Hey, everyone! Welcome to Chapter Eight! As of this chapter, this story is officially over one year old. I'd like to thank everyone for the support you've all given me in writing this story. It means a lot. With this chapter things will be continuing, and some new developments will be set up. I hope you all enjoy the chapter, especially the fluff! There's going to be plenty of it in this one!
I do not own anything.
Chapter 8-You Light Up my World Pt.3
Izuku Midoriya had dreams.
When he was diagnosed as being Quirkless he felt like all of those dreams had dissolved right in front of him. They might as well have since his biggest dream was to be a hero, just like his idol. Someone who was Quirkless could never achieve such a dream. It was impossible. Coincidentally, his dreams had been revived by an equally impossible event-meeting his idol in the flesh and receiving his Quirk. His life had seemingly turned into one long string of impossibilities that became possible. One would have said that was part of being a hero in this day and age, part of the very essence of Plus Ultra.
Amongst Izuku's dreams, romance hadn't been one of them. He could literally count on one hand the number of times he'd ever thought of romance. His Quirkless diagnosis had further diminished his thoughts of it. What girl would want to be with a Quirkless kid like him?
Not only was he not Quirkless, he also wasn't signal. The former he'd taken some time to truly accept, and the latter a part of him was still trying to accept. Even as he watched his girlfriend interact with a little girl he'd gone through absolute hell to save.
Mina and Eri had hit it off.
First, he'd watched her explain what a girlfriend was, using herself as a prime example. Izuku stood in quite shock at what he was seeing. A beautiful girl like her was explaining what a girlfriend was. His girlfriend. That single thought sent his body backward a good three days, when his bond with Mina had gotten from friendly to romantic. Had it been that short a time? Could a relationship change from friendly to romantic in that short of time? Outside of comic books and movies?
Considering where he was and what he was experiencing, Izuku was amazed that the answer to that question was yes. It really could, just like how a single decision could radically change a person's entire life.
Sometimes he thought of what would have happened if he and Mirio had acted to save Eri the first time they'd met her. It was a thought that gnawed at him sometimes, going hand-in-hand with the pain he felt for Mirio losing his Quirk. Would that have happened if they'd acted sooner? Would they have made things worse? Would they have gotten themselves killed by Overhaul? The odds of that one happening were higher than he'd say aloud, but the adults around him were more than willing to say it to his face. They made it sound like a good thing because it was. They would have gotten themselves killed, but in the end they' succeeded in saving the white-haired girl.
A new thought sprouted in his head amidst his contemplation. If he'd made a different choice back then…would he and Mina still have ended up in a relationship?
"I gotta say, Izuku, I'm happy for ya'! I never knew you had such a cute and bubbly girlfriend!"
"Aaaah!" He might as well have had One For All active. Izuku practically felt his feet leave the ground and his head touch the clouds. When he came back down, he saw his blond senior smiling at him as if nothing was wrong. Which was just like him. "W-W-We, M-M-Mina and I…we…just got together recently. Like…a couple of days ago." It felt odd explaining their relationship to Mirio, yet as he watched him absorb the information the unease dissipated.
"Only a few days ago, huh? But you've known her for far longer, right? She's a classmate of yours if I remember right."
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, it's just…over the last couple of days we got closer, one thing led to another and then…here we are."
His senior laughed, albeit he kept his laughter quiet enough as not to disturb the two horned girls. "Ah, I've heard that story so many times, including from my own parents." Izuku's cheeks burned as the older boy shot him a wink and a smile; it wasn't hard to pick up on the implications he was sending. "I remember her from the little mock battle we fought. For a girl who can throw acid, she really knows how to be nice and comforting."
The autumn wind seemingly blew his embarrassment away. "Yeah, she does, she's…she lights up my whole world." A tiny voice of reason admonished him about what he'd just said or tried to. Izuku didn't feel anything like shame or regret saying that. In fact, reinforcing his words was a sudden and powerful warmth that blossomed within his chest.
Perhaps sensing it, Mirio reached forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Then hold onto her."
"Hold onto who?"
Both boys nearly jumped hearing the familiar childish voice. In unison they whipped their heads about to find Eri and Mina staring at them, or grinning in Mina's case. She was grinning at Izuku. His cheeks turned bright red as he recognized that glint in his girlfriend's eyes. Their conversation hadn't been as private as he'd liked to have thought. He realized what was said was going to come up later, probably when the two of them were alone. Amazingly, Izuku realized a tiny part of him was…somewhat looking forward to that moment. He didn't regret describing Mina in such a way to Mirio.
"They were referring to us, Eri." The pink-skinned and pink-haired girl playfully explained. "They're going to be holding onto us throughout the rest of the festival. After all, that's what dashing, heroic guys like Izuku and Mirio do for the people they care about, right?"
The blond affectionately jabbed Izuku in the side while the green-haired teen nervously laughed. Just as he began to speak another voice cut him off.
"Heeey! You two should be working! Slacking off after being late because you two were making out!" The freckle-faced teen whipped around to see a rather peeved-looking Mineta carrying a pot filled with ice. Quickly looking around he saw he wasn't the only one. All their classmates were doing their part to clean up the aftermath of their performance. Yes, they'd put on one hell of an awesome show, but they certainly left a lot to clean up in their wake. "Before you two go back to your smooching, help us pick up this ice!"
Izuku leaned down and picked up the pot. Looking back, he saw his girlfriend had a slightly annoyed look on her face. He wasn't sure if it was because of the fact they had to work or Mineta's attitude; regardless, Izuku still found something cute about it. Smiling at her, he eased her displeasure without saying a word.
"Hey, what's smooching?" Eri innocently asked.
Mina and Mirio laughed while Izuku blushed, and nearly dropped his cargo. "S-S-S-S-Smooching! E-E-Eri, t-t-that's not…that's…something y-y-you're not ready to learn about! Not yet!" He managed to say, without dropping the ice he'd been assigned.
Giggling nonstop, his girlfriend leaned down and beckoned Eri closer. "Smooching is a very special thing that two people do when they really, really like each other." He was both relieved and amazed at how…easily Mina explained things to the younger girl. Was it a gift? Did she have some prior experience with this sort of thing? Izuku would have liked to know, yet he also felt perfectly happy not knowing. "You're learning more about it one day when you're older, and likely when you've met that special someone." She finished with a beaming grin.
Thankfully, Eri innocently ate up the description. Izuku couldn't help but sigh in relief. Mirio kept his chuckling restrained.
