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Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Trust.
It had been a few days since the Sports Festival had finished, and everyone's lives had become a lot more interesting since then. People across the streets now recognized many students from both class A and class B alike, which surprised even Kendo herself. Most people were ecstatic to meet the participants of the last two events, although not everyone was happy. There was still a part of the public who stared at the students with pensive expressions, almost as if they were judging them silently. Itsuka noticed this, and she attributed it to the conversation between Izuku and the supposed All Might she'd overheard before the Battle Tournament.
However, Itsuka didn't pay much attention to the people who stared at her since she was still processing everything that had happened AFTER the Sports Festival.
Many pros took notice of the students who had given it their all during the events, but most of the offerings had gone to the eight students who managed to enter the battle tournament, and even moreso to Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki of all students. Itsuka DID get a decent number of nominations, but she still felt somewhat disappointed with herself for not being able to advance in the Sports Festival as much as she would have wanted.
Nevertheless, Itsuka decided to accept one such offer coming from the snake hero Uwabami, and much to her surprise, Momo Yaoyorozu had done the same. Itsuka REALLY hoped to experience what it was like to be a pro at work during her internship with Uwabami, but all that came out of that was a long time in the waiting room waiting for Uwabami to be done with her photoshoots, not to mention the embarrassing demo advertisement she filmed along with Yaoyorozu. Itsuka didn't mind being in an commercial for hair products, but... it wasn't really... HER thing.
Either way, her internship with Uwabami had passed as quickly as it had come and soon enough it was time for her to go home.
Itsuka found herself thinking about her friends and classmates on the way back, and in particular, she thought about Izuku Midoriya. She felt sorry for him. The poor guy had no nominations whatsoever, and she couldn't really blame the pros for not taking him. After all, that match he had with Todoroki was the most stress-inducing thing she had ever witnessed. The way he had broken his fingers repeatedly while shouting at Todoroki was a sight she'll never forget, even if his intentions were genuine. The pros seemed to share this train of thoughts, since no one wanted a kid with a self-destructive quirk on their team, resulting in him not having a single internship offer.
Still, she felt like she had to talk to him now that her life seemed to be calming down. She quickly took out her phone and dialed Izuku's number. They hadn't really spoken in the Sports Festival's following days, but she felt like she should really start the conversation. After all, if he hadn't gotten any internships whatsoever then he would probaly be sitting at home feeling miserable.
Itsuka snapped out of her train of thoughts when Izuku answered. "Hello?"
"Izuku?"
"K-Kendo?! Wha-? Is that you?! How are you?"
Itsuka could picture Izuku blushing through the phone. The way he turns into a nervous stuttering mess was adorable. It was truly a big contrast to the way he could act when he was serious. "I told you to call me Itsuka, Izuku. And I'm fine, but what about you?"
Itsuka could hear him chuckling nervously through the phone. "I-I'm good! Just resting from my internship!"
Itsuka raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Huh? You got an internship offer? But... I heard from Yaoyorozu that you didn't get any!"
Izuku chuckles nervously again. "Heh... Well... I got one at Hosu after everyone got theirs... It's honestly kind of a long story and I don't wanna keep you on the phone for long, Ken.. Itsuka..."
Itsuka giggles. "I don't mind, Izuku. It's one o' clock, I'm on the train and I have nothing to do. They turned the TVs in front of our seats on and there's nothing interesting to watch anyway, just some boring romance movie."
Izuku laughs for a moment. "Well... Uh... Have you checked if there's anything else?"
Itsuka starts checking the other channels. "I don't know. I'm so bored I might just resort to watching the news. My internship was pretty boring but I didn't have time to do stuff for myself either way."
Izuku laughs again. "Well, I'm sure you still got a chance to learn from an important pro hero, right?"
Itsuka rolls her eyes with a smirk at the reminder of her internship with Uwabami and the cringy commercial they had to film. "Hah! As if! You wouldn't believe me if I told you that..."
Itsuka's eyes widen in surprise when she reaches the news. The TV displays the aftershock of a pretty serious-looking incident in the city of Hosu, with fires spreading across some blocks, some hideous-looking creatures being arrested and even killed on camera, and the involvement of the number two hero Endeavor of all people.
