The fall season was now noticeable, with the cooling temperature and the changing of color on the foliage being the most prominent throughout Japan as time continued to pass. Everyone changed their habits and clothing to meet the shift in conditions as time went on.

"And then what happened?" Kodai asked with slight eagerness as she turned to Midoriya in slight anticipation as he continued his tale of a sleepover with the boys of Class 1A.

"Well, we finally had everything sorted out in the snack department, but then Kaminari accidentally let loose a bit of electricity after being spooked by Kirishima. So the chips and popcorn that I was carrying went everywhere."

"No way that happened."

"I'm serious! I could swear there is still some butter in my hair to prove it."

A fit of soft giggles escaped from Kodai's mouth after hearing the story of Midoriya's classmates, an act that made the greenette grin in joy after seeing the reaction even as a chuckle escaped his own lips recalling the tale. Their soft laughter filled the cool, autumn air around them as they slowly came to a stop with a soft sigh.

Several weeks have passed since their initial awkward encounter in the library, and the two have only gotten closer during that time. Meeting up with each other to discuss their projects or anything else that came to mind, involving new moves that they were coming up with or what their classmates were involved with.

Yet now as the deadline for the assignment neared, their meet-ups slowly became less about the projects and more about talking to each other. An excuse that they used on their classmates and themselves whenever it was brought up and time to meet, even when they just started bringing stuff that wasn't involved with the assignment to begin with.

Midoriya suddenly blinked as he recalled something important as their time together nearly came to an end, looking at Kodai for a moment before turning to his backpack in slight excitement.

"O-Oh, right!"

Kodai watched curiously at the sound of Midoriya's excitement, even more so when he dug around in his backpack before pulling out a lunch box. One that brought a brief chuckle to her lips seeing that it was once again All Might themed like so many other things that he owned.

The greenette didn't notice her amusement though, already giving her a sheepish smile as he gestured towards the box with his eyes before looking back at her with a nervous expression.

"Since this is the last time that we are studying together, I-I wanted to give you something."

Kodai's eyes softened as she looked between the box and the teen, feeling just the slightest bit of guilt worm its way into her as she didn't bring anything for the occasion despite it being completely unknown until now.

"You didn't have to do that for me..." she said quietly.

"I-I know that," Midoriya admitted with a shy smile as a red hue grew on his face as he looked at her, "but I wanted to."

Kodai's face flushed as she gingerly put her hands around the box to take from her green-haired friend, feeling a pleasant warmth filling her as their hands touched before looking up with a questioning gaze for confirmation. Who only confirmed her actions with an eager look in his eyes as he gestured for her to open it.

Kodai gingerly put her hand on one of the latches that were on the side of the box, slowly opening it with a pounding heart as she wondered what kind of gift Midoriya gave her. Unlocking the other latch so that the top portion of the container can be opened, revealing the gift to be:

"A tomato..." she breathed in amazement as she gingerly picked up the fruit with the palms of her hands, eyeing the bright red fruit with a sense of awe as she turned towards Midoriya for answers.

"...I-I remember that time we were talking about favorite foods some time ago," the greenette fiddled with his fingers with burning cheeks as he eyed her from the side. "...And I thought that since the end of our projects was coming to a close it would be nice to end it on a high note."

Midoriya's voice trailed off with another fit of uneasy murmurs as Kodai's gaze returned towards the fruit that she was gifted with, her face burning red hot at the sweet gesture as her affection for him grew even stronger. The fruit was also in near-perfect condition like it had just been plucked right off the field despite it being so cool out. Fiddling with the small, green leaves at the top of the fruit with amazement and eyeing the perfect red color with an excited skip of her heart. Unable to stop the smile that was growing on her lips even as she eyed the plant with wonder.

"...I love it."

Midoriya tensed at the answer, turning towards the girl with an uneasy expression as she shifted between the fruit in her hands to him with an adoring expression. Which was now shifted onto him as he gazed back at those bright blue eyes of hers.

"-R-Really?"

"Mhm," the girl confirmed with a small smile that shined out to him like the sun, "But you didn't have to."

"Of course, I do," Midoriya said with a shy expression of his own, "You're my friend."

Kodai's smile faltered for the briefest moment as she went back to stare at the plant, unable to stop the small flicker of disappointment at the mention of the word 'friend'.