"I'll look after Eri and wait for you guys to finish." He spoke.
"Thanks, we appreciate it." Izuku responded, then looked to his girlfriend.
She shot him a wink that had his cheeks feeling just a little heated. The message was clear, cleanup was to be done as quickly and thoroughly as possible. They had things to do, fun things to do, memories to make.
-O-
It came as no surprise that the reason why Mineta was so eager to get cleanup done so fast was because of the beauty pageant. He was actually not the only one. Izuku had heard several of his classmates rather openly proclaiming how they wanted to see who would win this year. Personally, Izuku didn't care too much, albeit his girlfriend somewhat did. Mina had told him that she wasn't normally interested in beauty contests, but that didn't mean that she whole-heartedly ignored them. Or abstained from voting in them. She of course asked him if he'd ever voted in such contests.
Izuku was glad that he didn't bother to keep track of how often Mina made him blush. She seemed able to do it anywhere from five to ten times a day, and they hadn't even been dating for so much as two weeks at that.
"I-I-I-I've…never really paid attention to physical traits in that way, Mina." He was glad that they were almost done with cleanup, but as they neared its end, he realized he was about to fall headlong into another awkward situation with his girlfriend. Or what he considered awkward. For Mina it was no doubt a different story.
And it was as her eyes had a familiar glint in her eyes. "Has dating me changed that, Izuku?"
He'd nearly dropped the bucket of ice he'd been carrying while Mina laughed. She thankfully dropped the issue for the moment, but Izuku knew in his bones it was going to come back. Preferably soon.
As he watched the festival's beauty pageant unfold, he definitely knew it was going to comeback. He just hoped it wouldn't be in Eri's presence, or Mirio's as he knew he'd relish the opportunity to see him flustered at his girlfriend's hands, or words. He really was the big brother that he never had. That left Eri as the little sister he never had either, the little sister who he endeavored to put a smile on.
She hadn't quite been smiling, but she was in awe as the pageant got went on. This was undoubtedly the first exposure to fashion she was experiencing, albeit this was still a…unique circumstance. Not just fashion but also creative talent as the competitors were showing what their Quirks could do as well. Being called "beautiful" meant more than just physical looks, especially in today's Quirk-based society. Of course…there were always…exceptions, and bizarre applications of the rules.
Quirks could be any number of things. Abilities as extravagant as manipulating matter and energy to something as mundane as being able to stretch your arm or finger, and simply having a physical oddity. That was undoubtedly the case for Bibimi Kenranzaki, the two-time beauty pageant winner.
And perhaps one of the extravagant people that Izuku Midoriya had ever seen.
"What kind of dance is she doing?" Eri questioned while held in Izuku's arms. The awe was still there, but even she could tell there was something…not quite normal about the eyelash-heavy girl and her gigantic golden tank.
Mirio chose to be brave enough to respond. Sorta. "Maybe I'm not the type of person to ask about these things. Mina?"
The pink-skinned and haired girl didn't seem to mind the ball being punted to her. "Free style, Eria. Free style. No rules, no telegraphed moves, just a person doing their own thing." Izuku leaned his head over and grinned at his girlfriend. He had to admit she might have had a point. Bibimi's dancing probably did count as some bizarre form of free styling it. Bonus points for including her gigantic, face-imprinted tank into the mix.
She'd certainly left the audience dazzled for better or for worse.
As Bibimi retreated backstage after finishing her performance the next contestant stepped forth. It was a face that both Izuku and Mina recognized, as did Mirio, who definitely cheered for her.
When Izuku had met Nejire Hado he immediately thought she was a pretty girl. Those thoughts were amplified as he saw her in a feathery-themed turquoise dress that matched perfectly suited her. Her ever-present smile was the crowning touch. She was not just confident but happy to be there. It was no wonder the audience went wild for her.
His awe was on full display, and his girlfriend took notice of it. "She sure is beautiful, isn't she, Izuku."
"Yeah, she is." He absent-mindedly said. A minute later and he realized who'd asked him that. He swerved his head to his right to see Mina just barely holding back her giggles. "M-M-M-Mina, I-I-I I mean she's pretty, b-but not as beautiful as you!"
"Ahhh, thank you, Izuku." The acid-spewing girl cooed. Twirling around in front of him, she leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek, right in clear view of Eri. Her eyes widened at the spectacle in front of them. "Oh, look! Up she goes!" Mina called diverting Eri and Izuku's attention away from the little kiss. True to her words, Nejire had risen into the sky via her Quirk. Streaks of golden light were left in her wake leaving the crowd speechless. They were like ribbons in the sky, golden ribbons at that. When she came down onto the stage the crowd promptly exploded into applauds and cheers.
Eight contestants, eight choices. All of them had fans, some of whom were rather…vocal.
"Sooo, Izuku, who did you to vote for?" Mina innocently asked as they walked away from the stage. They'd be back in little more than an hour to see the results. It was a certainty whoever won there was going to be an uproar, of both the good and bad kind.
"I, um, well…" Even Eri was looking at him, curious as to who his pick was. His green eyes drifted toward Mina. He saw nothing but eagerness and amusement in her yellow-colored eyes. It felt so awkward talking about this! Was this normal for a relationship? Shaking his head and inhaling, he looked his friends in the eye and answered them. "I voted for Nejire. She was…vibrant, amazing. I guess…those are the types of girls I think are the best, the way they're able to just be themselves, and who they are is…incredible. It leaves people speechless and in awe of them." His nervousness diminished with every word, not even looking at Mina was enough to bring it back. Her black-and-yellow eyes were twinkling with joy as she knew he was talking about her as much as he was Nejire. "In my eyes, girls like those are the best."
Giggling, Mina stepped up and kissed him again, not on the cheek as she had before, but on the lips. It was brief, but the sense of euphoria that came with her touch was there, in droves. Izuku was left standing there looking stunned, steam coming out of his ears. He completely forgot about Mirio and Eri watching him, he only stared at Mina.
"Come on," she said grabbing his hand. "I heard something about an obstacle course so I wanna see it!"
"Obstacle course, what's that" The single-horned girl asked.
"It's a road you run through filled with all sorts of obstacles and challenges. They can be a ton of fun! Come on, we'll show you!" Mirio answered.
Somehow, Izuku found himself able to move, albeit he needed Mina's help. She looked back at him and smiled, completely snapping him out of his stupor. The thought of an obstacle course did somewhat excite him, adding an extra pep in his step. Even as he regained the ability to walk on his on, he continued to hold Mina's hand, not that she minded. Technically speaking, this was another date of theirs, one that been going incredibly well.