But what really surprised Itsuka was the mention of Izuku and two of his classmates at a supposed incident with the hero killer himself.
"What the..."
Izuku notices the concern in Itsuka's voice. "Itsuka...? What's wrong?"
"Izuku... What is..."
"Itsuka, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"It's... the news... You're on the news..."
Izuku cringes at that. He really didn't want Itsuka to find out about that, but it was bound to happen due to the Stain incident being a huge scandal. "W-Well..."
"Wait... They're saying that you ran into the Hero Killer himself... Izuku... Is that correct?"
Izuku tries to think of an excuse, but he proves to be too slow for Itsuka's quick deduction skills. "And... Didn't you say that your internship was at Hosu?"
Izuku falls silent for a second. "W-Well... Yes, but..."
Itsuka's tone becomes a bit demanding. "Izuku. I want the truth, and I want it now."
Izuku stammers. "B-But... I-I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it...!"
Itsuka's tone becomes firm. "Doesn't matter. We're on the phone."
Izuku sighs. "I don't think we can talk about it anyways, Itsuka... It's pretty big stuff."
Itsuka scoffs. "Big stuff my ass. Just tell me already! You can't just leave me hanging like this!"
Izuku thinks for a moment. "Well... Maybe we can meet up at a certain place to talk about it?"
Itsuka sighs. "Fine... Where do you want to meet up and when?"
Izuku thinks for a moment. "Is... Twinkle park at five o' clock okay for you?"
Itsuka raises an eyebrow again. "The big one in the northern districts of Musutafu?"
"Yes..."
"Alright. I should be able to be there in time."
"Great... I'll see you there."
"See ya."
Izuku hangs up first. Itsuka groans before leaning back on her seat. Why the hell was everything surrounding this guy so strange, weird, out of place, surprising and wrong? If she had a nickel for every time Izuku managed to surprise her... Well, she wouldn't know what do do with so much money. She didn't know why, but everytime something big happened, Izuku was at the center of it.
She had wanted to talk to him in private numerous times throughout the Sports Festival, but she was always cut short or distracted by something else.
Well, that ended today. Enough was enough with secrets from him. It was time to REALLY get to know him.
The afternoon had passed quickly for Itsuka. She had gone home, locked her hero outfit in her room, changed into a comfortable pair of shorts along with a black jacket and combed herself before going out to the northern parts of Musutafu. She'd come here on certain occasions on her own when she was a kid. It was a pretty big park with a big number of people and it wasn't far from her old house, so it was a safe place for her to play after school had ended on those happier, less stressful days of her childhood.
Itsuka was standing by the side of a tree by not too far from the entrance to the park, taking in the scenery. Her family had to move away when she started middle school due to her wanting to specialize in martial arts, so it had been quite some time since she last saw the park. It wasn't much different from the last time she came, though. Sure, there were some less trees and more monuments and locals, but she attributed it to some hero and villain encounters in that place causing some destruction in the park. Itsuka sighed to herself as she took in every last detail about the park. Even if there were some minor changes done to it, it still felt like home. She just wished she could know why this park sparked a particular memory of hers, which had been blurred out due to time's passing.
The fading memory was snatched out of her mind when she heard her name being called from behind her. "Ken-Itsuka!"
Itsuka turned around to see the green-haired boy himself approaching her with a smile. He seemed to be dressed nicely enough for a visit to the park, although Itsuka noticed the strain on his walk, particularly, Izuku seemed to be putting more effort on one leg. It was as if he couldn't walk properly due to some wound.
Izuku greets Itsuka with a nervous smile. "H-Hey, Itsuka..."
Itsuka chuckles. "Hey, Izuku... I'm guessing that's also from your so-called Hosu internship, right?" Says Itsuka while looking at Izuku's leg with a concerned expression.
Izuku sighs. "Yeah... It is."
Itsuka looks around and spots a bench not too far away from them. "Let's sit. I don't want you tiring yourself out."
Izuku accepts the offer and the couple sit on the bench in silence for some moments, with neither of them knowing how to get the conversation started.
