-.My Hero Academia: 180 degrees. -
10. Where Uraraka receives advice from Tsuyu.
Uraraka had a distant look in her eyes, unaware that Tsuyu had been watching her for a while as they walked side by side.
In Uraraka's mind, the moment kept replaying—when she had seen Deku, his beautiful green eyes, and what seemed to be a faint blush on his face.
—Ochako—Tsuyu called in her usual straightforward tone—You know I always say what I think.
Uraraka blinked, surprised, and let out an awkward laugh, feeling a slight warmth in her cheeks.
—Yeah... I've noticed.
Tsuyu, ever direct, didn't waste any time getting to the point.
—That's why I'll tell you this: I think you like Midoriya, and you're thinking about him right now.
Uraraka's face instantly turned deep red.
—W-What?!—she stammered, bringing both hands to her cheeks, as if covering them could hide her reaction. Without realizing it, her body began to float slowly off the ground.
Before she could rise too high, Tsuyu quickly grabbed her by the ankle with her tongue, gently pulling her back to the ground.
—Hold on, I'm not finished yet—Tsuyu said calmly as she lowered her friend back down.
Uraraka hid her face again, this time making sure to leave her pinkies out to avoid floating away, but she couldn't hide her embarrassment.
—So… it's true?—Tsuyu asked, her large eyes focused on Uraraka.
—Is it that obvious?—Uraraka mumbled, still peeking out from behind her hands.
—Not entirely. But I've been watching you during martial arts class for a while. You're usually so focused, but the person I saw today at the construction site wasn't the same. You made a lot of mistakes, and the whole time, you were staring in the same direction. While the most obvious guess would've been that you were into Midoriya's friend, since he stands out more, I don't think you're the kind of person who's impressed by appearances. Midoriya seems more like your type—Tsuyu explained with the precision of someone who observes everything.
Uraraka slowly lowered her hands, her expression a mix of resignation and nervousness.
—I didn't say this to make you uncomfortable—Tsuyu continued—I was just curious when you plan to tell him. You've been so distracted lately…
—I'm not going to tell him—Uraraka replied, her voice soft and subdued—He's dealing with a lot, and he needs to focus on his own goals. I don't want to distract him with my feelings.
Tsuyu tilted her head.
—That sounds very noble.
Uraraka looked down, playing with her fingers.
—You think so?
—But tell me—Tsuyu leaned her head slightly—What will you do if someone less noble comes along, who also likes Midoriya, and confesses their feelings before you do?
Those words made Uraraka's heart skip a beat. She widened her eyes, shocked at a possibility she hadn't considered before. She froze, as if the coldness of that idea had paralyzed her.
—Judging by your expression, you hadn't thought about that—Tsuyu paused—Don't worry, I won't bring this up again. It's not really my style, but I just wanted to make sure you understood that this is affecting you, and someone could get hurt on the construction site if you don't learn to handle your feelings properly.
Uraraka was still blushing, searching for a way to change the subject. Suddenly, she raised her hand and pointed across the pedestrian walkway.
—Look, it's Camie!—she exclaimed, waving enthusiastically.
Camie, walking in the opposite direction, waved back with a carefree smile, though her face showed a hint of confusion.
—Are those your friends?—asked the tall, muscular boy beside Camie as they continued walking.
She tilted her head, thinking for a moment.
—The one who waved at me? I've never seen her before in my life. But the girl next to her seems vaguely familiar, so that's why I waved. But I don't actually know her name or anything—Camie shrugged.
The boy let out an exaggerated laugh.
—Wow! You wave at total strangers in the street? I definitely need to learn more from you about social skills, Camie! You're amazing!—he shouted enthusiastically.
Midoriya was training his kicks alone on the beach, the sky covered by a dark veil. The waves whispered in the distance, and the cold sand beneath his feet was the only witness to his effort. It felt strange to be so alone. Neither Mr. Yagi nor Todoroki had contacted him since the morning, which left him feeling uneasy, though he tried not to dwell on it too much.
As he continued with his routine, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Without stopping to check who was calling, he answered, his breath slightly heavy.
—Hello?
—Hey, Deku?