True to form, there was an obstacle course, several in fact, all of varying difficult and design. They came just in time to catch Kirishima and Bakugo competing in one. The latter having a lead on the former and using it to seize victory. Izuku couldn't help but cheer for his old childhood friend. Seeing him got Izuku motivated to try one of the courses himself. He ultimately ended up doing exactly that. Handing his jacket to Mina he got into position at the starting line for one of the courses and waited for the buzzer.
The second it sounded he found himself taking off, jumping and climbing over anything and everything in his way. Even as he ran, he could hear the voices of Mina, Mirio, and occasionally Eri cheering for him. There was a chance he really wasn't, but he was sure they were cheering for him. Their voices filled him with a type of energy different One for All. Izuku didn't know what it was, but it made him feel like he had Full Cowl activated; he was surging across the obstacle course, moving over or through anything that got in his way. Before he knew it, he was reaching his hand out and slamming it on the buzzer. A gong sounded and his name was called as the victor. Izuku wasn't out of breath, but he did feel wired. Slowly that feeling receded as he looked around him.
He'd ran a good ten meters in what seemed to be a blink of an eye. Ran and climbed and jumped. Looking over to the stans he saw his girlfriend and friends waving and cheering for him. Of course, Mina was the loudest. Spotting Eri's wave, he reached deep and gave both girls a shy V sign with both hands.
Minutes later and they were away, Mina gushing and Eri gushing over him, the latter wearing a gleaming bronze medal around her neck. Mirio reminisced on the obstacles he'd ran. Even with his phase-shifting Quirk, he had to be able to move across debris-laden terrain when the situation called for it. Izuku knew the feeling as well. In his case, learning how to do so had been another step in learning to control his Quirk's power. A growl from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't done it all on an empty stomach. His growling stomach caused a chain reaction in his girlfriend's.
"Um, sorry." The freckle-faced boy murmured.
"Hey, don't worry about it. We had a pretty long morning, so it's okay." She happily responded.
"Long morning?" Mirio questioned.
Mina nearly jumped. She threw her hands up and tried to play it cool, an act that the older blond teen might have easily seen through. "Oh, you know! We just had to run out and get a couple of things for the show! Long lines! Like super long lines!"
"Y-Y-Yeah, plus a couple of…register problems. It turned into a little bit of a hassle, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Together." As he finished speaking, he looked over at Mina. Her eyes were practically glowing while she nodded in agreement with him.
Indeed, it had been a hassle, but nothing something the two of them couldn't overcome together. Their first battle as a couple…maybe one day they'd tell Mirio and Eri the truth about it, along with the rest of their friends.
Odds were, their teachers already knew, but for the sake of the festival they were keeping quiet about it. Izuku thought of such when he found Aizawa-sensei by the food stands. His ever-tired eyes briefly locked with Izuku and Mina. A silent and short nod was something of a confirmation of what they thought, and it told them that they were free to keep on enjoying the festival.
Izuku was more than happy to pay for their food, including those of Uraraka and Asui. The latter of whom Izuku actually succeeded at remembering to call her Tsu as she'd wanted.
It was a delicious break and snack. In fact, it was all so good Izuku chose not to ruin it by going into the haunted house exhibit.
"You know, I think I'm going to pass this one up too." Mirio declared. Izuku searched his face for any sign of fear; he couldn't find any. He didn't know if Mirio was that good at hiding it or if he genuinely wasn't afraid of anything in there. If it was the latter than Izuku already high respect for his senpai grew. "Eri, you don't have to go in if you don't want to."
It was clear she wasn't thrilled at the notion. She looked at the decently decorated haunted house with naked apprehension. Truth be told, it probably wasn't for the best she went in.
"Then I guess I'll be going in alone, Pinky the Acid Heroine braves the dangerous haunted house." Mina declared. Spinning around she shot each of the three a confident grin. "Don't worry, guys, I'll be back in no time! I've been to dozens of haunted houses before so no biggy!"
"True, but have you ever been to a U.A. haunted house, Ashido?" Mirio kind-heartedly jabbed.
"This'll be my first." The acidic girl replied with her voice and face still brimming with confidence. She turned to Izuku. In a breath she walked over and gave him a short hug.
"Sure you don't want me to go with you?" He whispered to her.
"Hey, I know you're not a fan of scary stuff, so I won't force you to go. Besides, places like this are more my thing." Mina responded. "Just be here when I get back."
"Always." Izuku laughed. He got another peck on the cheek, then watched as his girlfriend became one of the many entering the haunted house.
"She's an incredible girl, Midoriya." Mirio said. "I'd say she's a good match for you."
"She's nice, really nice." Eri added. She was watching the entrance with a tiny smile like she was expecting Mina to come back any second. She would, eventually. "I've never met someone with bent horns like her, or pink skin, or black and yellow eyes."
"Yeah, she's…one of a kind. I think that's a reason why I…like her so much." Izuku confessed.
"So, how'd you two really get together?" Mirio asked with a grin.
Izuku was flabbergasted. Was he really going to start up this conversation while Eri was here? She was too young for relationship talk! "I-I-I-I, u-um, w-w-well, y-you see…th-t-there was a…mix up. M-M-My notebooks ended up getting mixed up with hers and she…well…she…read some of the notes I took about my…classmates. Including her." Mirio nodded, indicating he was eagerly eating up the story. He wasn't alone as Eri was leaning in close to hear the details as well. They were really doing this. "I…well, I've always thought she was a pretty girl. I wrote down in my entries about her, including how I thought her Quirk was cool and where it could be improved on."
"You know, you're one of those people who could probably do well in the Support Class. They're good with finer details like that." Mirio noted. "So, she basically found out how you liked her from reading your notes? And you didn't notice the mix up for a little while?"
"The thing is I…kind of did once I got back to my dorm room. It's just by then it seemed a little late to go and get them back." He thought about telling them how scared he was once he realized what had happened, but Izuku decided against it. Maybe that sort of info was best saved for another time. Or best left revealed to someone else. "When we met back up the next day, she returned them, and apologized for reading them. Well, one thing led to another and-"
"AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"
The chorus of screams blended together into one bone-chilling howl of terror that grabbed everyone's attention. All eyes turned to the haunted house where the voices had came from. Several shook their head, having seen this coming; it was a haunted house, so what was there to be surprised about? Maybe it was the volume of the shout. It was said one could tell how scared a person was based on how loudly they screamed. If so, then the occupants of the haunted house were undoubtedly scared witless based on their scream.
