuyoshi's eyes widened, blushing slightly at the action.

"Hitomi?"

"Tsuyoshi…" Hitomi said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's unfair to have so much pressure put on you."

He was silent, simply staring at her.

"I think… you should talk to your parents."

Tsuyoshi opened his mouth to reply, but she wasn't done just yet.

"You haven't said anything because you don't want to disappoint them, right…?" Hitomi stared into his eyes, searching for his answer. "You're doing things in a roundabout way, getting into trouble, trying to get expelled, because you want to lower their expectations just so you don't disappoint them."

Tsuyoshi's troubled expression said it all.

Hitomi sighed, her fingers tightening around his hand. "Listen… I get that you're scared you can't live up to what they want for you, but… Tsuyoshi, you don't deserve to go through that. You shouldn't have to downplay yourself just to lower their expectations. You have to tell them that just because you're smart doesn't mean you're the same as your sister."

Tsuyoshi stared at the ground, a small frown on his face. "...But, it's what they've wanted from me for so long. No matter how much I've tried to play dumb, they still expect a lot from me."

"That's exactly why you have to talk to them. You have to get them to understand that you can do great things, but in your own way. In a way different from your sister. And that what they've been wanting from you has been bothering you a lot."

Hitomi lowered her gaze to her lap, remembering the words Bakugou had told her when he'd been taking care of her during the time she was sick.

"Keeping all that pent up inside… until it all boils over, it's a bad idea."

"You shouldn't have to… hide how you feel, especially from your parents. They're supposed to be there to support you." Hitomi scratched her cheek with her other hand, a sheepish smile on her face. "I guess I'm being presumptuous, but… from what I remember seeing them in elementary school, they seemed like nice people…"

Tsuyoshi chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I'd say they are! They've always been there for us, and even though I get into trouble so much, they've always had my back even if it bothered them with how much I did it." He stared at his lap, lowering his hand. "But that's exactly why I don't want to disappoint them. Even though my sister set such high standards, I just can't… bring myself to crush the hopes they have for me. At least, not so straightforwardly…"

"Then that's why you have to tell them!" Hitomi suddenly exclaimed, surprising him. "If they've always had your back, why would this be any different now?" She faltered, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Don't… don't keep everything pent up inside. I can tell you from personal experience that it's really unhealthy, especially over such a prolonged period of time."

She held his hand in both of hers now, holding it up in between the two of them. It reminded Tsuyoshi of when he'd done the same once before back when they were children.

"Talk to them, Tsuyoshi. I'm sure they'll understand. Even though we may not know each other that well anymore… I wouldn't want for you to keep dealing with that."

Tsuyoshi hesitated, neither of them moving or saying anything for several long moments. Eventually, his eyes softened as he finally closed his hand around hers.

"...Okay. I will."

Hitomi smiled, nodding along. "Alright. I'm sure things will work out in the end."

Tsuyoshi smiled back, chuckling. "Though, I have to say, you're pretty daring, Hitomi. Are you trying to make me fall for you all over again?"

He gestured his head toward their grasped hands, shooting her a smirk and causing all the embarrassment to come rushing back for Hitomi.

"WAH-!" She jumped back, pulling her hands away and holding them up as if they had been burned. "I- I just did it without thinking-"

Tsuyoshi burst into full-blown laughter as she stuttered out apologies, the mood slowly returning back to its more lighthearted feeling. Hitomi started to lightly hit his shoulder, the girl whining as he continued to laugh.

"You were the one who was reading too much into things…!" she spluttered, her face bright red. "I was just trying… to comfort you…!"

Tsuyoshi's laughter slowly died out, the boy wiping his eye as her attacks ceased. "I know, I know," he snickered, making her puff her cheeks out. "I was just flirting with you again."

Hitomi hmphed, crossing her arms and turning away. "Jeez…!" She let out a sigh, quickly letting go of her anger. "But… I think you're wrong."

"Hm?"

"About how we wouldn't get along, I mean."

Tsuyoshi blinked, tilting his head. "What makes you say that?"

