Compulsion

Chapter 34: Midoriya Fights a Tree

Mina didn't like the fact that her eyes were opening. She didn't like the fact that her alarm was going off. She didn't like the fact that it was daylight. A groan escaped her lips as she sat up, scrunching up the blanket, before swinging her legs free. "I couldn't..." Her palms dug against her eyes; rid herself of the lingering crust of sleep. "Ugh!" She arched her back as she shook her head. "I can't believe, 'Is this what Midoriya smells like?' was my first thought...!?" Her face was flushed, turning her pink skin red. "AAHHH!"

She froze stiff when she heard a wrapping of knocks against the door. "Hey..." It was Midoriya because of course it was. "I... uh... don't really know what your morning routine is, but um..." Her legs slowly slid out from under her as she safely fell to the ground. "Small apartment - thin walls. Y-You really can't be that loud, so... We really... um, have to be mindful about that." Her hands slowly covered her face as she hunched over. "So, yeah..." She shook her head. "G-Good talk - um... breakfast will be ready soon." She heard his footsteps cautiously and awkwardly walk away from his old bedroom door.

"I wanna die..." she thought. "I want a hole to open underneath me and swallow me whole...!" Another, quieter groan escaped her lips before shaking her head. "God..." Her palms smacked against her cheeks once or twice. "I gotta get it together..." She pushed herself onto her feet. "It's just... It's just Midoriya and Ms. Midoriya - Ms. Inko."

Mina pushed herself through her actual morning routine, getting dressed in the bare bones of her Shiketsu uniform. She stepped down the hall and spotted the folded futon in the corner of the living room. A turn of her body faced her towards the kitchen and dining table. All that high-strung anxiety that bubbled in her veins quickly quieted as she saw Inko leave the kitchen, setting the table.

"Good morning!" beamed Inko as she stepped out of her son's way as he placed drinks upon the table. "Did you have a good night's rest?"

"Yep! I slept like a baby," she lied through her teeth.

"That's great!" Inko pulled out the chair for her. "Come! We should all get breakfast down before..." She giggled, "Well, I guess we all have to go to work, don't we?"

Mina nodded, "Y-Yeah, I guess we do." She took her seat as Inko moved to sit across from her and Midoriya sat next to her. "W-What about you, Midoriya?" She nudged his shoulder, "I hope the floor wasn't too rough."

"Eh, it's good for your back," he said as he shrugged in his seat.

Her face contorted, "Is it?"

"No..." he whispered, subtly shaking his head.

Which earned a chuckle from Mina as she turned to Inko who opened her mouth to speak.

-X-

Mina turned back around as Midoriya closed the door behind them. In uniform, the pair made their way down the staircase and onto the sidewalk. "They seem like clockwork... Ms. Inko cooks breakfast, they eat, she leaves, and he makes sure everything's off in the apartment before he locks up..." She scratched her cheek. "Now that I actually think about it... That seems pretty normal..." She teetered her head. "Maybe I'm the abnormal one... Are most moms and dads gone before dawn...?" Her flat gaze widened for a moment, blinking, "Huh... They didn't have a lot of pictures hanging around the place... The few that I remember just had Ms. Inko and Midoriya in them..."

"He said it wasn't a sore spot, but then he got up and left pretty quickly afterwards..." She gave a subtle glance to Midoriya as they walked towards the train station. "Well, if it isn't one, I could ask him about it... If it is one, I'd have to apologize profusely after..." Her mind recalled the day they all properly met: that study session in Kaminari's room. "We all said we'd go see the fireworks display together... Hm..." Another detail from that day hitched onto her train of thought before she pondered, "Did Midori have a lot of friends growing up here?"