An analysis reinforced as the current group practically sprinted out the doors, each of them looking terrified. Izuku only focused on one person.
"Min-"
"Izukaaaaa!" Wailed the future heroine as she threw herself into her boyfriend's arms. Caught utterly off-guard he fell onto his backside, holding and comforting her. "I was so freakin' scared in there! Mirio, you were right, U.A.'s haunted houses are different! They're way worse!"
The third-year laughed as his kohai attempted to comfort his girlfriend. "Guess it's a good thing we don't go in, huh, Eri?"
She nodded, yet she looked back at the moderately decorated house. "Yeah, I am glad." Eri's grip on Mirio's shoulder tightened; it was minor, but he felt it. "But…one day, maybe I can try to go into one myself."
"Heh, when you do, make sure you go with a buddy. It's dangerous, so don't go alone like Mina tried to." He advised. His blue eyes drifted back to his green-haired friend, who was still comforting his all-pink girlfriend. It could have been his imagination, but Mirio could have sworn Izuku actually looked to be enjoying the moment. He didn't blame him.
This was definitely the kind of thing that helped build relationships.
Izuku was more than happy to hold Eri when the results of the beauty pageant came and Nejire was revealed to be the winner. He was happy that she won herself, after all, he'd voted for her. As it happened, his girlfriend had too so they were all left pretty happy with the results. That went for a majority of the crowd as well. Given how big Nejire's victory was, it was safe to say a majority of people had voted for her.
Mirio had told them that Nejire hadn't been able to win the last two years, but fortune finally smiled upon her.
"She was just herself this time." He whispered to them while his closest female friend was giving her acceptance speech. "Last year, she tried, but she wasn't quite being herself. I think that's why she won this year."
"I wonder why she didn't do that before." Mina wondered alone. "Who she is at her core, she's a wonderful person."
Their conversation sent Izuku down a short tunnel into his own thoughts. Just herself…just…being who you are. He quietly wondered. Sometimes it was easy to be yourself, and sometimes it wasn't. For him, life had been the latter up until…it wasn't. Aside from his Quirkless past, Izuku hadn't exactly tried to hide everything about him; really, it was almost impossible given the kind of person he was. Still, people had accepted him. Casting a quick glance at Mina, he felt his cheeks burn at the thought of acceptance leading outright into romance. It was a crazy thought, one that he'd never had until a few days ago.
"Deku," whispered the white-haired girl in his arms. "Are you…thinking about yourself?"
He was genuinely taken back by how perspective Eri was. Either that or he was just being that obvious about his emotions.
"I…am. Let's just say that I know what it feels like trying to be someone else instead of being yourself. It can be tough." He answered her.
"I like you better as you are. You're one of the people who saved me, so…I think you're a great person. I don't know who else you could be, and…a part of me doesn't want you to be anyone else. So…could you just…stay Deku? Stay the person I know now?"
After hearing that, he was definitely leaning more toward the latter option. Eri reminded her a little of him.
Looking into her light red eyes, he found himself filled with that same sense of joyful pride as he had when Eri told him she loved Class 1-A's performance.
The person I am now. Izuku found himself repeating. "I…I'll do that, Eri. The person I am now…I'm…pretty happy with it too." He affirmed. Eri smiled, then went back to watching the rest of Nejire's speech. All the contestants were on stage, bowing and basking in the collective applause the audience had to give them. Each of them had earned, not just Nejire.
-O-
Once light blue turned to bright orange that grew darker with each passing second. As the day did, the festival began to wind down with visitors departing one by one. Cleanup quietly began in their absence. Izuku's group passed some of it on their way to the front gate, where separation awaited.
Temporary separation though.
Mina hung a step back, watching the emotional scene between her boyfriend at the little girl who he'd gone to hell and back to rescue. It was clear that she didn't want to leave one of her saviors, but Eri knew that she had to. Again, the separation would hopefully only be temporary. Mina was honestly hoping that as well since she'd grown to like the little, white-horned girl too and would have loved to see more of her. She knew that the same likely went for most of Class 1-A too, not just her and her boyfriend.
"Thanks for coming today, I loved it, and I'm sure everyone else did too." Izuku declared, being the first one to break the ice between the two of them.
Eri only made a small sound, her gaze slated toward the ground. Thankfully, it wasn't completely marred in despair, but it was clear the little girl was being weighed down by her thoughts. She was trying to find the strength to voice them.
"One more thing," The superpowered teenager called as he leaned down and held something up. Mina and Mirio's eyes widened as they gazed upon the scarlet-red apple held up on a stick. They immediately knew what it was, and in Mina's case it made her stomach growl just a little. Her heart meanwhile was squealing in joy. "Got a surprise for you."
"A candy apple?! From where? I couldn't find any!" Mirio yelled.
"Neither could I! And I actually went looking for one!" Mina added. "Now that I think about it, kind of surprising that we didn't have a candy apple stand."
"When I looked around and saw no one was selling them, I wondered what if I made my own. I bought some ingredients when I went out this morning." Izuku explained.
"So that's what else were in the bags." His girlfriend whispered. She was happy and impressed. That's Izuku, always thinking ahead and of other people.
"It was actually easier to make than I thought it would be. The only thing I couldn't find was food coloring, but Saito had plenty!"
"Ahh, so you're a pastry chef in the making! Izuku, I'm so proud of you!" Mina shouted while throwing her arms around him. She didn't mind if he neglected to fix any tasty treat for her. Just learning that he might have had a budding talent for cooking was enough. Not to mention she couldn't help but be proud of him. When it came to the people he cared about he really did go above and beyond. "This explains what you were doing when you slipped away for a little bit."
"Sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to surprise Eri." He explained.
"I'd say you succeeded at that one, buddy." Mirio remarked. "Like Mina said, you might be a pastry chef in the making!"
"I-I don't know if I'd go that far." He nervously laughed.
"Ahem." Aizawa-sensei spoke up. He'd let them have their moment, but it seemed it was time to step back in. "It's getting late, but you all should be able to see her again."
"Hmmm. It's the best thing ever! Thank you, Deku!" Eri proclaimed.
Izuku's felt that joyous pride again. Mina again hugged him, giggling alongside Mirio. "Hahaha! I'll make them again! So you'll have something to look forward to! And Miriro, I promise I'll make one for you too!"
