46

Chapter 46: Orange and Pink, Doubts and InsightsNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Itsuka let out a huff as she let herself fall on her bed. Her family's home was more on the Japanese side of styles, so sleeping on this kind of mattresses was a new experience to her and falling on it was easily better than hitting the tatami under in her childhood room. 

The redhead grabbed the towel she had kept on her shoulders and slid it off before throwing it in her "to be washed" basket, missing the center and resulting in the white cloth dangling over the edge. She clicked her tongue, and her eyes moved to gaze at the rest of her room. She didn't rest her sight on family photos and books, instead going for the dangling punching bag in the middle. It surely wasn't a "girly" thing to have—Mina, Toru, and Kinoko had been sorry about their comments about Kirishima's room when they had noticed the similarity, while Setsuna had just rubbed salt in the wound—but it was great for stress relief in a way that some just didn't get. 

Some stress relief of the punching kind would have been nice in that particular moment, but she had just made the horrible choice of spending a while longer talking in the common room, and it was already too late to make that kind of noise. Even if the chattier Setsuna and Pony would still be as awake as she was, Yui, in the room next to hers, was likely already asleep. Moreover, the idea of getting sweaty just before bed or having to take another shower so late took some of the fight away... Not all of it though. 

It had been a tiring day. 

She had gone on an early run after a late night, she had worked on an essay for Cementoss and a research on the history of domino masks for Midnight, she had spent an entire afternoon drilling fighting moves into her classmates, punching and getting punched, and she had shared the most surreal and loud dinner in recent memory. 

They had somehow managed to train until their stomachs grumbled, so the entire group had rushed back to the dorms to shower quickly and get a bite to eat. The only problem was that forty students were a hard force to contain even for the remarkably large kitchen. Some of them were good cooks, but others were either mediocre or only able to burn water. Not boil, burn. How Todoroki had managed that was still a mystery to them. 

She and the other Representatives had to practically work overtime to arrange something that wouldn't spell the demise of their appliances and/or stomachs, as their initial planning for chores just went up in smokes at times like this. 

Then, after they had somehow managed to make everybody happy and engrossed in their servings, Monoma had decided to take the floor to try and hype them all up about their good work and how they'd soon surpass their seniors. The reception of the speech had been... mixed, but overall positive. Most of the doubts came from Monoma being a repeat offender when it came to insulting the rival class, but it seemed like they were willing to give him a second chance. Having seen him participate in their afternoon training had surely helped. Monoma might have been petulant at times and they still didn't know what had brought on the sudden rivalry talk—she didn't believe that it had started because of the spotlight from the U.S.J. at all. Monoma was too smart to not understand the implications of something that traumatizing, so he must have had another reason, but hell if she could guess it—but he also tried to be as helpful as he could whenever possible, offering suggestions and talking about Quirks with an interest and critic eye that resembled Midoriya's. 

- Uh, maybe that's why they suddenly seem like good buddies... - 

Similarities and other thoughts aside, she was relieved by the fact that the blonde had at least changed target before making their dorm life worse. 

One would think that, after a day like that, her body would be begging her to just collapse and sleep the fatigue away... but it wasn't. Despite her best efforts and everything that had happened, she still didn't feel as exhausted as she thought that she should have been. She was improving at handling her stamina, but that wasn't it and she knew it. 

Too many thoughts were still swirling around her head, and sleep never came easily to her in those cases. 

She could try though. 

She moved under the covers and stared at the ceiling before closing her eyes to think and, possibly, fall asleep, before her mind started supplying her with interruptions. 

It all started with two people. 

Ochaco was quickly becoming one of her best friends. She was a blend of warm, blunt, and supportive that anybody would want at their side, with a pinch of headstrongness that came to light every once in a while that Itsuka really liked. Their shared internship had let them discover just how much they had in common, and Itsuka felt comfortable saying that she'd trust the brunette with her life with no regrets. Bonding came easy for them, as they were similar in many regards... Almost too similar, Itsuka would lament, since it just so happened that they seemed to share the same taste when it came to boys. 

It wasn't like she was head over heels for Midoriya, no, but she saw a lot of good things in him that she wouldn't have minded in a significant other. She could try and say that it wasn't really a crush, but the question raised by Mina had left her thinking and, in the end, she realized that she at least liked him more than as just a friend. 

What made matters all the stranger—she didn't want to say "worse." She didn't want to deny herself to that extent—was that she was also feeling the same attraction towards Ochaco. Or a bit more even. She was just so... amazing. Their morning talk had done nothing but strengthen that sensation, as hearing more about her friend's background highlighted how much the brunette was willing to do for her loved ones. Offering her help had come naturally to Itsuka, because she couldn't bear to listen as Ochaco pulled herself down.

