Izuku sits down with the assistant counselor to discuss how they are feeling about, well, feeling. Ochako considers where she is in her life. Himiko starts her quest to dethrone Sato as the dessert master. And Izuku says they need to talk.

Izuku knocked on the door to the assistant counselor, Hound Dog having been busy. A voice called out for them to enter. They hadn't met the new counselor, but Himiko said she liked him so Izuku was cautiously optimistic. Izuku went to open the door, but it slid open on its own, revealing a very short red-haired woman, a laptop tucked under her arm who looked up at him with a flat expression.

Izuku swallowed, a bit confused, before she offered a bright smile. "Sorry, our meeting took longer than I wanted, he's all yours! See you later darling!" she called over her shoulder with a smile, sauntering past Izuku. Izuku blinked in confusion, before a chuckle brought his attention to the man behind the desk. Tall, with precisely coiffed white hair and a rather impressive mustache and beard, the man looked…elegant. Idly, Izuku was a bit reminded of how Momo would conduct herself sometimes, down to what smelled like the same blend of tea she preferred. Izuku's attention was pulled back to the counselor clearing his throat.

"Well, terribly sorry for losing track of my time! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Danjuro Tobito, a hero and counselor here at this prestigious university, although you may call me Tonbito, or Danjuro if you're feeling daring," the man winked at Izuku with a sly grin. "But, if I may, what shall I call you?"

"Isn't my name on the file?" Izuku ventured, a bit taken aback.

"Of course it is, but I find a proper introduction is a good ice breaker, not to mention I must be certain what you prefer to be called!"

"Oh. Um…I prefer Izuku, that's fine," Izuku murmured.

"Excellent!" the man grinned, gesturing to the comfortable chair before him. "Now, if you would please take a seat, unless you find standing more comfortable. I'd be willing to meet you either way!"

"Oh, yeah, no, it's fine," Izuku said, quickly taking the seat. "Uh…so it's okay to call you by your given name?"

"Absolutely! I prefer it, if I'm being honest. More personable, don't you think? Anyways, would you like some tea?" Danjuro offered, waving his hand over a second teacup set before him.

"Uh…sure," Izuku replied. Danjuro was very different from Ryo…not in a bad way per se, just very different, and it was throwing them off a bit. They were also trying to recall what hero he was…no way he was a hero they'd never heard of, they even knew Eraserhead, and this guy seemed exceedingly flamboyant and…wait a minute. "You're Gentle, the Gentleman hero! You've worked with Crust and Best Jeanist numerous times before, but you tend to focus on rescue work and underground heroics even though you like to be flashy about it!"

Danjuro threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Ahaha, Ryo warned me you were a bit of a hero nerd, but I see he undersold it! I'm surprised you've heard of me, but certainly am glad! Yes, I do tend to dabble where I am needed, that's true, although my ranking will likely never be incredibly high. But what's important is helping the people, not those silly ranks, wouldn't you agree?"

Izuku blinked. "Well, yeah, but…why wouldn't you get a good rank? If my research on your Quirk is right, it's Elasticity, and it's incredible! You've stopped a plane from falling from the sky, you've contained a dozen criminals in a prison break with ease, and you even once managed to stop an entire mudslide by yourself! That's amazing!"

Danjuro's smile morphed from a bombastic, overly bright one to a warmer, but almost sad look as he leaned forward. "Ah yes, but I also have a criminal record. And that's all that matters to some people."

Izuku's jaw dropped. "You? But…I've never heard of that!"

Danjuro shrugged. "Not many have. You see…I always wanted to be a hero. It was all I ever wanted. Yet, during my time at UA, well…the truth is I wasn't a great student. I had serious issues with paying attention, and I could be very reckless. Eventually, I was dismissed from the hero course. Now, I had a chance to earn my place back, the Headmaster was insistent, but my young, foolish heart took it as an insult and quit the school entirely."

He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling for a moment, before turning his attention back to Izuku. "At the time, I was unaware I had certain mental and emotional issues that made it more difficult for me to deal with the pressures of such tight schooling and disappointment. I see no reason to go into the sordid details, but after leaving UA I tried vigilante work. In the process, well…I nearly got someone killed. I spent a few months in prison, and once I got out, I was lost. Adrift. Unable to really cope with my actions and how everything had gone wrong. But then she found me."

Danjuro's smile warmed up, a distant, affectionate look in his eyes as he looked at a picture on his desk. "The young woman who just left this office is very close to me, and she was the one who professed her admiration for me and my efforts to help people, even though they failed. I won't get into her reasons for why, that is her business, but it made me realize I could not simply stay lost, I had to get up and move forward! And so…I found a therapist."

