Izuku stopped dead in his tracks. A huge grin spread across his face.
Today was incredible, he thought with satisfaction. We passed All Might's test, I got Momo to agree to train with me, and we discovered a new ability in Ochako's Quirk. Everything went perfectly.
Without warning, he grabbed Ochako's hand.
"Kyaaa!"
Ochako let out a yelp as Izuku pulled her forward.
"Izuku-kun! What are you doing?"
"We're gonna celebrate!" he declared, dragging her down the street. "Today was an awesome day and we gotta celebrate it properly!"
Ochako stumbled a little, trying to keep up.
"B-but I don't have much money for…!"
"My treat!" Izuku announced, still not letting go of her hand. "Consider this my way of thanking you for being my training partner!"
They turned a corner and Ochako blinked at the bright sign in front of them.
☆ MAID CAFE MUSUTAFU ☆
The place was decked out in pink and white lights. Through the windows she could see several waitresses dressed in maid uniforms attending to the customers.
"A Maid Café?" Ochako whispered.
"Let's go!" Izuku pushed the door open eagerly.
A bell jingled above their heads.
"Welcome home, Master and Mistress!"
The melodic voice came from a tall waitress with long brown hair tied up in twin tails. Her uniform was a black dress with a white apron trimmed in lace. When she bowed to greet them, Izuku couldn't help but notice the generous cleavage the movement revealed.
Holy crap, he thought, his eyes widening slightly. Those are… wow. Those are definitely huge.
The waitress looked up and flashed him a radiant smile.
"Oh! Are you here for the promotion?"
Izuku blinked, snapping out of his little trance.
"Promotion?"
He turned to look at Ochako. She was looking at him just as confused.
The waitress giggled softly, bringing a hand to her lips.
"The couples promotion! Today we have a two for one special for couples. You two are a couple, right?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked them up and down. "You look so cute together."
Ochako took stock of the situation: she was still holding hands with Izuku and pressed so close to him that she could practically feel the warmth of his body.
They think we're dating! she thought in a panic. I h-have to clear up this misunderstanding right now!
Internally, Izuku nodded with approval.
This big breasted girl really knows what she's doing, he thought, satisfied. She's definitely got a good eye for this kind of thing.
Ochako was about to let go of Izuku's hand and clear up the situation.
"I-it's not what it looks like, actually…"
Izuku squeezed her hand firmly and pulled her closer. His free arm wrapped around Ochako's waist as he looked at the waitress with a shameless grin.
"That's right, I'm glad you noticed," he said casually. "My girlfriend gets a little shy when people see us together, but that's what makes her cute."
Ochako froze completely. Her face went from pale pink to deep red in less than two seconds.
W-what? Her mind was total chaos. Girlfriend? D-did he just say… GIRLFRIEND?!
"How adorable!" The waitress clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Follow me, I have the perfect table for you two!"
Izuku followed the waitress without letting go of Ochako. She moved automatically, her legs responding on instinct while her brain tried to process what had just happened.
He said I'm his girlfriend, she repeated in her mind. Is it just for the promotion? Or does he actually…?
The waitress led them to a small table by the window. The seat was a padded couch built for two.
"Here you are," the waitress said, placing two menus on the table. "I'll give you a moment to look over the options. Just call if you need anything!"
She walked away with a light step, leaving them alone.
Izuku settled onto the couch and gently tugged Ochako down to sit beside him. She obeyed mechanically, still processing the situation.
"I-Izuku-kun…" she finally whispered, looking at him with huge eyes. "Why did you say I was your…?"
"Girlfriend?" Izuku finished the question with a smile. "Because that's how we get the two for one promotion. Besides…" he leaned in toward her a little, "I didn't see you denying it when you had the chance."
"B-but I…! You…! That's not…! Th-this…"
"What can I get you lovebirds?"
The waitress was back with a notepad in hand and a radiant smile. Ochako sank into the couch, wishing the earth would swallow her whole.
Izuku skimmed the menu quickly.
"One cold couples drink, please."
"Excellent choice!" The waitress scribbled on her notepad. "Something to eat?"
"Sandwiches for two," Izuku closed the menu and set it on the table. "Whatever the house recommends."
"Perfect. I'll be right back."
The waitress walked off again. Ochako finally found her voice.
"Izuku-kun, I don't really wanna eat anything…"
I don't have much money, she thought, a little deflated. I can't let him pay for everything for me.
Izuku looked her straight in the eye.
"I wanna celebrate with my best friend," he said sincerely. "Besides, I'm paying for everything. Don't worry about it."
Ochako's heart gave a little skip.
Best friend, she repeated in her mind. A warmth started spreading through her chest and a small smile formed on her lips.
