- .My Hero Academia: 180 Degrees. -
16. Where Deku accompanies Uraraka to her house, and she tells him about Himiko Toga
Already out on the street, and everyone properly dressed, Uraraka bowed deeply in front of Deku. He immediately started waving his hands, gesturing for her to stop.
—Please, forgive me —Uraraka said seriously.
—No, no. It was my fault —Deku replied nervously—. I should have left right away when I saw you could breathe.
—Does it still hurt? You were already injured from the fight with Bakugo —Uraraka asked, gently placing her hand on Deku's cheek, careful not to touch him with all five fingers. The gesture was so delicate that Deku's heart raced instantly, but he tried to endure it because, somehow, it felt really nice.
For a moment, he wasn't sure whether to look away or lose himself in that warm feeling. But before he could decide, Todoroki, who had been silently observing, started to walk away.
—But Todoroki... —Midoriya called out, noticing him leaving.
Todoroki stopped, turning slightly toward them.
—I need to head home. If I don't, my father will make a scene.
Deku pressed his lips together, remembering the conversation they had left unfinished.
—But what you were going to tell me...
Todoroki gave him a calm, almost resigned look as the wind played with his two-toned hair.
—I think you're right. I'll tell you once all of this is over. I trust things will turn out fine.
Midoriya smiled.
—Alright —he finally replied—. I'll walk Uraraka home.
Todoroki nodded, giving them one last glance.
—Be careful. It seems like the crazies are popping up everywhere.
—Yeah, you too —Deku answered, his tone serious.
Walking down an almost deserted street, with small puddles still glistening under the dim streetlights, Uraraka and Deku walked side by side. The breeze was gentle, and the calm atmosphere contrasted with the heavy conversation they shared.
—So, that girl has a quirk that lets her transform into people whose blood she drinks? —Deku recapped, his voice filled with both amazement and concern.
Uraraka nodded softly.
—When I met her —she began, her gaze drifting into her memories—, she told me she was born without a quirk. Apparently, her parents wanted to hide her peculiar ability to keep up appearances, so they made her say she didn't have one.
Deku frowned, his mind processing the situation.
—I guess she must have been bullied for pretending not to have a quirk —Midoriya assumed.
—Not really —Uraraka shrugged slightly—. She kind of went unnoticed. She never smiled, and she was always very focused on school. At first glance, she didn't stand out. But one day, we became friends, and that's when I started to know her a little better.
A silence fell between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence filled with unspoken thoughts, questions piling up in Deku's mind. There was one in particular that had been bothering him for a long time, and although he didn't want to make Uraraka uncomfortable, he knew that this quiet moment was the best chance to bring it up.
—Uraraka... —he began hesitantly—, does she... have anything to do with why you saved me the day we first met?
Uraraka's expression remained serious, as if she had already anticipated the question.
—Yes... —she replied—. Himiko Toga became obsessed with a boy at our school who... was a lot like you, Deku —as she said this, she tried to smile, but it came out broken, forced—. For a while, I didn't realize how deep that feeling went for her, the obsession she had. By the time I did... it was already too late.
—Too late? —he asked, though a part of him feared the answer.
—Toga confessed her feelings to him, but he rejected her —Uraraka explained, each word weighing on her shoulders like a burden—. After that, she stole his blood, transformed into him, and... jumped off the school roof. I think... she wanted to symbolically kill the person she loved if they couldn't be together on her terms.
The image that her words painted in Deku's mind was horrifying. He could imagine Toga, transformed into her obsession, falling into the void with a mix of despair and madness. But what struck him most was the look in Uraraka's eyes. They reflected something deeper, a memory that still haunted her.
In her mind, Uraraka remembered the bloodied, half-transformed body on the ground and how she had knelt before her friend, thinking she'd give her all the blood she could if it meant saving her.
—Just before that —Uraraka continued—, she tried to explain to me what it felt like to be in love with someone. I thought she was speaking in metaphors, about wanting to be like the person you love. I replied with my own perspective, but... maybe if I had tried harder to understand her...
—It's hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes —Deku tried to comfort her, recalling his own struggles with Kacchan.
Uraraka nodded, though her eyes were still filled with guilt.
—For Toga, the culmination of the love she felt was to drink his blood and literally become the person she liked.