Hitomi dropped her hands to her lap, fiddling with her cardigan. "Well, looking at us now… we still get along the same way we used to. Sure, I may be an introvert who's not the biggest people person, but…" She glanced to the side, at the cafe window where she figured the Bakusquad was. The angle she was sitting at left her unable to see inside. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't stay your friend. I mean…" She turned back to him, a joking smile on her face. "You saw my friends back there. Really chatty. But I still love them! Even Bakugou." Her eyes softened slightly, her smile now having an air of timidity to it. "Although he's honestly more introverted than the rest of them. I know he can come off as a bit of an asshole, but he has his good sides, too."

Hitomi suddenly clapped her hands together, in apology. "Speaking of which, I'm sorry about how rude he was earlier! Usually he's curt or dismissive to strangers, but I guess he was just in a bad mood today."

Tsuyoshi shrugged, shooting her a smirk. "It's fine. I have an idea of why, anyway." He placed a hand on her shoulder, his smirk turning into a small smile. "But it's comforting to hear that you think we could still be friends. If things had been different, maybe I could have even fallen in love with you!"

Hitomi blushed, waving him off. "That's a bit of a stretch, i-isn't it…?"

"No," Tsuyoshi chuckled, "I don't think it is."

Hitomi sighed, cradling her hands against her chest. "You sure are straightforward, huh?"

Tsuyoshi laughed again, running his hand through his hair. "What can I say? That's just how I am." He shot her another smile, his olive green eyes boring into her soft silver ones. "But I know no matter how much I make you flustered, you already like someone else."

Hitomi took a spit take although nothing was in her mouth at the moment, her eyes wide as she turned to Tsuyoshi. "HUH?! What- What are you-"

He pointed to the window nonchalantly. "It's Bakugou, isn't it?"

Hitomi's mouth clamped shut, her eyebrows furrowing. She glanced at the window over her shoulder quickly, before turning back to her childhood classmate. "Is… is it obvious…?"

Tsuyoshi shrugged. "By the looks of it, your friends don't seem to realize. Maybe they don't notice the difference between when you get flustered in general compared to when you get flustered because of someone you like. But from what I saw with how you act with him and how you look when you talk about him… I'd almost say you're in love with him, no?"

Hitomi turned to face the street, scratching her cheek shyly. "Love is a strong word…"

"Ah," Tsuyoshi deadpanned, his voice flat. "Dense and a tsundere. The worst kind of combo."

Hitomi squeaked, punching him lightly in the arm. "Hey!"

Tsuyoshi rubbed his arm as he smirked, while Hitomi glared at him. "You're proving my point…!" he laughed.

Hitomi spluttered, her face shifting through various shades of red before she finally turned to her lap, stiffly fiddling with her hair. "Well… it doesn't matter," she muttered. "We're only friends. I don't think Bakugou sees me the same way, and he and I both have to focus on our goals, anyway. I'm… I'm fine with the way things are." Hitomi stared at the road, some cars passing by as she smiled to herself. "I enjoy the time I can spend with him, so just being with him is enough for me."

Tsuyoshi sighed, leaning back against the bench. "Again, proving my point," he chuckled.

"Huh?" Hitomi squinted at him, exasperated. "How is that…"

She trailed off as Tsuyoshi's phone buzzed, prompting him to pull it out of his pocket. His eyes scanned the screen, as it was a text.

"Oh, crap!"

"What's wrong?"

Tsuyoshi got up from the bench, grabbing his ramune and downing the rest of it. "Me and some of my friends from school were supposed to be preparing a new prank today. I was only supposed to be here for a little while, but I've been gone for so long they think I'm gonna flake on them!"

Hitomi rose from the bench as well, grabbing her bag of leftover strawberry daifuku. "You're… still gonna do pranks?"

Tsuyoshi nodded, waving his phone at her. "Of course! I mean, I did say I do them because of my parents, but I do it for entertainment too! Recording people's reactions and making them laugh is part of the fun. I probably won't stop even after I talk to my parents, honestly," he laughed.

Hitomi let out a chuckle of her own, shaking her head. "Oh, Tsuyoshi… you're lucky the principal refuses to expel you." She pulled her own phone out, unlocking it. "Well, if you're leaving soon, let me call the others. I'm sure they'd like to see you off too."

The Bakusquad had been watching the entire exchange from the window, luckily able to remain unseen due to the angle.

As Bakugou had watched them talk, see Hitomi get flustered, seen how they'd held hands and joked around, he couldn't help but… get angry.

It was that unpleasant, gnawing feeling he'd been feeling ever since this Broom Hair guy had shown up.