She knew in her heart that Midoriya didn't mean anything by that, but it didn't stop the momentary frown forming on her face even as she thought about their hangouts together. Something that she cherished and looked forward to during the numerous tests and assignments that occurred in the life of a UA student. Hearing the great tales from him and the Class of 1A while also seeing how caring he was to her, cheering her up with a smile, and helping her when it was needed. A gesture that she appreciated due to the level of care that he would display towards her.

And yet, she could pinpoint exactly what was wrong with her as she eyed the greenette from the corner of her eye. Unable to stop the momentary smile from crossing her face as her cheeks tinged a rosy, red hue.

She had a crush on him.

She had known this for a while, being more in tune with her inner thoughts due to her habit of speaking to others in a limited fashion, already knowing what her feelings meant as their meet-ups became more frequent and their conversations became more personal.

Yet it seemed that Midoriya didn't feel the same way, or at least was unaware of the effects that his kindness had on her. Making her wonder if she should even pursue this feeling and just be content with being her friend, a feat that didn't seem bad in the short term.

Meanwhile, Midoriya's own smile broke as Kodai quickly shifted her gaze back towards his gift, the uneasiness in the atmosphere evident by her stiff posture and sudden shift in focus towards the fruit in her hands. Making his gaze shift back to the front with a furrowed brow and twisted feeling in his gut as he contemplated this sudden change.

Their meet-ups were something that he looked forward to as time went on, to the point where he would be counting down the days and seconds until he could see her again even more so than meeting with All Might. Going out of his way to make her laugh and lift her spirits whenever she was feeling down, a gesture that he never really did with anyone consistently outside of Eri.

But when he said the word 'friend' to her just now, there was something deep inside him that wanted to refute that claim even when it felt accurate. A gesture that he knew shouldn't be a problem given how well they got along with one another. Yet as he eyed her from the side with a frown, he couldn't help but feel frustrated and a bit uneasy like he made the wrong choice.

"Why did it feel wrong to leave it like this?" They both thought to themselves.

Kodai eyed the gift in her hands before shifting towards Midoriya, seeing the furrowed brow on his face made her lips purse with unease. Mustering the courage to ask something even if she looked almost embarrassed to do so.

"Do you mind if I eat it now? I don't know if I can wait to eat it at the dorms."

The greenette blinked at the sudden question, the tense and awkward atmosphere dissipating as quickly as it appeared as he looked at her with an uneasy yet encouraging smile.

"Y-Yeah of course. It's your gift after all."

Kodai smiled at the reassurance as she took a small bite of the fruit, humming to herself in pleasure at the sweet taste even if some of the juices managed to stick to her face. A smile slowly spread across her lips in joy at the fact that she was eating her favorite food.

"Mm-mm..."

Midoriya stared at the messy face of Kodai with burning cheeks, ingraining the adorable sight of her nibbling the fruit into memory. Seeing the amount of joy that shined through her eyes made something inside of him stir, a familiar feeling that occurred the more he spent time with her but couldn't quite place now.

Yet he shook those thoughts around for now, seeing that Kodai still had some bits of fruit stuck to her face. Reaching into the box without a second thought to grabe a few napkins that he knew were in there, having packed them earlier.

"Hold on a second, you got a bit of stuff on your face."

Kodai turned with confusion as she got one of the napkins that was packed alongside her snack before rubbing it on her cheek. Only it for it to smear it further on herself as Midoriya looked at on with slight amusement.

"No, not quite."

Kodai tried again and this time managed to get most of the produce off her cheeks, but there was still a bit of residue left on there that made Midoriya smile slightly. Reaching for another napkin and applying it to where she thought the mess was before missing again.

"Here, let me help."

Kodai turned towards her friend before being met with the sight of Midoriya leaning towards her with complete focus as he wiped the parts of her mouth that were stained carefully. The gentle touch he used on his scarred hand and the focus he had on his deep emerald eyes sent her reeling as her face turned bright red and her heartbeat sped up wildly in her chest.

"M-Midoriya..."

The green-haired teen froze at the nervous tone coming from the girl, blinking himself back to reality before gulping at the sight of his hand caressing her face. Freezing for a moment as he locked eyes with her before throwing himself backward as fast as he could like he just burned himself.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" Midoriya pleaded with a guilt-ridden face even as his face burned a deep crimson color.

"I-It's alright..." Kodai reassured him with a bright red face even if she kept her face away from him.

The new atmosphere that formed was unbearable as the two teens looked away from one another with burning cheeks, unable to bring themselves to start a new conversation after the numerous twists and turns in tone throughout their once-so-casual meeting. Midoriya broke under the pressure first as he stood up with a stiff posture.