—Why?
—Honestly, I still don't know. And I think that's the main reason she attacked me today. Because I couldn't understand her —she rubbed the spot on her neck where she had been hit—. Though, I don't think she really meant to kill me.
The worry on Deku's face deepened as he noticed the pain in Uraraka's gestures. He couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt and them not doing anything about it.
—We should go to the hospital and get you checked out! —he exclaimed, alarmed, taking her hand firmly—. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.
Uraraka looked at him, surprised by his sudden reaction. However, the warmth of his touch brought her a calmness she hadn't felt since the start of their conversation. The strength with which he held her hand, as if he didn't want to let go, comforted her in a way she hadn't expected.
—I'm fine, Deku. Really. It's just a bump. But thank you —she whispered, not letting go of his hand.
Deku remained worried, she could tell by the way he looked at her, as if any sign of weakness would be enough for him to insist on taking her to the hospital. But he decided to trust that Uraraka knew what she was doing. For her part, she felt her senses were still somewhat dulled from what had happened. Still, she allowed herself to gently hold the hand that connected them with the other, aware that she couldn't embarrass herself more than she already had.
—I'm lucky you were there to save me again —she murmured with a soft smile.
Midoriya noticed the warmth in her voice, similar to what he had felt with Fuyumi when she had asked him not to stop being friends with her brother, and instead of feeling nervous about the closeness, he felt captivated.
—I'll always be there to protect you, Uraraka —he said, his voice filled with sincerity, his eyes reflecting a promise he had no intention of breaking.
Uraraka held her smile, remembering the promise they had made outside the police station when chaos had just begun to take over their lives.
—I hope so —she replied softly, her tone gentle but firm—. I wouldn't have liked anyone else to get my first kiss.
Understanding that she was referring to when he had given her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the scene came rushing back to his mind with almost painful clarity, and although his body betrayed him, blushing all the way to his ears, he didn't let that make him release Uraraka's hand. The warmth he felt in that simple contact was something he didn't want to lose.
Looking into Uraraka's pretty brown eyes, they seemed to have a special sparkle.
—I'm glad it was with the person I like —Uraraka added, giving him her best smile, a mix of tenderness and shyness.
Midoriya's heart skipped a beat, pounding so hard it almost hurt. It was as if every cell in his body was responding to those words. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered uncontrollably, his ears burned, and his hands started to sweat. The surge of emotions overwhelmed him, but despite the intensity of the moment, he remained still, lost in the thoughts flooding his mind.
However, not seeing an apparent reaction from her point of view, Uraraka gathered the courage to say it again, making sure there was no doubt about what she was declaring.
—I like you, Deku.
Once again, Midoriya felt so many things, but they weren't visible on the outside, and he remained with a distant gaze.
'What is she saying? How could someone as amazing as Uraraka possibly like someone like me?' he thought, his mind spiraling into disbelief. 'She must be confused from the hit... Yeah, that has to be it.'
But before he could voice his doubts, Uraraka gently released his hand, took a few steps forward, then turned to look at him. She held her wrist behind her back, her expression a little nervous.
—I must seem really weird telling you this after everything that's happened... —she whispered, her voice trembling.
As if something snapped in Deku's mind, he finally reacted.
—You're not weird! —he exclaimed, with the urgency of someone who didn't want a single word to be misunderstood—. You're strong and brave. And your haircut... it suits you perfectly. Plus, you're kind, honest, and...
—I didn't see that coming —she interrupted, blushing, unsure how to take it as she narrowed her eyes, feeling the urge to cry.
'Is this... his way of rejecting me?'
But before that idea could sink into her heart, Deku continued, his voice shaky but full of determination.
—What I mean is... it's impossible for me not to like you, Uraraka.
He stepped closer to her again, this time gently taking the hand she had kept behind her back.
—Now that I think about it —he said, his nerves on edge—, I think I've been in love with you from the beginning.
Uraraka looked at him sideways, then wiped away a tear with her other hand, trying to smile. It was a relief. For a moment, she had been scared.
—I took a little longer to realize my feelings... —she admitted, her voice soft—. But when I saw you smile for the first time on our date, I couldn't stop thinking about you after that.
—My... smile? —Midoriya was surprised.
