"Prepare yourself!"

ZWOOM*

"Die 1,000 deaths! YAHHH!"
*POWPOWPOWPOWPOW*

POW*

"Metsu!"

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK*

"Yoooo!" Haya answered to the knocks on her door, her gaze remaining on her TV as said door quickly flew open and closed shut. Pausing the video game she currently played and turning on the large bean bag that she sat on the floor with she was greeted with the sight of Hado scurrying towards her friend's bed and sitting on the edge of it with knees tucked into her stomach, a wide-eyed expression of question on her face as if she had no idea on what to do about something. "So what's gotten into you? You look like you just saw Eraserhead give a genuine smile."

"I...I need your help on something, Yuyu." Hado answered. "Something's happened within the last few days aaaaaaand, I just I don't, I-I don't know anymore I just need you to help me out here please."

"That being?"

"Whew okay, do you remember how you told me that I should tell Midoriya that he and I are just friends and nothing else?"

"Yeahhhhh?" Haya replied with a tilt of her head. "Is he giving you trouble? Because if he is I can walk right over to his dorm right now and-"

"NO no, no he's not giving me any trouble he's not the issue. Well, sorta-JUST listen please. So that day, I uh, I actually didn't tell him because of what happened with that other guy and him pushing Midoriya down the stairs and all. I don't know I just...couldn't, really bring myself to doing so. I felt so, weird and, fluttery inside it's something that I've never felt before. I know that for the sake of me wanting us to continue being friends I should have because I don't want us to stop talking or hanging out but, it was hard to think about that sort of thing so I just pushed it down so I could tell him another time.

But then that same night I, I had this weird dream that I can't stop thinking about ever since it happened. There was this dance in our dorm and everybody was there, Midoriya was there too but he was outside so I went to go get him. Then we came inside to the dance and we started dancing and everything was so fun. Then this weird light sort of came out of nowhere and all of a sudden I was on the roof, and the weird part is it felt like I was on the roof the whole time I was never downstairs in the common area where the dance was going on. It's just so...weird. Anyways Midoriya comes up soon after and we talk about stars at first but that's not important, what's important is what came soon after when I sprung the fact that I knew how he felt about me.

Then he goes into detail about why he felt the way he felt and, at the very end of it he talks about how none of it would even matter since there would never be anything between us in the first place. Out of nowhere I tell him that he was wrong and now it's ME giving an explanation as to why I could have reason for liking somebody like him. I call him sweet, thoughtful, CUTE I mean where did this even come from I don't understand. Then we started hugging each other but it wouldn't be that long of a hug since everything started to become bright and I woke up soon after. I know it sounds weird and confusing but, that's just how it is for me. Weird and confusing.

Then yesterday, after my hair got cut and he came to my room to see how I was doing, I can't stop thinking about what he said to me even though it's something I've been told many times before. You know I've had guys call me pretty and sometimes even beautiful before it's nothing new to hear that from somebody, but, for some reason when it comes to Midoriya it DOES feel new. It DOES feel like it's something that I'm hearing for the first time in my life and now, I can't stop feeling this fluttery sensation that's been inside my tummy. It feels weird but, it's like a good kind of weird, putting it strangely. I don't...I don't know what to think about all this."

Hado sighed as she looked down at the floor with eyebrows lowered in thought, trying to form her own solution to the equation while she waited for her friend to come up with an answer. An answer was given not in the form of words but rather a snort leading into a chuckle, glancing towards Haya to see her covering her mouth and laughing with her shoulders bobbing. "What?"

"Ohhhhhh Nejire, Nejire Nejire Nejire. You are so clueless it makes a perfect crime scene look sloppy." Haya said. "You really don't know what's going on with you? Really?"

"No."

"REALLY really?"

"Am I supposed to? Why are you making it sound like it's something completely obvious?"

"Because it is, well actually now that I think about it maybe not for you since this is the first time it's happened to you. So maybe it won't be right if I hold it against you too much but regardless, I'm surprised this hasn't struck you as something obvious."

"What hasn't struck me?"

Tossing the controller off to the side Haya rolled backwards and off the bean bag, hopping up to her feet and sitting beside Hado on her left. "So let's break this down for you to digest. The day I advise you to tell him what you two are, you get a dream about you two. And in this said dream you two are dancing having fun having a blast, and it ends with you two hugging it out and saying nice compliments really sweet really wholesome. So THEN you're thinking about this dream right? You're thinking about this dream and you're thinking about why you feel so fluttery and warm and ooey-gooey on the inside. THEEEEEN, you're constantly thinking about what he said to you yesterday and despite it being the same damn thing that every other guy has said to you in the past you can't seem to shake it out of your head and it makes you feel good makes you feel happy.