"I g-gotta go! Super important assignment to turn in and all that!" Midoriya quickly packed his things with a red-faced, embarrassed expression while a small portion of One for All coursed through his body, "I'll see you later Kodaiiiii..!"

She watched him trail off as he disappeared in a blur back towards the dorms, leaving her alone with the bitten piece of fruit in her hands in the cool autumn air. A small chuckle left her lips at his dramatic exit as she eyed the piece of fruit in her hands with a red hue on her cheeks. Recalling the gentle touch on her face as a small and love-stricken expression was made in her eyes.

"See you later, Izuku..."

Her soft voice carried over the gentle autumn breeze, even if Midoriya wasn't around to hear it.

Kodai walked her way back with her hands in her pocket and a slightly glum expression, recalling how the last few moments of their time together ended so fast as the entrance of her living quarters drew near. The way his eyes seemed to bore into her with adoration as he brushed the few bits of tomato from her lips. Those pools of emeralds drew her in closer in the cool autumn breeze until they eventually-

"Hey Yui, back so soon?"

She was startled out of her thoughts when the sound of Kendo called out to her, so lost in her daydream that she didn't notice making it back into the commons until her friend called out to her from the dining room sitting beside a quiet Yangi and grinning Tokage.

"...Mhm."

Kodai didn't talk to a lot of people outright, but she had at least spoken a few words to each of her classmates throughout the year. One such group were the three that were seated in front of her, with Tokage's outgoing nature usually being reined in by Kendo's calm and steady demeanor. Yangi's behavior was just as subtle as the silent brunette's, just with a slightly different and mysterious tone that made it hard to reply at times.

"Still going to see that boy of yours?" the green-haired girl questioned nonchalantly. "How long has it been now, about two months?"

Kodai could only nod with a slight blush on her face, already used to this type of questioning ever since she came back from one of their hangouts with a smile that lit up the entire room (at least according to Kendo). Which eventually led her to reveal her growing feelings for the greenette, something that they teased her to no end about. She was just thankful that they decided to keep the jabs and discussion between them as she didn't even want to think how Monoma would react to it.

"So, what's the latest play from our green-haired friend with no benefits?" Tokage said with a teasing grin while Kendo sputtered at the classification. "The greenie finally made a move on you yet?"

Kodai shook her head as she recalled the way Midoriya's soft green eyes looked at her as she opened the box. The way his eyes lit up whenever she told him how sweet the fruit was whenever she ate it, the way his face turned red whenever she giggled or made a joke of her own. It caused her face to brighten in both joy and embarrassment as she shared what had happened to the three in front of them.

"...He offered me a tomato as a gift today. And wiped my face with a napkin when I had some bits stuck to my face."

…

Had Kodai been looking at her group of friends, she would've seen the dumbfounded look that she caused as Yangi raised an eyebrow at the information while Kendo silently cooed in her seat. Yet while they were happy for their friend for finding someone kind to hang out with, Tokage had other thoughts in mind.

"...Maybe I should try my shot at him," the green-haired girl said as she looked out the window with a smile, "I might have a chance if you don't do anything about it Yui."

"No!"

The three occupants jumped with wide eyes at the sudden shout from the normally quiet girl, her expression turning into one of panic before realizing what she had done and looking down into her lap in embarrassment.

"I-I mean, I would prefer if you didn't do that..."

The three girls in front of Kodai looked at each other with slight amusement and worry, seeing how much this boy affected Kodai. Coming to the same conclusion as their friend despite not speaking to each other.

...

"Well, if you're so worried about someone stealing your little man, I suggest you make a move," Tokage stated as she leaned back in her seat with a raised eyebrow.

"...But what if he doesn't feel the same way?" Kodai's soft voice leaked out in worry even if she didn't completely refute the idea. "I don't want to make things awkward."

"Girl, based on what you've been telling us I'm pretty sure he feels the same. If not, then he must be either really forgiving of these kinds of actions or dense," the splitting hero in training said with a roll of her eyes.

Kodai thought about the statement as she recalled all the interactions she had with the green-haired teen up to this point, blushing again when she thought about the way he cupped her cheeks to wipe the stain on her face.

Kendo looked at the deep and flustered look from her friend before sighing, getting up from her seat and putting her hands on Kodai's shoulder. Uncaring about the sudden flinch and startled look coming from her classmates.