"Great! I'm pretty hyped to see what they taste like myself!" In a bold move, the older boy stepped forward and brought his younger counterpart into a light hug. Izuku immediately returned it. "Make sure to take care of yourself, and keep up with your studies! Mina, it was great meeting you."
"Same! I'm looking forward to seeing you again. And you too, Eri." Mina responded, her gaze falling upon the single-horned girl.
"Yeah! I want to see you again too, Mina! Your horns...could my horn ever be like yours?"
Giggling, she leaned down and reached out her right pinky. "We'll find out in the future. We'll definitely meet again and have tons of fun like we did today. Pinky promise?" Smiling, the younger girl reached out and laced her right pinky around Mina's. It was a promise made and sealed.
The couple watched the four depart, each of them silhouetted by the sunset. Side by side, they turned and looked back at U.A. Once a beehive of activity, it was now much quieter. Cleanup was still going on, but it too would begin to wind down as students and faculty alike began to turn in for the night. It'd undoubtedly been a fun and exciting day. That was especially true for the awkward but loving couple.
Izuku felt his cheeks burning, yet he remained perfectly calm at Mina leaning against his shoulder. She had her right arm wrapped around his waist while he had his left wrapped around hers. The tranquil euphoria that surged about within him was almost too much to be described in words. It was a good thing he wasn't trying to talk then; all he did and wanted to do was just enjoy the moment. While he knew there was still much evil out there in the world and the future was still uncertain…he felt happy. He felt like the world was, if only for a few hours, a day even, at peace.
"Hey, Izuku," Came his girlfriend's voice.
"Hmm?" The constant burning turned into a massive blaze. Mina's kiss had turned the bonfire into a city-spanning blaze. It swept through Izuku, temporarily paralyzing him, but quickly spurring him into action, bold action. He kissed her back. His arms slowly slid up and circled around her backside; he held her just as she held him by the waist. Izuku felt her tongue softly pressing against his. With growing boldness, he pushed back against her. She took that as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. Her sweet moans filled his ears. Feeling further encouragement, Izuku pressed his tongue, even pushing it into her mouth. Mina's moans grew louder, and he felt her whole body practically shivering against him. The shivering continued when they broke their kiss. They were out of breath, yet they still held each other in their arms.
Looking into Mina's oddly gorgeous eyes filled Izuku with a desire to kiss her again. The short breaths he'd taken were enough for him, enough for him to dive back in. By the time he realized he'd actually done that, it was too late to stop. Mina clearly didn't mind the second kiss, quite the opposite. He felt her soft hand gently gliding up his cheek to his green and black hair. She pressed him against her; their second kiss quickly reached the same level as their previous one. And they were left just as breathless when it ended.
U.A. completely faded from them, albeit its existence quietly edged its way back with the sounds of cleanup and the rustle of the evening wind. Izuku's focus was on Mina, and hers was on him.
"Thank you for today, Izuku. I had an awesome time." She giggled.
He found his voice. "Y-Y-Y-You're w-w-welcome, M-M-Mina. W-Wait, y-you mean you enjoyed…everything? Including…this morning?"
"Mmm, let's see, I got to fight my first supervillain alongside my boyfriend. Then I had an absolutely awesome time at a school festival, all thanks to you~" He was somewhat ready for when she kissed him. Izuku returned the kiss, savoring it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as long as their previous two, but he enjoyed it, and so did Mina. "I'm so happy that you're my boyfriend, Izuku. You're a great guy, and as I've seen in Eri, a real hero."
Izuku's eyes bulged. "W-W-W-What? M-M-M-Me? A-A-A real hero?"
Mina nodded. "Kirishima told me she was a nervous wreck after everything she'd been through, but you and Mirio went through hell to save her. I didn't see a scared little girl today, I hung out with a girl was finally able to enjoy life, and I know it was thanks to you."
Her words petrified the freckle-faced teen. Izuku could only stare at Mina in slack-jawed awe at her words. While it hadn't been the first time he'd been called a "true hero" for what he'd done for Eri, it hit differently coming from Mina. A lot of things he was semi-used to hearing seemed different when spoken by her; it was because she'd became someone special to him. Someone very special. She had more power than almost anyone else to either crush his spirit or uplift it; as atypical of Mina, she went for the latter. Izuku could count on both his hands the number of people who'd done that.
With her though, there was something else he could do that he couldn't do with other people.
"Mmmmmmmhhh~" It could be argued Mina wasn't too surprised at the kiss. The only thing she was surprised at was how short it was. Once it ended, she felt Izuku bury his face in the crux of her neck. She heard a silent but heartfelt whispering of "thank you" coming from her boyfriend. Mina hugged him even harder. Izuku, she found herself thinking. Your dream of being a hero…someone shot it down, didn't they? An image of Bakugo appeared in her mind. The unease and even anger she felt toward the explosive blond was brief. She didn't want to dwell on it too long, she didn't want it to taint this obvious heartfelt moment she was sharing with her boyfriend.
Like she said, it'd been a great day, and she had him to thank for it. Mina knew that more awaited them, and she was eagerly looking forward to them with all of her heart.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
Putting the book down, she reached for her phone and checked the caller ID. A heavy-hearted sigh escaped Mina's lips before they curved into a smile. "Hey, Mitsuomi."
"Little sis! How was the school festival? Did you have fun with you boyfriend?"
Whatever joy Mina had felt build up within her evaporated. Sitting bolt up, she felt a hundred things running through her mind, struggling to force their way out of her mouth. Inevitably, it made her brother burst into laughter. He hadn't held back on his little secret, the undoubtable real reason for calling her.
"Hahahahaha! So it's true, that dorky-looking guy really was you boyfriend! Gotta say, Mina, you sure do know how to pick 'em! Seriously, it's hard to believe he's the same guy who made such a splash at the Sports Festival!" Spoke her older brother through his resounding laughter.
At the mention of Izuku, Mina found her bearings again. Shaking her head in annoyance even though her brother couldn't see it, she put up her usual defiant front. "Izuku's a multi-faceted guy."
"And that's part of his charm, right?" Mitsuomi coyly retorted.
"Well, yeah, it is. There's nothing wrong with that. A person doesn't have to be a monolith, that's being boring." Mina explained. What she didn't say was that She found Izuku's dorkiness part of his charm. It didn't take away from the type of person he was, kind, selfless, and reliable. "So, I'm guessing you were there at the festival. Gee, why didn't you show your face?"