So, there came a number of varying emotions regarding those two. 

Itsuka felt stupid for not using the chance given to her by the sleepover to say anything, using her old crush to cover the new one... And she felt like a bit of a hypocrite, as she had told Ochaco to go for it when she herself was so conflicted over what to do. 

The brunette might have been unsure on how to proceed, but she clearly held a lot of affection for the boy. Getting herself in there and trying to interfere didn't sit right with the redhead. It wasn't like the two were destined to be a couple or something, but they did seem awfully compatible. Since she had started paying the two some more attention, Itsuka had noticed how the two shared a propensity for little, generalized acts of kindness. Holding doors or opening them for others, sharing bites of food and drinks when others eyed them, offering a few words in support of whomever seemed to be a having a rough five minutes, always gently asking how things were going... Most of them were kind and cordial, as was expected from would-be Heroes, but the two just took things a step further. 

She couldn't deny that their bright smiles were the same kind of endearing highlight to her day. 

- What to do, what to do... - she thought as she turned under the covers, mistakenly pulling the sheets too much, leaving a foot out in the air, and having to resettle again with a huff. 

- How do I even approach the subject? What can I say? "Hey, I like you, I know you've got a thing for Midoriya but would you give me a chance first?" Ugh, no, that's terrible. "Hey, I like you and Midoriya, want to take a shot at it together?" Hell, nice dream, but it sounds even dumber... - 

Of course, it wasn't like she knew when she could have asked those stupid questions. Ochaco was going to postpone her confession for a while anyway. She had to gather her courage and figure out the best way to do it, or so she had said. But Itsuka knew that something bothered her, because it was probably another thing that was stopping her from speaking up: What about the others? 

Tsuyu, Momo, and Toru seemed to like Midoriya just as much as she and Ochaco did, if not more, since they at least had the gall to say it out loud. She didn't know about what Mina and Kyoka felt, but she had seen them get very close to the greenette too. And speaking of green hair, given all the interest she'd showed recently, maybe Setsuna was to be added to the equation now? Or was she just kidding, as per usual? Then there was Hatsume, who had absolutely no respect of boundaries and had seemed incredibly close to Midoriya from the moment he had introduced her. 

She had kicked to the curb a stray thought that had told her how some would be more deserving than others. Fuck that shit. It wasn't a matter of "deserving" anything. Midoriya wasn't a prize to be taken away from others, and starting comparisons between the lot of them would only make the whole thing seem wrong, dirtier. But when so many amazing people all strived for the same goal, it couldn't help but seem like a competition, as wrong as that was. 

A part of her kind of wanted to be angry at him for allowing this whole mess, but what could she berate him about? Being too kind and understanding? 

Nah. Itsuka was mature enough to accept this as the hormonal mess that it was, and nobody was really at fault here. Or at least, not yet. 

They were just ten stupid students possibly about to fight over romantic interests, with a good chance of damaging their budding friendships. No big deal. Just teens being teens... 

Which was kind of a problem, as Itsuka hated drama and stalemates. The whole "will they, won't they" was never her favorite trope, and now she understood why. 

She so wanted to hit something; her palms were itching. 

Her brain was only offering more questions and no real answers. 

A look at the clock on her bedstand revealed how she had already spent more than half an hour on nothing. She grunted and got up, throwing away the covers and moving to put on some casual clothes. It may have been already dark out, but she needed to unload some of her tension. 

- Another shower it is, - she thought with a frown, leaving the room soon after. 

Mina tossed and turned under her black, pink-dotted, satin sheets. As nice as they felt on the skin, they weren't giving any manner of satisfaction to the girl in the moment, only the frustration of something that's never in quite the right position for sleep. 

Of course, that was most likely an excuse she was making to avoid the real reason why she was finding it extremely hard to fall asleep. 

In truth, it was all the fault of a smug, motivated frog. 

With her stomach finally filled with pancakes, whipped cream, and strawberries, Mina happily skipped to her door, opening the way for her guest. Taking a look inside, she remembered that she had forgotten to make her bed the day before, as she had just taken her pillow before running off to the sleepover. 

"You can sit wherever," she offered, "but I suggest my spinny." 

"It's fine," Tsuyu nodded, walking over to the chair as Mina jumped to make her bed somewhat presentable before sitting on it. "I have seen messier rooms, ribbit." 

She chuckled, thankful that most of her stuff was piled up inside her drawers and wardrobe. 