"Look Yui, I usually don't get involved in these kinds of matters, but I really think you should try asking him out."

Kodai opened her mouth to speak up but faltered under the stern expression of Kendo. Letting her class president finish saying what she wanted to say.

"You obviously have been thinking about this for a while, and now it's at the point where it affects your current relationship with him. It would be better to just find out if he feels the same rather than stringing him and yourself along. I also think it would finally give you some clarity."

Kodai stewed at the advice given by the martial arts hero, her eyes dimming down slightly at the thought of Midoriya rejecting her after all the time they spent together. After all, she wasn't as strong as him when it came to her quirk or even physical prowess. Not to mention that he probably had someone else that he was interested in if the rumors she heard were true, making her want to hold it off.

Meanwhile, Yangi looked up from across the table to see Kodai shrinking with doubt from her seat. A sight that she was not used to seeing after being with Kodai throughout the school year given her calm demeanor, sitting upright in her seat she could offer her a piece of advice.

"Kodai, do you truly desire your relationship to blossom into something more intimate?"

The girl in question turned her sight away from Kendo and looked at her horror-enthused friend for a moment before nodding slightly in a red hue, one that made Yanagi smile slightly before she continued as Tokage and the class president watched from the sides.

"Then I think you should take the opportunity; you already are quite happy with the relationship you acquired now. It's something that I like seeing whenever you come from visiting him. Wouldn't it be worth the risk to take a chance to see if he felt the same way? To see if you could become something more?"

Kodai looked at the table below her in thought, thinking of Yangi's words of encouragement as a memory suddenly resurfaced. One that she cherished deeply as a particularly difficult lesson in heroics left her feeling blue as they met once again.

Kodai swung her legs absentmindedly as she waited for her meeting with Midoriya, a frown on her face as she recalled the rough session she had today in class. Which involved sparring with other members of her classmates for a rough idea of where they stood in combat. One that she didn't do particularly well on when it finally came to her turn.

Yet that was a concern for later, as the sound of her newfound friend came to her with a tired but eager smile on her face.

"Hey, Kodai!"

"Hello Midoriya," the girl returned the greeting with a small hum. "How was your day?"

"It was good," the green-haired teen said cheerfully as he started to set his things down. "It was a bit tough with the sparring match I had against Todoroki, but I was able to pull through in the end."

Kodai's smile faltered at the reminder of the lesson and hummed thoughtfully as she faced the front again not wanting to show the disappointment on her face.

Yet Midoriya's smile faltered at the state of his friend as concern started to make its way through, finding a seat next to her as he hesitated for a moment. Pushing the work that he brought to the side before finally pushing through.

"...Are you ok?"

Kodai's eyes widened the slightest bit at the question, turning to him cautiously and with slight surprise on her face at the concern that was being displayed right now.

"How did you know I wasn't?"

Midoriya's face frowned at the thought of his friend hiding her feelings, his work put on hold for the time being as he looked at her with worry.

"You usually don't hide your face whenever we talk," the green-haired teen noted as he scooted closer to her. "And you seem a bit... tense."

Kodai's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before it evened out with a soft smile, knowing that her green-haired friend was getting quite good at picking up her cues whenever she was feeling down. Sighing to herself as she relaxed her posture as she prepared herself to share what was bothering her.

"We had the same kind of task in our class today as well, sparring against our classmates to see our strengths and weaknesses and how to improve. And I got paired up with Togaru Kamakiri for the exercise."

Midoriya grimaced at the image of her fighting with such an opponent, knowing that she was more of a support-based hero than a combatant based on the past conversations they had. Yet his face quickly turned determined as he leaned back from his seat and looked out towards the blue sky ahead of him.

"I had that problem when I first started using my quirk too. It caused a lot of problems when I tried to use it since I would always get hurt. At first, I thought maybe it was just me, that I wasn't strong enough to use it properly.

Kodai looked at her friend with a furrowed brow, not quite sure where he was getting at before he looked back at her with excitement. His bright green eyes filled with excitement as he explained his reasoning as he pulled out a notebook from his backpack, one that she knew was filled with various heroes and fellow students.

Her face flushed the slightest bit as he turned towards her page in quick succession.