There was a short laugh from his end. "Because you were having fun with your boyfriend and those other two." Mina's eyes widened. She recognized that tone of her brother's. It was his honesty voice. Mina's normally pink cheeks darkened. "Yeah…I was. It was a date of ours."
"Featuring two other people, including a little kid?" He questioned. She could almost see him raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, even so, we count it as a date. We had a lot of dun, and I'm hoping you and Chiya had fun on your date." She knew that her brother had brought his girlfriend to the School Festival. He told her that he'd be coming with his girlfriend. Honestly, Mina was actually looking forward to seeing his brother's girlfriend again. Chiya Barrett was a cool and strong girl, she had to be to put up with her brother; she'd done it for going on two years now.
"We did." He happily replied. "She recorded the whole show. Definitely one of the best concerts that she'd ever been to, and me too. Heh, your boyfriend's got some strength to have been able to do all that jumping and swinging. Then again, I remember seeing him at the Sports Festival. Guy's got one hell of a strength-boosting Quirk."
"As far as physical strength goes, he's the best in the whole class!" Mina proudly proclaimed. She had ever intention of gloating about her boyfriend to her family when the opportunity presented itself. That seemed to be happening now, the night of the School Festival. Not quite what she'd expected, but Mina knew how to roll with the unexpected.
"So, he's strong and dorky. Huh, can't wait to meet the squirt!" Mitsuomi laughed. "When are you bringing him home to meet the rest of the family?"
"Urgh, I was hoping to have about a month to myself, Mitsuomi." Mina groaned.
"A month? How long have you two been dating?"
"None of your business."
"Nope! As your big brother, I demand to know how long you and that talking seaweed-headed kid have been dating!"
"Screw you! I'm not telling you that! You can wait until I bring him home!" See, it wasn't that Mina hated her family, far from it. She loved them from the depths of her heart. Her parents, and…including her brothers. It wasn't easy being the middle child, or the only girl between two boys. Her older brother could be a condescending jerk, and her little brother could be a little gremlin. He was the direct opposite of Eri; maybe one reason why she liked the girl was because she'd been a breath of fresh air from her little brother.
Her older brother was quiet, something that slightly unnerved her. As much as a pain as her brother was, he wasn't stupid. Oh no, he took after their mom in being the "smart one". It was all but certain that he was going to be going to college on a chem scholarship. Needless to say, this had made him something of the pride of the family, alongside Mina that was. He had no desire to be a hero, that wish had been fostered in Mina and she'd chosen to pursue it. That wasn't to say that her older brother didn't have it in him to don the same. He had a sharp eye, which he often used for chemical formulas and equations. Mitsuomi could use it to analyze people too.
"Look, can we just…wait a little bit for that? I gotta prepare him for the Ashido Family."
"You know, you're better off bringing him to us early. After all, what if you two get knee-deep in the relationship, then it all goes bust because he can't handle our quirky little family." Her brother playfully retorted.
Mina hated to admit it, but he had a bit of a point. That type of scenario would be a bummer.
What the…wait a minute! This is Izuku! He can so handle my family! Mom and dad will love him, Mitsuomi seems to be on the road to accepting him! And Michirou… "Eh, I'm sure Izuku can handle him."
"By him, you mean Michirou? Oh, I'm sure he'll love the dork! I mean, I've heard some stories about him, Deku, right? Guy's got guts."
"Hell yeah, he does. He's got it all, guts, heart, strength, and a kind heart." Mina triumphantly affirmed.
"Ahhh, so do I get a same in naming my first nephew? Or niece?"
"Gaaah! Hey! Hey! That was uncalled for! Besides, I'm the one who should be asking that with how touchy-feely you and Chiya can get!"
"Feel like asking us for pointers? I can start here, make sure to use prot-"
"We know!" Mina shouted. Normally, she was a tease, but she had to admit some of what she knew she'd learned from her brother. And her mom and dad. Hell, apparently she came from a family of teases. It certainly explained a bit about her own behavior. "Look, we aren't anywhere near at that level yet. So far we're only at kissing…lots of kissing."
"Huh, makes sense. That kid seems like the type who might faint after a kiss or two." Her brother chuckled.
"Well, you're not too far off. Izuku certainly seems like that type of person who'd do that, but he didn't."
"Details, little sister."
"Nope. I've got studying to do." There was a short pause from the other end. Mina knew she had to speak before the laughter came. "Seriously, I am studying. Izuku's been helping me."
"Yep, he's a nerd."
"Yes, he is, but he's my cute, lovable, and dependable nerd." Mina proudly affirmed.
There was a pause on the other end that left her wondering what her brother was thinking. She knew quite a picture of Izuku had been painted in Mitsuomi's mind, but the finer details were missing. Mitsuomi knew that and wanted those finer details so the picture could be completed. He was going to complete that picture, no matter what. Mina knew she couldn't stop that.
When she got in touch with her parents and told them about Izuku, they'd certainly want a whole picture too. The same thing went for Michirou; he'd keep on bugging her until she got to meet Izuku in person. She was confident that Izuku would be able to handle him, after all, he was a little bit of a hero nerd like him. They might even end up hitting it off.
Mina didn't quite know how to feel about that. Was she happy? Worried? Some mixture of both?
"Wow, you're thinking, aren't you? You and this guy must be serious." Sounded her brother's voice.
Mina puffed out her cheeks. "Like I said, I've got some studying to do. Goodnight, bro." Contrary to her words, she didn't immediately hang up. For whatever reason, she subjected herself to hearing his booming laughter. It wasn't like she hadn't heard it a thousand times before. She waited for it to recede before speaking. "Hey, Mitsuomi, I'm…glad you had fun. We put a lot of work into this year's festival."
"It showed, and I'm happy you guys pulled it off." Just like before when he praised how happy she and Izuku looked, his voice was sincere. This was the Mitsuomi who dropped the sibling-warranted mocking and humor in favor of honesty and love. "Mina, I'm sure you heard some of the rumors floating around about you guys. Class 1-A, you guys have had a pretty rough year."
"We have, we've definitely had our ups and downs." She'd always known that becoming a hero wouldn't be easy. Nothing worth doing was ever easy, but Mina was ready for adversary. Her readiness had been put to the test as well as her classmates'. That was infinitely true for Izuku. "It's not like we went out looking for trouble, it just…found us. Still, we always made it through none the worse for wear. Granted we always tended to make a scene."