And it wasn't new. Bakugou felt it whenever Hitomi got… touchy-feely… with Todoroki, or any other guy she wasn't clear she was just friends with.

Jealousy.

And Bakugou hated feeling that way. He got snappy, said things he didn't mean sometimes, which would only confuse Hitomi especially since he wouldn't, couldn't explain himself.

What was he supposed to say?

I'm mad because I fucking like you, Moon Face?

Fuck no!

The worst part was that he couldn't even do anything about it. It wasn't like they were together, not to mention Bakugou didn't see Hitomi liking him the same way, so he hated getting jealous. But he couldn't… help how he felt. It wasn't like he could just throw his emotions aside so easily.

So all Bakugou could do was watch, as Hitomi and this guy reconnected, laughing together and smiling as they got up from the bench.

As he watched them converse, the entire group jumped at the sound of Kirishima's phone ringing, abruptly pulling away from the window.

Kirishima fumbled to pick up the call, holding a finger up to his lips to silence the others as he answered.

"Hello?"

The Bakusquad seemed to be holding their breath as Kirishima listened to Hitomi's voice from the other end, nodding along tensely as his eyes flitted back and forth between the window and the table.

"Uh huh… Shiba's leaving now? And you were wondering if…? Sure, we'll be right out."

He hung up with a heavy sigh, turning to the group. "Hitomi's friend has to go back to his school now. We should head out and say goodbye."

The group let out a sigh of their own, relieved they hadn't been caught spying.

"That surprised me..." Mina breathed out, clutching her chest. "My heart nearly jumped out of my throat."

Bakugou shoved Kaminari and Sero off of him with a scowl as Mina scooted to the edge of the booth, getting up from the seat as Kirishima followed after her.

"But that was super exciting, wasn't it?" Kaminari grinned, the rest of the Bakusquad exiting the booth. One of the staff offered to watch their table and belongings as they headed to the front door. "You can really tell there were sparks between them!"

Bakugou scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I can't tell if that shitty pun was unintentional or on purpose."

Kaminari shrugged as they stepped outside.

…

"...then breathe out slowly, and- Yeah, you did it! Did you see the cloud you made?"

Tsuyoshi's eyes widened as his breath came out as mist, making a sound of awe. "Woah…! That's pretty cool!"

Hitomi smiled, leaning forward. "And you did it on your first try, too! Most of the other people I've told about it have taken a few before they got it right."

Tsuyoshi smiled back before they both turned to the sound of the door opening, the Bakusquad trailing out.

"Hey, Shiba!" Kirishima gave the two a wave as the group stopped in front of them, Kaminari and Mina glancing back and forth between each other and Tsuyoshi slyly. "Hitomi said you were heading back to school?"

"That's right. My friends have been wondering where I've been." Tsuyoshi scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his carefreeness putting a scowl on Bakugou's face.

"Are you heading to the train station?" Sero asked.

Tsuyoshi smirked, gesturing to the curb where the parking lane was. "I have my own ride, actually."

The group's eyes all widened in surprise.

"No way!" Kaminari suddenly exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "You can drive a car?! But you're not old enough, you have to be 18!"

Tsuyoshi turned around to head to the parking area, everyone trailing after him.

"Wait, Tsuyoshi, are you serious?" Hitomi spluttered. "How did you even-"

"I fucking knew it!" Bakugou scowled. "With all that prank bullshit you were spouting off earlier I knew you had to have pulled some illegal shit too! How the fuck did you-"

Tsuyoshi stopped in front of a navy blue motorcycle, patting the headlight. "This is my ride," he said, his eyes full of mischief. "You guys seriously thought I found a way to get a license for a car?" He laughed, putting the group into a state of shock. "You guys really are something else. Didn't you notice my jacket? I mean, it's a motorcycle jacket."

"Oh wow, that's awesome!" Mina squealed, breaking the tension. She, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero all crowded around Tsuyoshi's motorcycle, taking the time to admire it while Bakugou scowled, looking away.

There he went again, saying shit without thinking.

Hitomi stopped by Tsuyoshi, in awe as she spoke to him. "Tsuyoshi, how long have you been able to drive a motorcycle?!"