"So, you wanted to chat?" Mina asked, tilting a bit forward as she let her legs dangle by the bed's edge. 

"Yes," the frog girl croaked with a nod. "I'll go straight to the point, ribbit. Did you lie during the game?" 

"Did I... lie?" she echoed, inadvertently getting defensive. "Wha- No! why would I-" 

Her frown must have been a clear sign of her confusion, because Tsuyu soon raised her hands to stop her and correct her own statement. 

"Sorry, ribbit, I could have phrased that better," the frog girl interjected. "I guess some anxiety is getting to me, ribbit." 

Mina's eyes widened in surprise. Tsuyu didn't seem like the type to get anxious... or at least she never showed it outwardly. The pinkette was quite surprised, as she had expected the topic to be Tsuyu's own crush... but was that off the plate if she was that anxious about something? 

The greenette raised her index to her lips as she looked up thoughtfully. "Let's see... To start, ribbit, I'll say that I don't think that you did it intentionally. And even if you did, it was a lie by omission at most. You probably haven't even thought of that until now, ribbit." 

"Thought of what?" Mina, eyes narrowed, asked. 

"Your crush," the frog girl croaked. "You said, 'never have I ever had a crush,' but I don't think that's true. At least not completely, ribbit." 

- What the hell is she talking about? - 

Mina was sort of understanding where the other intended to go with her talk, but she didn't get why or how she had reached her conclusions. 

"Why'd you think that?" 

Tsu hummed, seemingly happy for the question. "Do you remember that Kyoka asked if the 'no lying' rule also worked for our own statements?" 

She did remember, just as she remembered the punk's strange glance. 

"I do..." she let out, nodding along. 

"Well, ribbit, before speaking, she was looking quite intensely in your direction. And, despite your self-proclaimed title of game master, you didn't speak up to confirm or deny anything, ribbit," Tsuyu went on. "Rings a bell, ribbit?" 

"Uh... yeah..." she admitted. "I kinda didn't wanna mess up Setsuna's score, so I let you all decide instead." 

Tsuyu tilted her head as she kept her gaze squared on her. "Ribbit. Was that the only reason?" 

"Yeah?" she frowned a bit, slightly annoyed. Was Tsu being petty? "Why wouldn't it be? I'm sorry if that didn't let you get your hands on a solo second place, but Set made an honest mistake!" 

"Oh, I don't care about all that, ribbit," Tsuyu waved her hand to deny her statement. "The competition was fine, and I'm okay with how it ended. No, I'm more interested in your statement." 

And there she went again. If the competition wasn't the point, why bring it up? 

Mina huffed. "Look, Tsu, I really don't know what you want to hear. Can we stop running in circles and go back to the point? I promise I won't get mad this time." 

Tsuyu blinked before nodding. "Yes, ribbit, sorry. I just wanted to ease you into it... But if you're asking..." 

"I am, come on," she confirmed. 

The frog girl moved in her seat, crossing her legs and straightening her back a bit. "Okay then. Mina... have you ever had a crush?" 

She raised one of her eyebrows, unsure about the girl's endgame, but played along. "No, and you know that." 

"Do you have a crush on someone right now?" 

"'Now' still counts in 'ever,' right?" she huffed. "No, Tsu, I don't have a crush on anyone." 

Tsu leaned in, keeping her eyes on hers. "Ribbit, not even on Midoriya?" 

At that, Mina had to stop to think, an "Of course not," getting stuck on her tongue before she could utter a single syllable. 

She didn't have a crush on Midori, did she? 

It would have been pretty damn embarrassing if that were the case, since she prided herself about being such an expert of love and all related matters. But that just couldn't be, could it? 

- I mean, he's cute and all, but... - she thought hard, but her brain didn't provide her with excuses or reason to avoid the topic. She had to think harder. 

Yaomomo's and Tsu's speeches came to mind but, although she could agree with them on some points, she had to listen only to herself for this. She could make a quick checklist, though it was a bit rough as a method. Midori wasn't just a series of points and questions... but she had to start somewhere! Tsu had simplified it too, right? 

- Alright... Midori is... 

Nice? Yes. Very, very much so. 

Caring? Damn, he takes care of everybody else, like, constantly. And I can't forget about Eri, the sight of them is sweet enough to give diabetes. 

Smart? Yeah, and a damn good tutor too. I managed to understand stuff that would have given me migraines for weeks thanks to him. 

Funny? Somehow, yeah. He's no prankster, but he can make people laugh. Make me laugh. 