"That's what happens when you're the universe seems intent on throwing curveball after curveball at you. You guys have hit it out of the park, but it's only normal that took attention away from others." For as much as Mitsuomi loved teasing her, and Michirou, he never liked hearing or seeing anyone put them down. It was a sign that he genuinely loved them. "After the show though, their opinions turned around. It was kind of incredible to see. This is the last time I'm going to say it tonight, Mina, but you guys did a great job today."
Those earnest words of praise made Mina's heart flutter in joy. "I'm happy to hear that, Mitsuomi. Seriously…that means a lot."
"You're welcome…now, about that Deku kid, or shall I say, Izuku Midoriya." The familiar tone crept back into his voice. Mina found herself laughing at it. They'd officially had their heartfelt moment, so it was now back to bickering business as usual. "When are you going to bring him over to meet the rest of the family?"
"Don't know. Hey, here's something to consider, we may end up going to go meet his mom first. Let her know." Mina said. Truth be told, she was actually curious to meet Izuku's mom. She'd primarily raised him while his dad had been working overseas. What would she think of her? What was she like? "How'd you feel about that?"
"Eh, it's cool, just as long as we get to meet him before Christmas."
"Christmas, huh? That'd be a good time. I mean we'd have been dating for a few-"
"Nope! As your big brother, I demand to see your current boyfriend before you two pass the one month mark!"
"My life, Mitsuomi!" The pink-skinned Ashido playfully shouted back. "Look, I'll talk to him about it, but we're going to have another week to ourselves! Just us!"
"Here's hoping nothing crazy happens to you guys. Seriously, as your brother I take your word for it, but from the stories I hear you guys sound like you're fighting villains every other day or week." Responded her normal-skinned brother.
"Oh, that's just people talking." Granted, we really do seem to attract villain attention or end up fighting villains even when we're not supposed to be. The incident on I-Island came to mind. She'd been so bummed she hadn't been able to go, and now that she was dating Izuku she was even more sad about it. As per usual, her classmates had gotten swept up in some villain-based mayhem. As per usual, Izuku had seemingly been at the heart of it. Pulling out of her inner thoughts, she decided that now was the best time to end the conversation and get back to studying. "Alright, feel like we can call it a night?"
"Yeah, I'm a little drained too. Still, can't believe you're studying on a night like tonight. That guy must really be something." Mitsuomi chuckled. "Alright, signing off. Night, little sis."
"Night, Mitsuomi." The call ended and like that Mina was alone in the quiet solidity of her dorm room. Looking down, Mina found herself staring at her legs, her still legs. Normally, she'd have been moving, walking down the hallway or back to her own room. Instead, she was already in her room, except it wasn't her home.
Holding her phone over her chest Mina laid back and stared at the ceiling. The aftermath of the festival had been something of a rush of its own. A quiet rush to be precise. Cleanup continued, albeit there was significantly less to do since it'd already started early and picked up once the festival began to die down. Everyone was talking about how well it'd gone, what they'd done and seen. Overall, the School Festival had been a smashing success.
And none of the students knew how close it all came to being canceled.
For Mina, it was crazy to think that the day had started off with her and Izuku encountering a supervillain duo who planned on staging a filmed break-in at U.A. Seriously, they chose today of all days? Either they'd known about the School Festival or coincidence was a hell of a funny thing. Luckily, they'd been there to stop them, and Izuku had recognized the man, Gentle Criminal. She supposed it was also a good thing that he wasn't a super strong villain, but his Quirk was annoying as hell. Luckily, her Acid Quirk was able to overcome it, and Izuku's super strength and speed were enough to bring him down. The two of them made for a good team…and Mina had to admit the redheaded girl Gentle had with him had been a good teammate to him.
No, she hadn't just been a partner to him, she'd been in love with him. Mina recognized that towards the end as she watched her do everything in her power to save the gentleman crook. It'd actually hurt her a little having to restrain her, but Mina knew if she didn't something could go wrong, the festival could end up being canceled. Her anger at the two intermixed with pity, the former fading as the day wore on. Most of it had evaporated when they were led away by the teaching staff after she and Izuku finally subdued them.
She remembered the look in his eyes, how his demeanor had subtly changed as Gentle all but aired out his passion. It was weird, but then again Mina knew Izuku was a weird guy. He was also a guy who seemed quietly hellbent on pursuing his dreams, noble as they were.
Lying back in her bed, she found herself wondering what had led Izuku to becoming like that. Where had his determination came from? Was it innate? Had someone inspired it in him? All Might immediately came to mind. He was at the heart of a lot of Izuku's motivation, and his…well, a lot of things about him. Including his moves.
For the umpteenth time, she found herself wondering exactly what was the relationship between the two of them? How had it started? He'd definitely taken him on as a persona apprentice; she could see a little bit of it considering their Quirks were so alike.
"Ooooh! Maybe one day he'll tell me. Maybe if I just come out and ask him, he'd definitely tell me." The pink-haired girl squealed. Sitting up, she looked all around her, at the notes that her boyfriend had provided for her. One innocent comment and her Izuku was racing around, giving her his written notes for her to use. "My Izuku," she verbally repeated.
As she'd told her brother, they'd only been together for a few days, but those few days she'd been happy. She'd also had a shot of excitement the likes of which she craved.
"Our first fight as a battle couple. Here's hoping we have more in the future." Her giggle turned into a yawn. Bit by bit exhaustion from the day's festivities was catching up with her. Mina was sure it was the same for her classmates and her boyfriend. She was willing to bet some of them were already asleep. It wouldn't be a bad idea to join them; after all, they did have classes tomorrow. "Hope you have a good sleep, Izuku, you've definitely earned it."
In a continuation of the last few days, the last person she thought of her green-haired classmate, now her boyfriend.
"…So, what do you think?"
Smirking, the spiky-haired man leaned forward and took another look at the multitude of files that lay atop the table. It was the third time that he'd looked them over.
His prior experience in the U.S. Special Forces showed in the analytical way he looked over the file again. One benefit of to going freelancer was being able to pick and choose your own jobs. It was a freedom that Darren Straddler quite enjoyed. Still, he was happy for his twelve years in the service, they'd taught him all he needed to know to be a professional mercenary, not to mention Darren had to admit that they were pretty funny.
He was sure that his former comrades would be appealed with him now. Fighting and safeguarding for freedom and justice, such as the poetic and often expressed mission of the United States military. Darren had met several who genuinely believed that, others, not so much. As for him? Well, he'd never been a believer himself, but he liked to serve, and he liked the action. He'd always been something of a doer, always looking for something that would put his physical abilities to the test. The greater the challenge, the more excited he was.