And even before all of that you couldn't bring yourself to tell him that you two are just going to be friends because of that same fluttery feeling so in reality that's where it all started. So let's put this all together shall we? Fluttery feeling, dream, nonstop thinking about said dream, even more fluttery feeling, nonstop thinking about his comments on your new hair cut, and you're in an endless loop about everything I've just said. Try to put all that together."

"Ummmm..." Hado tilted up to the ceiling as she hummed over her thoughts about what the answer to all of this could be, struggling to form the picture of the puzzle even with all of the pieces in front of her. Eventually she was unable to move enough of the cogs in her brain to come up with an answer, turning to Haya with a blank and confused expression to give a shrug. "Mm-m-mm."

"Hoh goodness, sometimes I wonder if that head of yours is the same as an empty flower pot."

"Huh?"

"Nejire. I'm very confident in saying that despite this being a very sudden development from out of the blue? I'm pretty sure you have a thing for your friendly dorm-hood first year. And by thing, I mean to say that I think you've got feelings for him."

"WHAT?!" Hado exclaimed with a shriek of her voice, her short hair bobbing from the force of her pulling her head back in surprise. Red quickly flushed into her puffy cheeks as her lips sputtered and warbled to find the appropriate words to what was on her mind though with so many words and thoughts crossing through it was difficult to choose just one. So she attempted her hardest and focused on one, just one to properly describe how she felt about it all. "PB-P-P-P-P-PB-PB-P-PBBBBBBT!"

Precisely.

"Nejire come on it's not THAT hard to comprehend and know the fact that it's clear you've got something going for him." Haya stated. "I mean you said it in that dream you had you called him sweet thoughtful and cute right?"

"Well, y-yeahhh but, I didn't really think stuff that's said in a dream would actually be true."

"So you don't feel like what you said was true."

"NO no that's not what I'm saying at all cause it is true you know? He's sweet, and, thoughtful and, c-cute hmph. Really, really cute. But I'm just confused on where this all came from I mean wouldn't I have had thoughts before all of this happened? Like, something that built-up to when I had the dream?"

"Yeah true that could happen but sometimes stuff like this can hit you when you least expect it and when it does well, you kinda gotta roll with it for the better."

Hado scrunched her right cheek. "So, now what do I do? Do I want to go for something more than what we are?"

"That's not exactly something I can answer for you, that's a question you gotta decide on your own terms." Haya answered. "DO, you wanna go for something more than being friends?"

"I mean...hmmmmm. It sounds nice I'll admit that, being in a relationship with somebody like Midoriya does sound like a good thing considering who he is. But, I'm not sure yet."

"Well, do something to help you make sure about what you wanna do, and I got the idea for it."

"What?"

"Invite him to the candy shop tomorrow, I know it's not Friday I know but go there with just the two of you and really think about how you're feeling when you're with him. It's not a date so don't freak out over this thing, just be yourself like you always you are with him only this time you're gonna think about whether you want what's happening to be something more or to stay as is. Once you decide how you feel about it, we'll come back to the drawing board and go from there."

-

DING*

"Have a good day!"

"Wow Senpai, you got a lot of candy today!" Midoriya commented as he and Hado exited from the candy shop with each of them holding their own selection of bagged candy in their left hands. In his right was a green colored soda can, the third year holding a red colored soda can while she brightly beamed at the massive takeaway of today. "That's like two whole pounds of candy!"

"FOUR actually!"

"WHAT?!"

"Haha, yeah I may have gotten a little carried away today not gonna lie. But it was fun though I'm really glad they restocked on all my favorite items." Hado replied as she tucked the massive bag of candy in between her left arm while popping the top of the soda can. "And these perk sodas too these are my favorite! I really like this red one and it's jingle that it comes with."

The top was popped and a heavy swig was quickly downed in a single chug, Hado shuddering at the payload of sugar coursing through her while flexing her right arm. "Reach for Jugger-NOG toniiiiight!"

"Speed, Cola. Speed up, your life. Wait, does this stuff actually make you fast?"

"Hm-hm no silly it's just a part of the jingle that it comes with. I like collecting the cans when I'm done it forms a pretty little rainbow once you put them all together."

Midoriya popped the top of his soda can as the two came to a halt with a group of pedestrians waiting for the crosswalk to give the appropriate signal, throwing his head back and taking a sip from the contents inside. Bringing his head down he winced with an eye shut and a slight spasm from the sugar overload, Hado giggling at the way his upper body crunched into itself and his voice straining through the drink. "Well, if there was anything that was to be sped up in my life right now it's definitely my heart rate *AHEM*. Whoa."

beeep*

"Senpai, how was today with that new hair cut of yours? You didn't feel turtled up about it did you?"