Izuku looks down and decides to speak first. "S-So... Itsuka... I guess you wanted to see me because this matters to you... right?..."
Itsuka looks at Izuku with an awkward yet worried expression. "Well, obviously..."
Izuku sighs before looking away while rubbing the back of his head in shame. "Sorry for worrying you, Itsuka... I didn't want to get hurt again, but... Things just happened, you know?"
Itsuka groans in slight annoyance. "Of course... Things "just happen" everytime you get involved..."
Izuku looks at Itsuka with a confused expression. "Huh? W-What do you mean, Itsuka...?"
Itsuka looks at Izuku with an exhasperated yet worried expression. "Well, everything! First, you and your class somehow survived an actual villain attack at the USJ having had NO training whatsoever to deal with those kinds of situations! Second, you somehow get to train with All Might of all heroes because your quirk is similar to his! Third, you somehow got into U.A even when your quirk manifested a few hours before the entrance exam! I could go on, but I think you get my point."
Izuku felt himself cringe at Itsuka's words. They were all valid reasons for her to be skeptic, surprised and even frustrated with him, but he knew he couldn't tell her the truth... Right? "I... I don't know what to say, Itsuka..."
Itsuka places her hand on Izuku's shoulder and looks at him with pleading eyes. "Izuku... Look, I'm not saying all of this to be rude, I swear. I'm just... worried and frustrated. There's a lot going on with you that I don't understand, but I want to! Still, the fact that I feel like there's a lot of stuff you hide from me doesn't help. I just want to understand..."
Izuku looks at the floor again. "Itsuka... I know there's a lot of stuff I don't tell you, but I also don't tell anyone else about this because my life is a bit of a mess... I don't want to make anyone worry about me..."
Itsuka sighs and looks at Izuku with a soft gaze. "Izuku... Do you remember what I told you at the Sports Festival?"
Izuku looks away from Itsuka. "You... You said I'd have to check with you before going all out... And you said I'd have to answer to you if I got hurt again..."
Itsuka nods slowly. "Darn straight. You got hurt, Izuku. You have to answer to me now."
Izuku keeps looking away from Itsuka, not daring to make eye contact with her. He felt really ashamed of himself, getting hurt when she told him not to YET AGAIN, but the situation with the hero killer was quite unique. Plus, it was something the police told him not to tell anyone about.
Itsuka's gaze softens even more. "Please... You can't just leave me in the dark..."
Izuku's thoughts run wild. On the one hand, he wanted to spill the beans and tell her about his run-in with the hero killer, but on the other he knew he'd be going against the police's wishes...
Then a thought popped into his head.
Kenji Tsuragamae, the chief of police that looked lke a dog, said nothing about telling ONE of his friends about it. Plus, the way he had put it, they were forced to remain silent as to not let the general public know that three kids who had no hero licenses took down the hero killer, but that wouldn't happen if Itsuka said nothing.
Although, a pang of doubt hit Izuku's heart, brought upon by his past, his fears and his insecurities... Was he really so weak to the point of wanting someone else to confide in? It almost felt selfish of him to want to tell Itsuka this. All Might seemed to handle everything well enough on his own, and if he couldn't follow in All Might's footsteps properly, how could he call himself a hero who could save everyone?
There were so many insecurities coursing through Izuku's mind. He knew he should stay quiet, and yet... He wanted to confide in Itsuka. Was it selfish of him to want this kind of comfort? Did it make him weak? Would he regret it later?
Izuku speaks, still looking away from her. "Itsuka... Can I trust you?"
Itsuka raises her eyebrows, surprised at the sudden question. However, she quickly composes herself. "Izuku, look at me."
Izuku does as told slowly, and when he gets a good look at her, all he sees is genuine honesty and sympathy in her face. Itsuka smiles softly at Izuku while rubbing his shoulder lightly. "I wouldn't be here if you couldn't trust me, silly. The whole reason I'm here is because I care, you dork."
Itsuka giggles softly, a gesture that is mirrored by Izuku, who feels his defenses crumble slowly but surely. "W-Well... Can you... keep a secret?"