"If I keep this up, I'm gonna get fat," she muttered, trying to sound whiny but unable to hide her happiness.
Izuku leaned back on the couch with a mischievous grin.
"I hope so," he replied casually. "The more you eat, the more I have to work with when I use my Quirk."
Ochako blinked twice before the full meaning of his words hit her.
"I-Izuku-kun!" Her face lit up again. "You're such a pervert!"
She pressed her lips together, trying to hold onto her indignation, but a small tremor ran through her shoulders.
Pfft.
She brought a hand to her mouth, but it was already too late.
"Hahahaha…"
The waitress came back with a tray. She set a huge glass in front of them, filled with a pink drink over crushed ice. Two straws poked out of the glass, one on each side.
"Your special couples drink!" she announced cheerfully. "It's our secret recipe: strawberry lemonade with a hint of mint. Hope you enjoy it!"
Izuku grabbed one of the straws without hesitating and started drinking. The sweet, refreshing flavor burst in his mouth.
"It's delicious!" he exclaimed. "Ochako, you gotta try it."
Ochako looked at the glass. Then she looked at Izuku, who was still calmly drinking from the same glass.
This is… this is basically an indirect kiss, she thought as her heart pounded hard. Should I? Shouldn't I? Oh my god, what do I do?!
Finally, with her face completely red, she leaned forward and caught the other straw with her lips.
The flavor was exactly the way Izuku had described it: sweet, refreshing, and perfect. But Ochako could barely focus on that when she was completely aware that Izuku was drinking from the same glass just inches away.
The waitress returned with a plate of sandwiches cut into perfect triangles.
"Here you go! Teriyaki chicken sandwiches with fresh veggies. It's the house specialty."
She set the plate between them and walked away with a knowing wink.
Izuku grabbed a sandwich and took a bite.
"These are good," he said after chewing. "Eat, Ochako."
She picked up one of the triangles shyly. The flavor really was excellent.
"Thanks for this, Izuku-kun," she murmured between bites. "Honestly, today was an amazing day."
"Right?" Izuku leaned back on the couch, looking out the window. "We found out your Quirk can invert gravity, which opens up so many possibilities we haven't even started to explore…"
His eyes lit up with excitement.
"Imagine what you could do with that: creating gravitational fields, manipulating the weight of objects depending on the situation…" he stopped and looked at her directly, "you could become one of the most versatile heroines of our generation."
Ochako felt her chest fill with warmth.
"Only because you helped me figure it out," she said softly. "I never would've thought my Quirk could do that."
"But you were the one who pulled it off," Izuku pointed out. "I just gave you a little push. The rest was all you."
They looked at each other for a moment. The sounds of the café faded into the background.
He's so kind, Ochako thought. Cute, funny, and a pervert, but an honest pervert… Why do I like that about him so much?
"Izuku-kun," she began slowly, "can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why did you pick me? I mean… to team up for the practical exam. There are… there are a lot of people out there with more amazing Quirks, but you picked me, a person who almost made a fool of herself on her first day of the exam."
Izuku looked at her like she'd just said the dumbest thing in the world.
"Are you kidding?" he asked, surprised. "Ochako, your Quirk is one of the most powerful ones I've ever seen. The ability to manipulate gravity is absolutely ridiculous in terms of potential."
He leaned forward, his expression turning serious.
"But more important than that: you're brave and kind, and that alone makes you absolutely amazing," Izuku continued. "Of course I'd pick you."
Ochako felt her eyes sting a little.
Don't cry, she ordered herself. Don't cry in the middle of the café. Keep it together.
"Thank you," was all she managed to say.
Izuku smiled and grabbed another sandwich.
"Besides," he added casually, "you've got a really cute butt. That definitely helps."
"IZUKU-KUN!"
Her shriek made several heads turn. Ochako sank into the couch, covering her face with both hands while Izuku laughed openly.
They finished eating between laughs and conversation. When they finally asked for the check, Ochako tried to pull out her wallet.
"Don't even think about it," Izuku blocked her hand. "I already told you, my treat."
He paid at the counter and then headed over to the small display case of café products.
"I wanna take some cookies back for my mom," he muttered while looking over the options. "These chocolate ones look good."
He pointed at a box decorated with a ribbon.
"Two boxes, please," he told the cashier.
"Two?" Ochako asked, confused.
"One for my mom," Izuku took the two boxes the cashier handed him. "And one for you."
He held one of the boxes out to her. Ochako took it automatically, looking at it in surprise.
"Izuku-kun, I don't know how to pay you back for all of this…"
"You already paid for it," Izuku cut her off as they walked toward the exit. "With your company. That's more than enough for me."