Cute? Yup. It's almost unfair. Damn freckles. 

Strong? Hell, he's off the scale. 

Handsome? … Yeah, I've seen him up close. Tsuyu's wrong: he isn't fit, he's a damn marble statue. His uniform hides way too much. 

What else? - 

As she fell deeper in thought, Mina inadvertently brought her thumb to her mouth and began biting her fingernail. 

- He helped me with my Quirk—though he does that with everyone—and gave me pointers to improve... His hair is so fluffy, practically as good as mine... The stuff he cooks is sooo good... He suggested my Hero name too... - 

Mina couldn't help but remember that jumping into his arms and teasing him had been her go-to move very often (it just felt right?!), and she couldn't deny that staying there, even if only for a few moments, was very, very nice. 

- Wait, are my- Fuck, - she mentally cursed, realizing that her cheeks had turned lilac. 

She did have a crush on Midori, didn't she? 

Getting out of her own head, Mina raised her gaze to meet her guest's. Tsuyu was lazily looking at her with a visible, if unusual, smile while ribbiting contently. She had probably taken her prolonged silence and the new shade of purple on her face as the confirmation she wanted. 

"Alright, you smug frog, you had it right," Mina grumbled, admitting her loss. "I'm crushing on Midori. Happy now?" 

"Very much so," Tsu hummed. "It means you have good taste, ribbit." 

"Ha ha," Mina let out a dry laugh, letting herself fall on her back and sink in her mattress before pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. 

"So, are you going to tease me to death?" she asked sarcastically, looking at the other with eyes half-lidded. "You'd better start now, 'cause I think I'm gonna try and use that pillow to end my suffering in a moment." 

Tsu produced something between a croak and a chuckle. "Nah. Getting to be the one to tell you about your own crush was already satisfactory, ribbit." 

"Ain't that nice," she sighed. Mina waited for a few moments in silence before asking another, less stupid question. "Why'd you wanna know anyway?" 

She saw Tsu perk up at that, the hint of a smile turning wider and smugger. 

"Because I'm looking for an ally," the greenette claimed, "and I think you'll like my proposal." 

She groaned into her pillow. 

The frog girl's idea was... interesting, to say the least. Not what she would have expected from someone so outwardly reserved, but preconceptions were meant to be shattered, right? 

Still, she couldn't say yes just like that. 

- Yeah... Some things need a bit more time to think about... Just like those problems... - she tried to reason with herself before groaning again. "Ugh, did I just compare my love life to math? End me..." 

Mina pressed her face against the pillow, but the thing wouldn't smother her as she had sarcastically thought that morning. 

A part of her wanted to throw herself in the plan and see where she would land, sure, but for once something more reasonable had left her lips. Mina's "Can I think about it?" had been met with an understanding nod and a "Thanks for listening," from Tsuyu, leaving her with questions she would need to find answers for by herself. Nobody else knew her as well, after all. 

She had asked for time to think, and now she had it... Which also meant that her brain wasn't letting her evade the topic that had been rattling in her skull for hours. 

She had been looking for a feeling like this for herself since the first time she'd seen someone else's cheeks get rosy at the thought of somebody they liked. She had prompted and supported affection for others as much as she could, somewhat gaining a rep as a "guru of love" in her middle school... And now she was feeling like the carpet had been yanked out from under her feet, leaving her stumbling, ass up, face in the dirt, and with a small swarm of butterflies in her belly. 

Damn, was this how all the girls she had prompted into confessing had felt? No wonder people got shy about matters of the heart. 

Their training had helped in letting her let out some steam, but she couldn't help but sneak some glances around. She did like what she saw—which at least confirmed part of Tsu's theories—and she hoped that nobody else had noticed her distraction, though she did play her part pretty well against Todoroki and Pony. 

To make matters worse, the whole thing had left her all hot and bothered and—although she had already relieved herself of that with some "quality time"—she still couldn't find any way for sleep to take her. 

She let out a mix between a sigh and a moan, making her covers fall off her shoulders. They had plans for tomorrow, and it wouldn't do for her to be anything less than bubbly for the little ray of green sunshine that would visit the dorm. She needed a way to cool her jets, one that wouldn't require her to run herself rugged again. Her sore muscles wouldn't like that very much. 

- Fuck it, double bath it is, - she thought, going to grab her stuff and being thankful for having done her laundry on time.

Itsuka hummed lightly as the water hit her skin. The droplets' peal helped fill her mind with sounds instead of thoughts for a bit. She'd willingly pay the price of having to dry her hair again for this moment of inner peace. 