Tsuyoshi placed his hand on his hip, watching as Kaminari jumped onto the seat. "It took me three and a half months of driving school, but I was able to get my license as soon as I turned 16 last month. You wouldn't believe how long I've been waiting to finally get a motorcycle."

"Mina, take my picture!" Kaminari exclaimed, gripping the handles as he handed her his phone with a wide grin. "I wanna show this to Jirou!"

Hitomi and Tsuyoshi watched in amusement as Kaminari struck various poses while Mina took his picture, before the sight of Kaminari's phone brought an idea to Hitomi.

"Hey, Tsuyoshi."

He turned to her, seeing she was pulling her own phone out of her pocket.

"Can I… have your number?"

Bakugou's head snapped up at that, staring at the back of Hitomi's head in shock. He saw Tsuyoshi's eyes soften, before he nodded and pulled his own phone out for them to exchange info.

Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.

Someone kill Bakugou right now. He didn't ask to witness this shit.

"...let me know if you're still having any trouble with your parents," he heard Hitomi say. "I-If you want to, of course…! But, if you need to talk to someone… I wouldn't mind listening."

"Thanks, Hitomi." Tsuyoshi was smiling softly at her as he put his phone away. "I'll do my best to talk to them and tell you how it goes. And hey…" Bakugou watched as he placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder, leaning over to whisper something in her ear.

Bakugou watched as Hitomi's eyes widened, her face flushing bright red. Whatever Tsuyoshi had said, it clearly embarrassed her.

And it pissed Bakugou off so. Fucking. Much.

…

"...I could even teach you some tips about flirting so you could try it with Bakugou."

Hitomi's breath hitched as Tsuyoshi pulled away, taking a small step back. "Wah-! I- I don't think I'll need it…!"

Tsuyoshi glanced at Bakugou, noting the blonde's deep scowl before turning back to her with a glint of mischief. "You never know, it may come in handy someday."

Hitomi pouted, looking away. "I already told you why. It isn't mutual."

"I'd beg to differ."

She let out a small huff, refusing to look at him as Kaminari finally climbed off of Tsuyoshi's motorcycle.

"It's amazing you got your own motorcycle, dude!" he exclaimed, scrolling through the pictures Mina took of him. "I'm envious."

"Thanks, Kaminari!" Tsuyoshi laughed, the Bakusquad regathering on the sidewalk. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, gesturing to his motorcycle. "I should probably get going. My friends are still waiting for me."

"Yeah, we should probably get back to studying too," Sero hummed, which made Mina groan.

"It was nice meeting you!" Kirishima said, to which Kaminari and Mina nodded along enthusiastically.

Hitomi looked back and forth between her friends and Tsuyoshi for a few moments before holding her hand up. "You guys go ahead," she said. "I'll see him off."

The four of them nodded and made their way back to the door, unaware of the fact Bakugou stayed glued to his spot.

Hitomi blinked at Bakugou as the rest of their friends disappeared inside the cafe, raising a brow. "Aren't you gonna follow the others?"

Bakugou's eyes narrowed at Tsuyoshi, the taller boy unaffected by his glare. "Nah. You'd probably trip over your own two feet and embarrass yourself if someone wasn't watching you."

Hitomi looked confused. "Huh? What does that have to do with…" She trailed off as Bakugou looked away, clearly not willing to listen or say anything more. She sighed at his aloofness, a trait she was used to at this point but couldn't help but get exasperated with sometimes. "Okay then…"

Hitomi turned her attention back to Tsuyoshi, who was taking the lock off his motorcycle and putting it in the storage compartment. "Talk to your parents soon, okay?" she told him timidly, clasping her hands together. "The sooner you let them know how you feel, the better."

Tsuyoshi nodded in response. "I'll try telling them the next time I call them." He smiled softly at her, making Hitomi blush slightly. "Thanks for listening. And thanks for the advice. It was nice to finally see you again."

"N-No problem!" Hitomi replied, returning his smile with one of her own, albeit a bit wobbly. "It was nice to see you again too."

Tsuyoshi stepped towards her, noticing Bakugou tense out of the corner of his eye and smiling mischievously. "Mind if I do something really quick?"

Hitomi's eyebrows raised curiously. "Oh, sure. What is it-?"

She went silent as Tsuyoshi grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him. Her eyes widened as he leaned forward, and soon Hitomi felt his lips brush against the back of her hand. She was left speechless as Tsuyoshi pulled away, staring at him in awe as his eyes softened.