They stepped out of the café. The sunset had given way to nightfall and the lights of the city were starting to come on.
"We should do this again sometime," Izuku commented as they walked. "Like, another date or something."
"A d-date?"
Izuku turned toward her with a smile.
"Yeah. I had a lot of fun today. Didn't you?"
"Y-yes! I'd love to!" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. "B-but next time let me pay for a little…"
She scratched her cheek nervously.
Izuku nodded.
"Deal."
Ochako felt like her heart was about to explode from happiness.
He said he wants another date, she thought, stunned. Does that mean this was a date? A real date?
"Well," Izuku looked around, "I'll walk you home."
"You don't have to," Ochako replied quickly. "It's close by already. You don't gotta trouble yourself."
Without saying anything else, Izuku took her hand and started walking.
They walked in silence for a moment. Then Ochako decided to interrupt the wonderful moment.
"Izuku-kun…" she said slowly, "my house isn't that way."
Izuku froze mid step.
"…What?"
"You're walking in the opposite direction," Ochako laughed a little. "My apartment's on the other side."
Izuku's face turned red.
"Oops."
They turned around and started walking in the right direction. Ochako couldn't help laughing at the situation.
"How did someone with such a bad sense of direction manage to graduate middle school?" she teased.
"Luck and my mom's help," Izuku admitted without any shame.
They walked through streets that grew quieter and quieter until they reached a three story building. The white paint was worn and the outdoor hallway had fluorescent lights that flickered every so often.
Ochako stopped in front of the stairs.
"This is it."
Izuku studied the building; it wasn't luxurious at all and looked pretty old and neglected.
They went up to the second floor in silence. Ochako stopped in front of a door.
"This is my apartment," she murmured as she looked for her keys.
She opened the door and turned on the light. From outside, Izuku could see the inside.
It was extremely small: one room that served as both bedroom and living room at the same time. There was hardly any furniture: a rolled up futon in the corner, a low table with a cushion, and a tiny kitchen with only the basics.
What caught his attention most was the white rice in a bowl on the table.
Is that… her dinner? he thought with his heart sinking. Just rice?
Ochako noticed he was staring.
"It's pretty small, huh?" she tried to sound cheerful. "But it's enough for me. And the rent's cheap, so I can send money to my parents."
A tear slid down Izuku's right eye. He wiped it away with a finger while his expression turned serious and determined.
"Ochako-chan!" he exclaimed in a firm voice.
She jumped at the sudden change in tone.
"Y-yes?"
"Don't worry anymore!" he declared with conviction. "With me as your friend, you're never gonna eat just rice and go hungry again!"
Before Ochako could answer, Izuku wrapped her in a tight hug.
Ochako froze. She could feel the warmth of his body, the firm grip of his arms, the beat of his heart against her chest.
"Uhhh… Izuku-kun…" she murmured with her face completely red, "that's… uhhh… that's not my waist…"
Izuku, who had both hands firmly squeezing Ochako's butt, blinked.
"Sorry," he said, "force of habit."
But he didn't let go.
"Don't worry," Izuku went on talking as if he weren't literally kneading her butt right then. "I'm sure your family's gonna pull through. Besides, with me as your trainer, you're gonna be a great heroine in the future. Just don't forget about me, okay?"
Ochako felt her legs going weak. An involuntary moan escaped her lips when Izuku squeezed a little harder.
"Ngh… I-I'll do my best…" she managed to say between uneven breaths. "Th-thanks for… ah… helping me…"
Finally, Izuku let her go. He gave her a couple of pats on the shoulders with a bright smile.
"I gotta head out or my mom's gonna worry," he said cheerfully. "Besides, tomorrow we gotta look at that new ability of your Quirk in more detail. But we'll leave that for later."
Ochako nodded weakly, still recovering.
"See you tomorrow, Ochako-chan."
"S-see you…"
Izuku walked off with a smile on his face, swinging the bag with the cookies in one hand.
Ochako stayed standing in the frame of her door, watching him walk away. When he finally disappeared from sight, she slowly closed the door and let herself slump against it.
Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.
Today was… today was…
A huge smile spread across her face.
The best date of my life.
Izuku walked down the empty streets toward his house, humming a cheerful tune.
Today was a great first date with a cute girl, he thought with satisfaction. We definitely gotta do it again.
The street was dark. The lights flickered every so often, casting strange shadows on the walls.
What he didn't manage to see was the shadow moving underneath a flickering lamp.
A figure stayed hidden in the darkness. The gender wasn't clear; it was too dark to make out any details.
The light started flickering again and the figure was gone.
But where it had been standing, small drops of blood remained, glinting under the intermittent light.
********
Author's Note:
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