Itsuka's smile widens. "Of course!"
Izuky looks at her with a concerned expression. "No, I mean... A really serious secret. Can you keep a pretty important secret, Itsuka?"
Itsuka is a bit taken back by his serious demeanor, but she knows he might just be doing it to assure himself that he could trust her. Itsuka decides to keep smiling warmly at him to get him to trust her once and for all. "I swear on my heart that I can keep a secret for you, Izuku."
Izuku sighs before looking down. This was it. There was no backing down now. "Alright... Well... It's a bit hard to define where it all began... But I'm pretty sure the whole "Hosu incident" thing began on the Sports Festival."
Itsuka withdraws her hand from Izuku's shoulder and stares at him with a curious expression in silence, eager to know the whole story.
"You see... Iida got a phone call after his match with Tokoyami, and he went away to answer it. When he came back he seemed... off. He didn't give us a very detailed explanation, but all he said was that there was an emergency that required his immediate attention. Iida left the Sports Festival shortly afterwards. I thought the whole thing would end there, but I was wrong, oh so wrong..."
Itsuka saw Izuku's expression fall, but she remained silent.
"After the Sports Festival ended, we all saw that Iida got a lot of nominations from many heroes to do internships with, but we were all surprised when he chose to intern in the Hosu City Hero Office when he got better nominations. We said our goodbyes to each other on the train station, but... Iida seemed off. As his friend, I still feel disappointed in myself for not noticing that he wasn't well..."
Itsuka noticed that Izuku's expression darkened, but she chose to stay silent since he was already opening up to her.
"Turns out the hero killer's last victim was Iida's older brother, and he was left without the capacity to use his legs for the rest of his life. The last sighting of the hero killer was in Hosu, so Iida went there to kill the hero killer in order to get revenge in the name of his older brother..."
Itsuka tried to not seem shocked, but her face betrayed her feelings. She didn't expect Iida of all people to do something like that... Judging by their interaction on the Sports Festival he seemed like a very formal and down-to-earth person, so the fact that he had gone by himself to Hosu with the sole purpose of killing the hero killer was astounding to say the least. Although, there was a small part of her mind that felt pity for Iida. To have a member of your own family stuck on a wheelchair permanently because of some psyhopath's twisted ideals... She didn't know what she would have done if she was in Iida's shoes, but she could definitely tell that she would have been just as enraged as Iida, if not more.
"At the time I was passing by bullet train through Hosu with the hero I interned with, but the train was attacked by a creature similar to the one that attacked the USJ. I left the train to help take down the creature that attacked us and hopefully save as many people as possible, but all I saw outside was Hosu ablaze. I wondered why Iida wasn't helping, but then I figured out the real reason he came to Hosu in the first place. I went on the search for Iida, and I found him on an alley about to be killed by the hero killer himself..."
Itsuka is even more surprised by this new information. Creatures similar to the ones at the USJ attack? Whoever created them must be the real deal themselves... Not to mention how lucky it was for Izuku's train to be attacked right as he was passing through Hosu. Also, who did he intern with?
"I attacked the hero killer, and later Todoroki joined us, since he was patrolling the neighborhood with Endeavor in his agency. It had been close several times, but Iida, Todoroki and I managed to defeat the hero killer."
And this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Izuku Midoriya was definitely one HELL of an individual. The guy seemed to barely have any control of his quirk the last time she saw him, and now he had somehow managed to defeat the hero killer.
'HOW?!' Thought Itsuka to herself with wide eyes. She really wanted to interrupt Izuku to ask him how he did it, but she decided it would be best to let him finish his story.
"Eventually, Endeavor arrived and we were all taken to the hospital. The chief of police told us to keep all of this a secret and have Endeavor take the credit for capturing the hero killer. We accepted and the chief bowed before leaving."
Itsuka felt a bit angry at this. What, did the police just expect them to stay still as the hero killer murdered Iida? Although, Itsuka wasn't stupid. She knew that there were well thought-out laws that forbid people with no hero licenses from using their quirks to enact justice by their own hand, since it could end up in vigilantism. Still, she felt a bit frustrated that Izuku, Todoroki and Iida wouldn't get even a slight taste of recognition for their achievement.