—You have a beautiful smile, Deku —she confirmed, and this time, instead of her words, it was her hand that spoke. She touched Deku's cheek gently, the same cheek she had accidentally slapped earlier. That touch, so light and full of meaning, completely disarmed him. The warmth of her hand coursed through his entire body, and he couldn't help but blush even more, feeling every heartbeat echoing in his ears.
Filled with determination, Midoriya took a deep breath, feeling a surge of courage wash over him. This was the opportunity, the moment he had imagined countless times but never thought would come so suddenly.
—Will you be my girlfriend, Uraraka? —he asked, his face completely flushed—. I promise to always give you my best!
Uraraka felt like a thousand arrows pierced her heart, leaving her breathless. She slightly parted her lips, about to answer, but before she could say anything, she closed them again. The weight of the emotion overwhelmed her. She squeezed Deku's hand, tightening her own fist as their eyes met.
—Do you think... you could wait a little for my answer?
The surprise on Midoriya's face was evident. It wasn't what he expected. In his mind, this was the part where, just like in TV shows, she would accept, and they would live happily ever after. But instead, a feeling of disappointment began to grow in his chest.
'Maybe she wants us to get to know each other a bit more before becoming more than friends,' he thought, trying to make sense of the situation. 'Yeah, that makes sense.'
—If you want to spend more time together, we could go to an amusement park this weekend… or maybe tomorrow we could get some crepes after your martial arts class. I know a place that… —he began to suggest nervously.
But Uraraka shook her head before he could finish. That small action, so simple, filled him again with a disappointment he couldn't control. For a moment, Deku felt that everything he was saying was wrong. As if, despite her earlier words, she didn't feel the same way she had just confessed.
But before he could overthink it even more, Uraraka shortened the distance between them and, with a tenderness that caught him completely off guard, gave him a small kiss on the corner of his lips, just on the left side.
Midoriya's body trembled, as if a current ran through him from head to toe. That brief but intimate contact left him even more confused than he already was. His thoughts were jumbled, and for a moment, he didn't know if he should feel happiness, surprise, or a mix of both.
—I don't want to come between you and your dream of being a hero, Deku —Uraraka said, her voice now filled with a tenderness that, in contrast, also seemed to carry a bit of sadness—. That's why I didn't tell you about my feelings earlier. And that's why I think we should wait a little before being together.
Suddenly, as if a wider reality hit him full force, Midoriya remembered there was a world beyond just the two of them. He remembered his goals, his dreams... the immense challenge that still lay ahead. The UA entrance exam was approaching, and if he didn't pass it, his path as a hero could crumble before it even began. How had he forgotten something so crucial?
'She's right,' he thought, feeling a mix of urgency and determination. 'If I don't get into UA, it'll be hard for us to see each other or continue down this path together…'
A new determination overtook him, filling his eyes with a firmness he hadn't shown before.
—I swear I'll train to the fullest —he said, with unshakable conviction—. I'll give everything I have to get into UA, Uraraka!
Uraraka looked at him, and though her smile was still warm and comforting, there was something in her eyes she couldn't hide. A slight shadow of sadness, almost imperceptible, reflected in her pupils. She too knew how difficult the path ahead would be, both of them chasing their own dreams, and that reality weighed heavily in the air between them.
—I don't think I could imagine you any other way, Deku —she replied, her smile widening a little, but that small sadness still remained, buried beneath the surface.
Despite her smile, Deku couldn't shake the feeling that something was left unresolved. But at the same time, he knew he couldn't promise more than his heart and abilities could offer. In fact, he was feeling so many things at once, it was almost overwhelming.
...
Author's Notes.-
Your comments are always welcome! Thank you so much for reading, following, and liking. It always makes me smile.
About the secondary couples: I admit I've had fun playing around with the characters and situations when it seemed entertaining, but I don't have any serious plans for the secondary couples. Most likely, if anything happens, it won't go beyond light suggestive scenes and simple misunderstandings, without confirming anything. I understand how this could affect the main story, and I ask that if you notice any interesting details regarding this, feel free to share your opinion. I'll see if I can adjust accordingly, either by removing or adding elements.
Accepted requests: There will be no more scenes suggesting a Kyoka x Bakugo or Toga x Ochako romance in this story.