Her relaxation soon turned into startlement when the bath's door rolled open, preceding the sounds of fast steps entering. She turned to see a messy mane of pink and a pair of eyes that looked as surprised as she felt. 

"Itsuka?" the pinkette asked. 

"Oh, Hi A- Mina," she replied, forgetting for a moment that they were all on a first name basis. 

The girl grinned. "Gotta say, I was wondering who else could've been here at this hour, but didn't expect you of all people! Nice to know that even a Class Rep doesn't care that much for curfew either," Mina teased as she stepped closer. 

"Well, it's Saturday and that's more about leaving the building anyways," she shrugged off the insinuation. She hadn't come here expecting to converse as much as Mina's presence made her expect to, but she wouldn't just rudely shoot her down. "I surely wouldn't be doing this on a school night." 

"Eh, same," the pinkette snickered, going for the showerhead next to hers. 

The proximity caused a few drops from Itsuka's drizzle to fall on the other girl's arm, making her squeal and jump back. 

"Damn girl, that's ice! Do you want to stay awake for a week?!" 

Itsuka let out an amused chuckle. Many didn't share her preference for cold water, and Mina clearly wasn't in her faction. 

"Nah, but it's just how I like it." She shook her head lightly. "It's good for your body, especially after a workout." 

One of Mina's eyebrows rose, her expression clearly filled with doubt. "How so?" 

"Well, it helps increase blood circulation, which is always good, and it reduces soreness, which is a godsend after training," she explained, giving the reasons her mother had taught her. 

"Uh, and here I thought it only helped with weight loss," the other mused before quickly adding a, "Not that you'd need it!" after a quick look that got the girl's cheeks to turn slightly purplish. 

Itsuka chuckled. "Thanks, I worked hard for these," she replied, showing off her flexed bicep a bit. Nothing wrong in being proud of her hard-earned gains, was there? 

"I betcha," Mina giggled, now safe behind her own curtain of warm water. "Aaah, that hits the spot... Any other reasons you're subjecting yourself to that torture you call a shower? 'Cause I don't think I'm sold yet," she asked, playfully flicking a few drops in her direction. 

"Well..." Itsuka thought aloud. "It should help with stress and anxiety. I think it's about releasing endorphins to improve your mood, or something on that note." 

"Uh, that's something I wouldn't mind..." Mina hummed, seemingly interested by that detail, before closing her eyes as she stood under the warm rain. "You got some of that anxiety too?" 

She let out a huff. - Do I ever... Wait, too? - 

"Mine is making it a bit hard to sleep," the girl continued with a dejected groan. 

"Kind of, yeah," she said, eyeing the other girl carefully to see her reaction. "Same thing for me." 

"Mm, sorry to hear that," Mina said, her shoulders lowering a bit. "I'd say I'm glad that I'm not the only one too anxious to sleep, but that sounds shitty to me. I've just... got a lot to think about, ya know?" 

"Yeah," she nodded, starting to think on how to proceed. 

She didn't know the other girl very well, most of her knowledge coming from the few interactions they had while hanging out with others. Mina seemed just as snoopy as Setsuna was on matters of gossip, so sharing personal stuff with her might not be the smartest move to make... But it wasn't like thinking about her problems by herself had resulted in anything but tedium and sleeplessness. 

"Want to talk about it?" Itsuka offered, hoping that she wouldn't regret her choice. 

"Funny, I was about to ask the same thing to you," Mina giggled, giving her an amused smile. 

Itsuka nodded, having rightly guesses where the conversation was going. Maybe they wouldn't find the answers they wanted with the other, but it was worth at least giving it a shot, right? 

Before going through with this crazy idea, she asked for one last confirmation. "Just... Can you promise me that you won't talk about this to the others?" 

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Mina replied, mimicking a quick sign on her chest. "I swear. If your stuff is as bad as mine there's no chance I'd do that to you. I don't even know what's making me try to open up right now," the pinkette admitted. 

"Same. We must be too tired to make better decisions," she said, getting Mina to chuckle. 

The horned girl turned off her shower and gestured towards the large pool in the middle of the room. "Wanna get more comfortable? I know it's no frozen torment, but a nice bath always helps me relax." 

She rolled her eyes at the slight teasing, but nodded. "A change of perspective won't harm, I guess." 

"Nice," the pinkette chuckled before they happily took their places in the summery paradise. 

The two girls kept talking for a long while, taking their leave from the baths only after their curiosity had been sated, with some answers and some new questions. 

Perhaps, had they left a bit earlier or a bit later, they would have seen another pair sneak out of their rooms...