Izuku finally lifted his gaze to look at Itsuka now that he was done recapitulating the events that had transpired during his internship. "I guess that's everything that was important, Itsuk-" Izuku almost jolted in surprise when he saw Itsuka close to his face staring at him slack jawed, buggy eyed. "AH! A-Are you okay, Itsuka?!"
Itsuka snapped out of her trance and shook her head before looking at Izuku with a more calmed, yet still surprised expression. "I... Yes... I just... Wow! You really did all of that, Izuku? That was incredible! I don't know how you do it, but you just keep exceeding my expectations every time I see you, tough guy!"
Itsuka giggles before ruffling Izuku's hair, causing him to blush and look away. "Ah-! I-It really wasn't much!"
Itsuka's expression softens. "You know... I had a feeling you bumped into the hero killer in some sort of attempt to save someone. Always putting yourself in harm's way to protect others, you big lug..."
Izuku chuckles while blushing madly. "H-Heh... I guess that's something about me that really frustrates you, huh?"
Itsuka smiles softly while placing her hand on top of his. "I'm glad you got Iida out of that situation safely, but honestly, you scared me half to death when I saw you in the news... I know you have this need to save others, but you should really tone it down sometimes, Izuku."
Izuku lets out a small sigh. "Yeah... Lots of people have told me that before, but I never listen. I've always wanted to be a hero that saves everyone, like All Might. I don't care if people just don't believe in me. I'll get there if I just try my best, I know it."
Itsuka's expression turns into a concerned yet elated pout. "I know that, Izuku. You've told me that before. I never said I doubted you, I just meant to say that I worry for you. Besides, ever since I met you you've been nothing but self-sacrificing. I don't like seeing kind-hearted people like you getting hurt. In fact, I hate it. If it were up to me I'd encase you in a bubble and never let you get hurt again, but all I can do for now is try to understand you or be there for you when you need it."
Izuku looks at Itsuka with a surprised expression for a moment. His surprise turns into a small smile. "T-Thanks, Itsuka... But... You really don't need to do this. I don't want to drag you to my messes or anything..."
Izuku almost jumps out of the bench when he feels Itsuka give him a small peck on the cheek. Itsuka giggles at his nervous reaction before smiling warmly at him. "What if I want to be dragged to your mess, hm?"
Izuku's brain malfunctions for a second. "I... I..."
Itsuka chuckles before rufflng his hair again, snapping him out of his trance. "In all seriousness, though... You can always come to me if you want to vent or let things out. Oh, and don't worry about the whole "hero killer" incident. I won't say anything to anyone, promise."
Izuku looks at Itsuka with a grateful smile. "Do you really mean that?"
Itsuka wraps her arm around Izuku's shoulder and smiles widely. "I honestly do."
Izuku was feeling a whole variety of emotions. He felt flustered at her display of affection, embarrassed at how he was behaving, guilty for not being strong enough to keeo things to himself and more, but through all of that he felt... happy. The trust and comfort Itsuka provided him with was not one he was used to experiencing, but he had to admit, having someone like Itsuka watching over him and letting him open up felt nice. In the bottom of his heart there was a small glint of worry about Itsuka telling more people about what he did, but judging by his interactions with her... A feeling in his heart told him that there was nothing to worry about. Itsuka seemed like a reliable and dependable person, so he trusted her fully.
Izuku chuckles. "You know, now I just feel silly..."
Itsuka raises an eyebrow. "Huh? Why is that, Izuku?"
"I really should have just been honest with you. I don't know why I was so worried about telling you all of this. Ever since I met you you've always been someone friendly and honest, Itsuka. I like that about you."
Itsuka's eyes widen for a moment and her cheeks get a small red tint. "Heh... Thanks, Izuku." Itsuka leans back on the bench and Izuku does the same, enjoying the remains of the afternoon sun.