Izuku nearly snorted, the sudden admission throwing them so much they leaned back in surprise by it. Danjuro gestured to the office, his smile growing wider. "That led to my passion for this sort of work! To make a long story short, once I felt stable enough, I not only completed my hero coursework (the headmaster was truly generous), but I also took subsequent classes in counseling! And after a few years doing my best on the streets, why, when I heard the call for an assistant to the incredible Ryo Inui, I jumped at the chance! And here, my young student, I am! Here to help in whatever you may need. So…what do you need?"

Izuku blinked rapidly, taken aback once more. They weren't expecting the sudden transition, but something about Danjuro was mildly relaxing. Maybe how bombastic he was? Either way, Izuku had wanted to discuss a specific thing during their next visit…but if that was it, they weren't sure if they could go through the whole thing with Danjuro, so it'd help to know what he knew.

"Uh…well, um, what do you know about me?" they asked, curious.

"Only what's in your file. Confidentiality is important after all. I am aware of the bond between yourself, Himiko Toga, and Ochako Uraraka. I'm aware it gives you a number of special abilities that even now you're discovering more over time, and that it transmits emotions. I have also been read into the One For All secret, as all staff here are. But beyond that, well…what I know is what you choose to tell me."

Izuku swallowed, fidgeting slightly. They'd admitted this to Ryo, but it was still difficult to discuss, yet…they really needed to figure this thing out, and it would only make sense with some context. "I uh…So I have some um, self-esteem problems, I guess? I-I know it bothers Himi and 'Chako, and my mom, and Toshi, and well, okay, it seems to bother everyone when I say something about how useless I am or whatever, and uh, I guess I used to hurt myself sometimes but not anymore cause I made a deal with 'Chako and Himi, and um…" they broke off into a sigh, slumping forward as their voice fell to a whisper.

"I know, in my head, that how I think and feel isn't 'right'. So I'm trying to work on it, with Ryo's and everyone else's help. But um, there's something else in our bond that I'm worried about because I think I know what it is, I think I know what I'm feeling, and since I can feel what they feel I know they do too, but…I don't know if it's right to actually even think about it! I'm like, really messed up! It wouldn't be good for us to even consider it, right? Like, that's a bad idea isn't it?" Pleadingly, they looked up at Danjuro for some sort of validation of their thought process, meeting the man's blue eyes with his own.

Danjuro looked at them with a flat, contemplative expression, their ever present grin gone. He had his gloved hands clasped on the desk as he left Izuku finish, nodding slowly at Izuku in acceptance of what Izuku had said. After a moment, they lifted the teapot and poured two cups, sliding the steaming one over to Izuku, the green-haired teen taking it absently. He lifted up his own teacup and took a sip, seeming to mull over his response.

"Alright. That is a lot of information at once, but I certainly understand how difficult it is to admit that. It takes great strength to admit to your struggles, and I'm impressed already I must admit."

Izuku snorted dismissively. "It's not strength. I'm the weak one who can't stop being stupid."

"And how is it not strength, to face your weaknesses? Is that not what it means to be strong? Everyone has weaknesses, Izuku. Everyone has failings and makes mistakes. And many cannot find the strength to fight against that, to admit to what hurts them and make a genuine effort to find ways to get better. And yet, here you are, in this room. And you know what that tells me? It tells me you want help. And there is nothing wrong with asking for help. Tis why our profession exists, isn't it? To help people."

Izuku stared at him for a moment, before letting out a rueful chuckle. "Okay. Um…can you help me then?"

"I shall do my level best," Danjuro replied softly, with a smile on his face.

Ochako felt a bit unsure what to do. Izuku was with the counselor, and she was trying not to pay attention to their emotions as much as possible. It was a combination of things, really…one, they all wanted to reinforce their privacy, at least a little bit, after the weird mind fusion thing. Resonance, or whatever the vestiges called it. But two, and maybe more importantly, they really wanted to focus on themselves right now.

Himiko was in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she busied herself at the stove. The blonde rarely cooked, since Izuku seemed to enjoy it so much, but apparently she was an expert in every aspect of 'homemaking', as she called it. This supposedly meant cooking, cleaning, and being a good hostess for 'get togethers'. Also, knitting…apparently Himiko could knit. Both Ochako and Izuku had been incredibly taken aback by that, since she'd never brought it up, but yep. She could knit.