"Mm, I was a little at the beginning of the day." Hado answered as they along with the group of pedestrians began to cross with the exception of one who was unable to detect the change in signals. "But as the day went on I eventually decided eh, it's not such a bad thing you know? And if I don't like it in the long run then I could just let it grow out again. Though, I kinda like this style cut if I'm being honest, it's something new like my friends told me yesterday."

"Well that's good, as long as you didn't feel turtled up about it then that's what matters in the end." Midoriya replied as he couldn't help but turn over his left shoulder and look behind them. "Though if I'm being honest I think that new style suits you just as good...as..."

"Mm?" Hado hummed as she stopped after her junior had paused in the middle of the crosswalk. "Midoriya?"

"U-Uh, here can you hold these please?" The boy asked with his soda and bag of candy held out to Hado. "Just gotta do something real quick."

Confused but still complying with his request Hado took his candy and soda can into her possession while Midoriya quickly made his way back to the sidewalk they just came from, the third year having to move aside the stream of crossing citizens to see what was going on. Her heart thumped strong and she felt the world around her become blurred when she spotted the first year speaking to a short elderly woman with shades over her eyes and a cane angled out in front, also being assumed as hard of hearing due to the manner in which he had to be really close for her to hear him. Words were exchanged between the two and with his hands gently grasping around the woman's right arm, Midoriya slowly guided the elder across the street at a pace that wasn't too much for her to keep up with.

A warmth similar to a cookie in the oven burned strong in Hado's chest as she smiled and crossed to the other side to wait for Midoriya to finish guiding the elderly lady across. Slow and steady the two waddled to the other side where her cane tapped the curb of the upcoming sidewalk, being assisted over said curb to avoid tripping and falling forwards. The woman thanked the student for the assistance who in return bowed at her gratitude before she continued on her way, Midoriya turning to face Hado who was locked in a stare with a gentle smile engraved onto her lips. His hands reached out to take back his items but when he wasn't met halfway for the exchange he paused and looked up to feel the weight of her stare settling onto his shoulders with a mild blush filling the color of his cheeks.

"S-Senpai?"

Several rapid blinks were enough for Hado to remember where she was and what she was doing before she quickly shook her head and smiled to play it off. "S-Sorry! Just thinking about something that happened earlier is all, sorry. Here's your stuff back."

"Thank you."

"So, what were you going to say earlier before you went back to help the old lady?"

"Oh yeah. I-I was just gonna say that if I'm being honest this shorter style suits you just as good as your longer style." Midoriya stated as they continued walking side by side each other. "I-IN MY, opinion you don't, you don't have to listen to what I have to say of course just, giving my own piece of thought here if it makes you feel any better."

"...Midoriya can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"What are your thoughts on being in a relationship, like, nowwww?" Hado inquired. "Not NOW now but, high school now or just soon enough."

"Um, well to be honest I haven't really had the time to think about something like that given everything that's been going on but, you know I think a relationship now wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. I mean I'd have to deal with being a hero and school work before any of that but truthfully, I think the benefits of being in a relationship could certainly help lighten the load a bit. You've got emotional support and mental support, benefits like that are benefits that do sound nice when you're in the same field of work as us. Though the issue comes in having to find that somebody who would be willing to give you those types of support, it's not as easy as simply wishing for it one day and waking up the next to find that you have it.

I mean, I'm okay right now it's not like I'm constantly begging the universe to send a girlfriend my way or anything but, the prospect of having somebody to support me as I'm going through all of this does sound nice to have one of these days. Knowing you have somebody who you could go to when everything seems grim or when you need somebody in general...it sounds nice. Not sure if I'd be any good at it though since it would be my first relationship but I'd still try my best to ensure she's happy with me and what she has. Why do you ask?"

"O-Oh nothing heh! I-It was just something that me and my friends were talking about earlier during lunch is all. You know since we're all third years and graduation is coming up soon, it may be time to start thinking about a relationship one of these days."

"Ohhhhhh, I see. Well whoever it is that you choose to be your partner they should know how lucky they are to have somebody like you. A-At least in my opinion, they would be pretty lucky."

Hado merely smiled and nodded in response before turning to look in the other direction, piecing together her thoughts to the main question that was on her mind. As Haya stated she was to focus on whether she wanted what was happening to be something on a much more personal scale or to remain as is and truthfully, she's not seeing much argument for it to remain as it is right now. It's true that previously she stated that relationships weren't exactly on her agenda due to the current task of attempting to get through high school that was at hand but as Midoriya had said just now, the idea of having somebody she could go to as her own was an idea that really thrilled her young heart aside from the sugar currently flowing through her. A question of the ages, but a question that had no issue in putting together the answer.

This...this was something most definitely worth pursuing.