The couple stay on the bench for another couple of minutes in silence, although, this silence was different from the one at the beginning of their conversation. Now that they had laid out their feelings to some extent, they felt more comfortable around each other. Itsuka leaned her head on Izuku's shoulder, and he didn't pull away, as he was enjoying the understanding affection Itsuka provided him with.
After the blissful moments pass, Itsuka looks at Izuku with a small smile. "Well... This has been fun, but I gotta go."
Izuku frowns a bit, already missing the warmth of her head on his shoulder. "Oh... Really?"
"Yeah... I promised my little brother that I'd take him to see the new All Might movie."
Izuku giggles. "If he's a fan he'll love it. I heard they used real debris and rubble from his fight with the Iron Horse from six years ago!"
Itsuka chuckles. "I bet you'd like him. You're both huge dorks and lovable nerds." Izuku laughs softly in embarassment, to which Itsuka pats his head. "But don't worry, Izuku. We'll definitely meet again. You still owe me the full story of how you defeated the hero killer and the hero you did your internship with, you know."
Izuku smiles and gets up from the bench with Itsuka doing the same. "Sounds good! Well... I guess I'll see you later, Itsuka!"
"See you later, Izuku!" Itsuka smiles and waves at Izuku before walking away.
Izuku arrives at his apartment with a huge smile on his face. The meeting with Itsuka went better than he expected. Not only that, but he could tell that Itsuka was someone he could see himself bonding more with in the following days. The warmth she had provided im with, the way in which she spoke about wanting to protect him, the feeling of having someone who worried for him... It was all still new to him, but he had to admit, it felt... better than nice.
When Izuku opens the door he is greeted by the sight of his mother cleaning the living room. "Izuku! You're back already, honey? I thought you'd arrive later! Do you want something to eat?"
Izuku walks towards his room with a blissful smile on his face. "No, mom... I'm fine..."
Inko Midoriya looks at her son with some concern. "Really? You just left without saying a word, honey. Where even were you?"
"I was talking to a girl... and it was nice..." Said Izuku before entering his room as if he was walking on clouds.
Inko Midoriya wasn't dumb. She could put two and two together. From the way her son was acting, the way he talked and what he described he did, it was pretty obvious for her what her son was going through.
Inko simply chuckled softly to herself before continuing to clean the living room, wondering how she'd have to decorate the place in case her son invited a girl over.
Itsuka arrived to her house smiling to herself. There were still a lot of things she wanted to talk about with Izuku, but she felt satisfied for the moment. The guy certainly was confusing and mysterious, but he had a heart of gold she wanted to protect at all cost. She just hoped she could think of another excuse to hang out with him in private.
When Itsuka opened the door she was greeted by her little brother, who was practically behind the door waiting for her arrival to pounce on her. Itsuka gasps slightly in surprise before groaning. "How many times do I have to tell you to not pounce on me, Syouzou?"
Itsuka's little brother giggles before getting off Itsuka. "You're back, big sis! Where were you?"
Itsuka chuckles before walking to the bathroom. "Heh... I was talking to a friend, Syouzou."
Itsuka's brother giggles. "So you were on a date, then?"
Itsuka turns red at her brother's comment. "Wha-?! No! Of course not!"
Itsuka's brother chuckles before chanting playfully. "Big sis in love! Big sis is in love!"
"Ugh! Just... Get dressed, Syouzou! We're leaving in five minutes!" Itsuka's blushing turned down when her little brother followed her command.
Itsuka sighed before looking at the mirror of the bathroom. The way she had spoken to her brother was a bit harsher than she would have liked, but that comment had stuck with her. There was no way she would fall for someone so... so...
Huh.
When Itsuka wanted to list off the many defects of Izuku Midoriya, very little came to mind. Of course, there was his self-sacrificing attitude, his (probably) low self-esteem... But Itsuka couldn't get much farther from that. Izuku was kind, sweet, cute, noble, brave, determined when the situation required it, his physique wasn't half bad, and he wasn't some idiotic meathead who wanted to get under her panties...
'Holy shit. I'm falling for Izuku Midoriya.'
A bit of a shorter but sweeter chapter this time around.
Nothing beats some good old-fashioned fluff to warm one's heart.
See ya on the next chapter!