"It's not just the way the quirk functions, it's how you use it that matters! While your quirk is great for setting up traps, it could also be used as an attacking weapon if used in the right manner. Like, imagine if you rolled a bowling ball and then let it grow towards someone, that would make any strength user think twice before messing with you. Or maybe you can throw something small too like a baseball, since I think the smaller size will change the velocity. But also, you can-"

Kodai watched in amazement as Midoriya went and sprouted idea after idea over what her quirk could do and how she could improve herself and her move pool. His eyes never seemed to leave hers as he went on about what amazing things she could achieve with a bit of training. A gesture that left her speechless and took her breath away, since she thought herself to be a pretty bland hero based on her personality and her quirk.

Yet Midoriya acted like she was the next rising star in heroics anytime he talked about her.

It was something that she caught on to whenever she talked with him about quirks and heroes, his fascination with them seeming to bring out something special like that day she mentioned her project to him. It was a trait that she adored whenever she got to see it for herself when they were together. But she noticed that whenever she was the topic of his tangents his thought process seemed to be more in-depth than what he normally provided. Along with a look of awe and fascination that made those bright green eyes sparkle, a gesture that never failed to make her face heat up bashfully. Even when she managed to barely grasp his advice with some half-hearted input, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

And the same went for this instance as well.

The green-haired teen seemed to have realized the growing silence that had accumulated, his smile dimming down as a sheepish chuckle escaped his lips.

"S-Sorry," Midoriya said as he scratched his cheek nervously, "I guess I went on a tangent again. You probably didn't want to hear all that after your struggles either.

"I-It's fine," Kodai said as she looked away from his face in an attempt to hide what his input did for her ego and expression, "I don't mind hearing your input. It makes me happy to hear that you thought a lot about me when we are apart."

Kodai smiled to herself when she heard the flustered chuckle of Midoriya as his face started to heat up as well, his nervous laughter making one of her one as she waited for him to calm down. Yet she waited until he was at ease before she eyed the scarred hand beside her, hesitating only for a moment before grabbing his hand into her own. His shocked expression met her own that was filled with gratitude as they locked eyes with one another.

"...Thank you Midoriya."

The greenette's shock slowly melted away as a new soft one took its place. Kodai watched curiously as he hesitated for a moment before squeezing it reassuringly, a soft smile displayed on his features as his eyes met her own.

"Anytime Kodai..."

Kodai smiled softly as she took in the advice from Yangi, recalling the good times she had with Midoriya throughout the semester. Talking to each other about their goals and classes during the time off they had, recalling the way his expression brightened whenever he saw her. The way his hand felt in hers whenever he was correctly guiding her hand when teaching her to throw a punch. Or when she was checking out his scars for the first time when she held his hand, a memory that she cherished deeply in her heart.

"Yes, I think you are right..."

"Oh, come on, that's all it took?" Kendo shouted in disbelief even as a smile made its way onto her face, a sentiment that was shared by Yangi as a small smile formed.

Tokage snickered at the outburst but was happy for the newfound confidence that Kodai was demonstrating now as the brunette's eyes expressed a sense of yearning and confidence that the splitting hero in training wasn't used to seeing, forming a sharp-toothed grin as she wondered how this will work out.

"So, how are you going to go about it?" Kendo asked.

Kodai blinked out of her thoughts as she opened her mouth despite no words coming out, pausing at the idea of confronting Midoriya about her feelings out of the blue.

"Just say it the next time you guys hang out," Tokage said as he leaned back in her seat with her arms behind her head. "Or if he brings up that 'tomato' thing that happened today."

Kodai stewed on her options that were made by her green-haired classmate, seeing nothing wrong with those options seeing that she didn't want to make Midoriya come back after already heading back to his dorm. Smiling back at her friends for reassurance as she stood up from her seat to head back to her room.

"Thank you for helping me. But I think I got it from here."

"Yeah, you go get your man!" Tokage said pride even if Kendo rolled her eyes at the phrasing. Their friends watched as Kodai went up to her room with confidence in her strides before the splitting heroine in training said something else as their friend got out of earshot.

"So how long until they get together?"

Kendo only sighed in exasperation at Tokage's input, not helped by Yangai's thoughts on the question as Tokage laughed.

Meanwhile, Kodai shut the door to her room as she pulled out her phone with Midoriya's contact with it. The feelings of the conversation she had with Midoriya and her friends came out in full force as she pondered if this was the right way to go about it, before shaking her head as a determined look came about. Shoving all doubts away as she sat on her bed and started to put her thoughts together about how she should go about this.

Fun Fact: Kodai's favorite food was posted in the Hero Analysis book.