The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

17

The dark-haired man in front of him offers up a sort of sad smile, taking a small step back. "Right. Well, I guess I'll get going. Don't forget to get everything packed, okay?" he asks. Izuku nods. "I look forward to starting fresh with you soon. Everything will be better soon, I promise."

Izuku nods and wishes Masashi safe travels on the road. He wants to believe that things will be better soon as he'd said. He wants to believe it. He has to believe it. He listens as the door closes and he sighs, turning his attention back to the breakfast he'd intended to make. It doesn't sound as appetizing as it had five minutes ago, so he sighs and makes his way back upstairs to finish getting dressed for his first day back at work. He slips into a comfortable shirt and slips on some socks before making his way back downstairs and slipping on his shoes on his way out the door.

Truth be told, he's excited about going back to work. He looks forward to seeing his friends again. He wonders if Ena will be back in tip-top shape and how Akasuki will be managing after the stressful ordeal she's likely been through with all of it. He wonders if Katsu will be there still or if he would've moved on. Will we still be friends? He chews on the insides of his cheeks as he allows his nerves to get the best of him. He could best describe the feeling as being similar to the feeling one gets on their first day back at school. The nerves aren't bad, they just make him jittery.

He's so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly walks past the cafe. "And where are you off to in such a hurry? I thought you had to work today?" they chuckle from the edge of the sidewalk.

Izuku stops dead in his tracks and looks up to see Ena leaning against the building. The exterior looks vastly different than it did before, even if he had been paying attention, he's not sure he would've stopped, to begin with. The once quaint and almost haphazard decoration of the outside of the cafe is completely gone. Just weeks ago the outside was just a plain open window with a make-do sign posted on the front. Now, it looks like the building is designed specifically with them in mind. The colors even resemble that of the intended color scheme that Suki had shown him when he first started. They never got around to that point, but now the walls outside are eccentric with shades of coral and navy blue. His jaw drops as he takes in the image of the remodeled cafe. There's even an actual sign over the top of the doorway, bold, curly letters reading Blends with Benefits. "How did they pull all of this off?" he asks.

Ena shrugs, "Beats me. Su says it was an anonymous donor, an envelope left outside of her door with a note and a deposit slip."

"That's... insane," he exhales. "It's wonderful, but I can't wrap my head around it."

"Don't question it, I say," she shrugs. "Su is thrilled and so is her pop, so I'm just happy they're happy. Come on, she's waiting for you so that we can open." Ena kicks off the wall and walks into the shop, Izuku following suit. As amazed as he was with the new exterior, he's just as taken aback by the new interior as well. He can only imagine how much time and effort went into designing it all. He looks around the newly refurbished cafe, all of the seating is uniform, the same coral chairs sitting at light grey tables, with dark navy and grey couches sitting on the far edges of the building. He looks toward the counter to see all the new equipment and an actual menu broadcasted over the wall in the back.

Akasuki walks from the back, dusting her hands off on the back of her pants. She stops upon seeing Izuku and smiles, making her way around the counter to give him a hug. She holds him tightly and Izuku finds himself melting into her embrace. He has missed her a lot over the course of the last ten days. She's always been such a comforting presence to have around, whether she's trying to or not. She pulls away from him, her hands resting on his shoulders. "It's so good to see you, Izu," she beams. Her hands pull away and she smiles as she steps back. "Well, looks like the gang's all here. Looks like we can finally get our day started," she sighs contentedly.