Himiko had been…different, since the talk with her old friends. Ochako at first was worried about it, the fact Himiko had started doing these chores more, since it felt like that was conditioning from back when her mother was forcing her to do these things. But Himiko had been very insistent…she actually enjoyed them. Not all of them. Being a hostess was exhausting, and while she didn't mind cleaning she didn't get enjoyment out of it. But she did like making fancy foods, things Ochako had never even heard of, and she was talking about getting some knitting needles and yarn to start well, knitting again.

Ochako was happy for her. And happy for Izuku, actually going to the counselor and getting better. Ochako also had a session scheduled for tomorrow, but for now…she felt rather lost. Izuku was improving in leaps and bounds, and at this point had started to become the emotional crux of their weird relationship. They had the ability to always cut through the haze and figure out what was going on.

Himiko, on the other hand, finally seemed to know who she was and was happy with it. She was happier than she'd ever been since they'd reconnected! It was like knowing that she didn't waste eighteen years of her life entirely, that only parts of it were something to dismiss, made her feel so much more comfortable in her skin. Her fears didn't vanish, her self-loathing still reared its ugly head, but it was much, much quieter, and a gentle undercurrent of joy and cheer was roaming the bond just beneath everything else, something that warmed Ochako's chest and made her want to smile.

But that left her. Yes, yes, she knew comparing herself was a bad idea, and she wasn't ignoring her own progress. Nemuri had her keeping a journal where she tracked her bad days and how well her attempts to fix her eating habits were going, and she was also showing Ochako her stats from training. Seeing it on paper, seeing hard evidence that as she ate better, she got better, really did help. And she was trying really hard to never ignore that she was getting somewhere, she really was.

But that was still…she still wasn't sure who she was. Not anymore. After the resonance incident, was she even fully Ochako anymore? Or was she some conglomeration of Ochako, Himiko, and Izuku? And…did she actually care? That was the question causing her the most consternation. She…kinda liked the bond. She liked knowing them, feeling them, knowing she wasn't alone. If the cost of that was losing a bit of her individuality; well, the idea of that should have horrified her, but it didn't?

Then again the point might be moot. The vestiges were quite confident that outside of resonance being active, they were still 100% themselves. But was that really true? People change based on the people around them even without Quirks connecting them. It's just how life was…part of who you are was built up by the people around you, the influence they had on you. And the influence Izuku and Himiko had on her? It was a big damn influence.

She groaned to herself as she leaned back on the couch, rubbing at her face. Gods, this was confusing. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pressure on the couch next to her, the cushion bouncing slightly as Himiko simply flopped onto it next to her. She lowered her hands to see a small plate shoved in her face, Himiko's expression one of focus and almost demanding. She held a spoon in her other hand.

"Um…wha?" Ochako asked intelligently.

Himiko peremptorily shoved the plate towards her again. "I made it. It's a western desert called a Crème brûlée. Eat it!"

Ochako swallowed thickly, staring at it with trepidation. But…she was doing better too, so it wasn't as bad. She wasn't panicking, just uncomfortable, and that she could deal with. Plus…with how excited and anticipatory Himiko was, she kinda wanted to make her happy. She took the spoon and very carefully slipped it in, watching as the custard settled on her spoon. She took a deep breath, before sticking the spoon in her mouth…and it was delicious.

She let out a contented hum of enjoyment, ignoring the twinge in her stomach as she swallowed the dessert, looking up at Himiko with a soft grin that Himiko returned with a blinding smile that made Ochako want to squint.

"So…you like?!" Himiko asked, nearly vibrating in place out of excitement.

"It's no mochi, but it's close," Ochako replied, smirking at Himiko as the blonde's expression turned flat for a brief moment, pouting at her before breaking into giggles.

"Yeha yeah, I know, nothing can beat your precious mochi. Gosh, we should just change your hero name to Mochi and be done with it," Himiko scoffed with no heat.

Ochako rolled her eyes, taking another bite of the dessert. "Why'd you make this anyways?"

Himiko shrugged. "I just…wanted to make something sweet for you is all."

Ochako felt her insides turn to utter mush at that, looking at Himiko in wonderment. That was just the cutest thing, gosh why is Himi so goddamn cute. The expression on her face must have been something to see, because Himiko's cheeks turned red as she looked away from Ochako, flustered. She brushed one of her bangs out of her eyes, offering a shy smile as she pointed at the dessert again. "So…do you think you'd like it some other time?"

Ochako admittedly was a bit thrown by her own feelings, as well as Himiko's, the surge of positive emotions now swirling together (and the sudden feeling of fond bemusement from Izuku added atop it), but…right now, she just really wanted Himiko happy, so she took another bite of her dessert and grinned. "Himi, I'd like anything you make for me."