Again, going freelance had allowed for him to challenge himself without limitation.
Across from his, his partner took a seep of his beer and leaned back. The Japanese man was supremely confident that his partner was going to say yes. After all, this was way too good an opportunity to pass up.
"It's been a while since you've been back home, Gakuto. Feeling a little nostalgic in going back?" The American asked with a slight grin. It revealed one of his four sharpened canines.
The blue-haired psychic shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe a little. I'll admit, quite a lot has happened back home. Maybe some of it is calling me back. Heh, sadly, I won't be able to see Chisaki. It's a little heartbreaking to hear what happened to him, then again, I can't help but find it ironic."
"Damn right it's ironic, some would say it's fitting." The redheaded American affirmed while taking a swing of his drink. Thanks to Gakuto he'd gotten pretty well acquainted with the Japanese criminal underworld, including what remained of the organized crime wing. That wing was all but dead now that Overhaul was armless and in prison. Darren couldn't say he was too broken up about it, not like his compatriot. He did agree with him that what befell Overhaul was nothing short of irony. "Gakuto, if we do this, there's a chance that we might run into Shigaraki."
A nonchalant shrug came from the former Japanese gangster. "If we do, we do. I don't particularly relish the idea of fighting him, but given his mental instability, my Quirk should be enough to take him out."
"Or keep him immobilized long enough for me to bite his head off." Even before going into the military, he knew that taking a shot at the head was the fastest way to bring someone down, either lethally or nonlethally. Speed was always key, and sometimes so too was the element of surprise. The latter had been what did in Overhaul. "Alright, I say we do it. How hard could it be to wrangle the kid in? Sure, he's strong, but he's still got a ways' to go before he's potentially on All Might's level."
"The general goal is he's taken out before he gets there. The last thing the villainous world needs is another All Might, albeit the kid's on the road to being that. Which is exactly why our client has asked us to take him out before he reaches the halfway point."
"Kid's moving there fast." The American admitted. He may have cast aside almost all of his morals, but he could still give respect where it was due. Darren hadn't met Izuku Midoriya, but from what was in his file, the kid was worthy of respect. "So, Gakuto, what's the plan? Based on this, he's one of those selfless do-gooder types. We start a fire and he'll come running with a water hose."
"That he will, but subduing him won't be easy, even if you use a set of poisonous jaws. He's a smart kid so the second he catches a whiff of your venom or sees your transformation, he'll put two and two together."
Darren quietly nodded in agreement. He was rightfully proud of his skills, but all it took was one slip up for a trained professional to find their career abruptly ended, sometimes their life too. He'd seen that happen to more than a few of his peers and had no intention of allowing the same to happen to him.
Izuku Midoriya may have only been a kid, a freshman at U.A. but he'd been through his trial by fire several times. The boy had earned the right to be called a threat; the very fact that they were having a discussion about him was proof that the boy was dangerous…and useful. After all, he was carrying a power that had been accumulating for little over two-hundred years. The kid had just scratched the surface of what he could do, or what anyone could do with the power of One for All.
The prospect of stealing it brought a grin to the former soldier's face. "Get on the phone to Konishi."
Chuckling, the Japanese mercenary held up a phone, the ring already going off. It ended as the call was picked up on the other end. Within seconds the conversation had begun. Darren stood up and walked over to the window. Gakuto was the one with the far eastern connections, thus when it came to setting up jobs in that area, he handled the finer details. Of course, Darren was capable of doing so too, but his blue-haired partner was better at business than him. Supposed that came from his background in the criminal underworld whereas he'd always been a soldier. A well accomplished soldier at that with a box full of medals.
Oh, how the people who'd given him those medals would weep at seeing him now, and what he was about to do.
His reflection intermixed with the view of the city streets below. Seemed like another quiet night in the Big Apple. He had to admit, he liked New York City. Maybe it appealed to his Quirk-influenced nature, he was a beast, and a beast was at home in the wild where it was free to hunt. New York City was a wonderful hunting ground, one that he'd be happy to come back to after this latest trip was wrapped up.
Izuku Midoriya, that prior costume of yours made you look like a rabbit. You sure as hell jump around like one. The question is, will you be fast enough to outrun me? The ex-soldier thought with another swig of his bear.
"It's all set!" Shouted his partner. "We've got a flight to Japan tomorrow at two."
"Heh, someone's not wasting any time. Well, the quicker we touch down, the sooner we can start the hunt!"
He heard Gakuto laughing. "Just make sure not to forget anything important. Depending on how this goes, we may be in Japan for a while. Especially if we manage to pull this off."
Darren knew if their job went ludicrously well, they'd definitely be staying in Japan for a while. After all, from what he heard All for One was hellbent on ruling the world from his native homeland. Not that he had a problem with that. So long as he had a lively hunting ground, he could make do with any circumstances.
I suppose in the end I couldn't help myself. So far, barring the encounter with Gentle this story's been pretty lacking in action and generally geared more toward fluff and romance. Believe me, I was tempted to keep that going from start to finish, but when I sat upon a certain thing for this story, I decided to inject a little more action in beyond the battle with Gentle. As for what that certain something is, well, you all will have to wait and see, but I foreshadowed it this chapter with Mina's inner thoughts. Pretty sure you all can guess.
In the meantime, I hope I did the School Festival some justice. I chose not to write out the full thing and focus on some exerts. One in particular was the haunted house segment. While Izuku would be smart enough not to chance it, Mina was canonically shown having gone in, and getting the living daylights scared out of her. Made for a great moment for her to jump into Izuku's arms. Things turned out pretty well for him, huh?
Originally, I had some thoughts about including Mina's family members in, having Izuku and Mina meet them while at the festival. Since I wanted to keep the focus on the primary couple and Eri and Mirio, I decided not to. Mitsuomi was there, but he chose to remain unseen showing he values his little sister's happiness. From what I've read, a lot of fans and writers like giving Mina a hyperactive family complete with one or two bickering siblings. It was fun writing that and I'm looking forward to writing Izuku meeting the rest of Mina's family. Of course, I'm also going to include her meeting Izuku's mom, Mina did bring that up in-story. I read a charming little story not too long ago that featured Mina meeting her, and promptly discovering as usual the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.
All that in addition to the little surprise I've got waiting in store. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be out next week and feature the plot moving in a more serious direction! Until then, take care readers!