"Good luck," he said softly by her ear. His voice was barely above a whisper as his eyes flitted to Bakugou briefly, showing Hitomi what he was talking about. "I'll be rooting for you."

Hitomi didn't say anything in response, still in shock as he stepped back. Tsuyoshi let out a quiet chuckle before he turned to Bakugou, making his way towards him.

Bakugou looked like he was ready to tackle him at any moment, clearly pissed off at what he just witnessed. His glare only hardened as Tsuyoshi stopped in front of him, annoyed at the fact he was unfazed by his gaze. "The fuck do you want?" he grumbled, crossing his arms. "Don't expect me to say goodbye to someone I don't fucking know."

Tsuyoshi smirked, placing a hand on Bakugou's shoulder. He leaned forward slightly, cupping his other hand around his mouth.

"I hope you make your move," he said, his voice low so Hitomi couldn't hear him and laced with mischief. "Or I may just come back and sweep her off her feet."

Bakugou went stiff as Tsuyoshi gave his shoulder a friendly pat and stepped back. "It was nice meeting you!" he laughed, walking over to his motorcycle.

Hitomi finally snapped out of her trance as Tsuyoshi swung his leg over the seat, grabbing his helmet. "I don't know if we'll run into each other again, but I hope I can see you guys around," Tsuyoshi smiled.

She nodded slowly, having finally processed what happened as she tried her best not to get flustered. "Y-Yeah… Don't feel afraid to keep in touch…"

"You too," he chuckled, shooting her a wink that finally brought out Hitomi's blush. He held up his hand, giving them a wave as he turned on the ignition. "I guess this is goodbye for now."

Hitomi waved back timidly. "Right. See you, Tsuyoshi."

Tsuyoshi gave her a nod in response and slipped on his helmet, before pushing up his motorcycle's kickstand and making his way out of his parking spot onto the road. He gave one last wave before he drove off, leaving a small cloud of dust. Hitomi and Bakugou watched as his figure faded into the distance, both still affected by his last few words to them.

Hitomi let out a sigh, placing her hand against her chest and feeling her fast heartbeat. "I can't believe him…" she muttered, trying to compose herself. "To say all those things and do that…"

Bakugou's eyes narrowed at that, his hands balling into fists. "He's a shithead."

"Maybe so," Hitomi hummed, feeling herself relax as the buzzing in her heart slowly faded away. "But that was just part of what made me like him."

Bakugou's head snapped up, staring at her in shock.

"...What?"

Hitomi blinked, realizing what she'd said and biting her lip as she rubbed the back of her neck. "...He was my crush back in grade school," she said slowly. "I had it bad," she laughed. "And as it turns out, he actually returned my feelings."

Bakugou swallowed, looking away. "...So what does that mean for you?"

"It means… nothing," Hitomi said softly, unaware Bakugou was hanging on to her every word. "It was nice to know he felt the same way, don't get me wrong, but… that was in the past. And things… things change. People change."

Hitomi sighed, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent. What I'm trying to say is that that was how he used to feel. Same goes for me too. I used to like him, but… I can't say I still do now and be completely honest. The only thing I know for sure now is that I hope he'll be okay."

Bakugou felt his shoulders relax slightly, not even aware he'd been tense. He huffed, turning away from the curb. "That sounds like some kind of cheesy philosophical bullshit."

The bluenette shrugged, turning away from the road as well and stopping by his side. "Well, it's the truth. Didn't know you were an authority on that kind of thing, Heraclitus," she said with a small smile.

Bakugou raised a brow as they began to walk back to the cafe's entrance, eyeing her curiously. "Don't tell me that's an actual philosopher. It sounds just like one."

Hitomi grinned, her eyes playful. "It is, actually. His notable ideas included ever-present change and becoming."

Bakugou snorted, pushing open the door. The bell rang above them as they stepped back inside. "You're such a nerd."

"Says the one who gets better grades than me!"

A/N: WHHAHAHAHAHAHA

AFTER. MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER CREATING HIM. TSUYOSHI PROPERLY DEBUTS.

Feels wild omg 😭 I remember when I first shared him back in 2020 people were simping left and right for him and I couldn't understand why. He was supposed to be designed as "attractive" but I didn't really get what particular traits of his made people think so lmfao 😂