Himiko squeaked, looking even more red than before, before turning away entirely and scurrying back into the kitchen. "I-I gotta clean up, you just enjoy that!"

Ochako leaned back on the couch, her earlier consternation faded slightly as she felt unreasonably smug with herself. She mused, "You know…I kinda see why Himi likes to tease us so much."

Izuku left Danjuro's office with a weird combination of determination and anxiety. Because they did manage to have the conversation they wanted to, about how they felt and whether it was worth talking about it. Danjuro was quite complementary to Izuku, about how smart it was to consider their own emotional state and whether they were prepared for that.

Danjuro did, however, point out the problem: in their case, the shared emotions meant that eventually, they'd all understand. And if they simply all kept quiet, if no one ever spoke about it, the stress and anxiety would build up and make everything worse. His suggestion was to actually discuss the matter and decide, together, what would be the best solution. Maybe they did decide to table the idea for now, and that was fine, but the trio should talk about it, so there were no misunderstandings or confusion around it.

And so, Izuku decided to talk to them about it. The dorms were going to be empty for at least a week longer due to internships, and with just the three of them, maybe…maybe it was time to talk. Because Izuku had been right…they knew what they were feeling, they'd put the words to it before Ochako or Himiko had, they just…were afraid of it. The fear hadn't really gone away per se, but it was a good chance to confront it and well, just speak their mind.

On the flip side, they were a bit annoyed when they returned to the dorms to find Ochako and Himiko both sitting on the couch, waiting for them because they already knew Izuku wanted to discuss something. No surprises anymore, they mused with an internal sigh. They set that aside, taking a moment to look at them both. With how their chest tightened, warmth suffused their veins, and a smile threatened to break out as soon as they saw them…gosh Izuku had it bad.

"So um…can we talk?" Izuku asked. They already kinda knew the answer, but the only way this conversation could go along with any semblance of sanity they had to do it the right way.

"Sure," Ochako said, nodding at them.

Himiko shrugged. "We knew you wanted to talk, although I'm not sure about what exactly. But I got an inkling."

Izuku took a deep, bracing breath. "You're right. I-you know what? Screw it. I'm just going to come out and say it."

Himiko snorted. "That sounds like something 'Chako would say."

Ochako made a face of annoyed agreement. "I…can't argue with that."

Izuku waved them off. "Don't throw me off please, I need to follow my script here." Himiko let out a choked giggle as Ochako smiled up at them, but both kept quiet to let Izuku continue. Izuku breathed a breath out. "Okay. I-I think we all know that there are some feelings between us that might be…different, from how we feel about our other friends. I know because I can feel it, and you can feel it, and somewhere inside I think you both came to the same conclusion I did about what those feelings are."

Izuku took a second to get their bearings, pacing slowly back and forth as they continued. "For a while, I was torn. Were they my feelings or yours? Or worse, were they my feelings and the ones you had were mine as well, me forcing them onto you? Anxiety brain says they absolutely must be, because in no fucking world would people are incredible as you have anything approaching soft feelings towards my useless ass. But!" they held up a hand to cut off the instinctual denial both girls were about to give them, their tail swishing calmly behind them. "I know that's anxiety brain talking. Or depression brain. Still not sure which and I haven't quite quantified the differences but, wait, no, that's off topic. Talk about that later."

Izuku shook their head, still not looking at the two girls as they continued to pace, their ears flicking as they gestured towards the empty air. "So I had to spend some time figuring out that what we all felt was still unique to each of us. But then I thought, am I even in a place, an emotional or mental headspace, that was healthy enough to pursue something like this? I didn't know. To be honest, I still don't. But I was talking to the assistant counselor and he pointed out that because of our linked emotions, we can't really hide from each other. We can't hold back. And if we just let this fester in the background, eventually, it'd be more stressful than just talking about it. So…that's what I wanna do. Talk about it. Or rather…talk about us."

Finally, Izuku finished their speech, choosing now to turn and look at the two girls, eyes widening at the sight. Himiko's cheeks were red, but she kept their gaze unwaveringly, amber eyes shimmering slightly as she locked hers with their emerald green. Ochako's face was violently red though, and she seemed to be having trouble meeting their eyes, but…she wasn't fleeing the room. Her shoulders were hunched slightly, and she was doing some deep breathing exercises, but she then turned to look at Izuku resolutely, like she'd steeled herself for a tough talk. Izuku nodded at them both. Time to figure this whole thing out.

A lot of you did manage to pick up on the new assistant counselor way back when I mentioned him, and I'm happy to introduce Gentle as the new counselor! And the trio are finally going to confront their feelings! Tune in next chapter for the decisions they make!