—U-Uraraka, hey— he replied, feeling nervous for some reason —How are you? Everything okay?
—Yeah, everything's fine—she answered, with a pause that seemed to stretch through the air—Sorry, I know you must be training. Maybe I should call later.
Midoriya felt a bit concerned by the tone of her voice. Something about it sounded different.
—Is something wrong?—he asked, his protective instinct kicking in immediately—And if it's about the training, don't worry, I have hands-free. I can keep going while I listen to you.
Uraraka let out a light sigh, one that Midoriya barely caught through the sound of the waves.
—It's nice to know I'm not interrupting. I just... wanted to keep talking to you.
Midoriya felt a sudden warmth in his cheeks. It was the first time a girl had called him at night, and although it wasn't anything unusual, there was something about the situation that made it feel... too personal? Like a married couple talking in bed before going to sleep.
'Damn,' he cursed himself for thinking that scenario, imagining him and Uraraka in such an intimate setting.
—Deku?
—Ah, yeah!—he responded hurriedly, trying to shake the thought from his head—So... how was your day?
—Oh, me? Well, as you know, I went to school, and I got in trouble for being late.
—I got in trouble too—Deku chuckled a bit, starting to relax.
'That's right. I need to stay calm and focused so Uraraka doesn't think anything weird about me,' he reminded himself, resuming his kicking exercise and some dodging drills.
—Then I went to my martial arts class. Today you met Tsuyu, who takes classes with me, and Ojiro, who lends us his family's dojo for the lessons—Uraraka continued.
—Yeah, their quirks seemed really interesting—Midoriya commented, focusing as much on the conversation as on his exercises.
—I think you're only missing meeting my friend Camie. She's really nice, but sometimes she says... rather bold things.
—I doubt she's anywhere near Kacchan's level. It'd be weird to see a girl like that—Midoriya joked.
Uraraka let out a small laugh.
—Ah! That reminds me, the other day we ran into Bakugo on the train, and you won't believe what she said to him (Uraraka cleared her throat to imitate): "Hey handsome, don't ruin your pretty face with that frown."
Midoriya nearly lost his balance mid-kick.
—And how did she make it out alive?!—he exclaimed, surprised—I've seen Kacchan yell at even older women...
—Believe it or not, I think I saw Bakugo smile.
Midoriya furrowed his brow, trying to picture that scene.
—So... Kacchan likes those kinds of comments...—he murmured, completely perplexed by the discovery.
There was a small pause before Uraraka spoke again, this time in a softer tone.
—Deku... and you?—she asked, her voice somewhat hesitant—What kind of things... do you like girls to say to you?
Midoriya felt the heat rush back to his cheeks.
—W-well... that's hard to say—he replied, more nervous than he expected. He rarely talked to girls, let alone got asked questions like this.
—If someone were to say...—Uraraka began, letting her words hang in the air for a moment.
Midoriya felt his breath catch, his heart speeding up in anticipation.
—...I think you're really cute—she said softly, pausing for a few seconds before adding—Would that leave an impression on you?
Deku blushed like a tomato, having to cover his mouth and nose to try and breathe properly.
'Calm down. She's not saying it to you. It's just a casual question,' he tried to convince himself.
But he couldn't help picturing Uraraka in front of him, saying those words with her hair blowing in the wind. He finally managed to breathe, calm down, and found himself feeling very happy, even with his cheeks burning.
—Y-yeah... that would definitely make me smile—he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
—G-good to know—Uraraka replied, and Midoriya noticed that she sounded nervous too. Somehow, that made him smile even more.
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. On the contrary, it was a shared silence, as if both of them were realizing something they couldn't quite put into words.
—I think it's time for me to go take a bath—Uraraka finally said, breaking the quiet—See you tomorrow, Deku.
—See you tomorrow—he replied, his voice calmer.
They hung up at the same time, and Midoriya stayed for a moment staring at the sea, the waves gently moving under the moonlight. He let the breeze ruffle his hair a little and, for the first time, realized how pleasant it was to be on the beach at night.
—That's right... I should get back to training—he reminded himself, though with a smile he couldn't seem to wipe off his face.
Author's Notes.-
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