Viridity

63

Finally, here you were.

The day of going to the pool finally came and your father literally hauled you out of your room after you began to express your doubts over the fact that you agreed to go. He had to snatch your phone because you kept chiming in how your friends wouldn't be too mad if you bailed... right? Because you genuinely felt like your fear was justified.

What if Shigaraki is waiting in the corner for you to leave so he can hurt your family?

It does seem like something that bastard would do.

But ultimately, you were left with no other choice but to comply to your promise and made your way towards UA.

The moment you did reach the pool area, you grabbed onto one of the many swimsuits UA provided, of your own size and hauled yourself towards the changing rooms. The girls had texted you that they were already here, but you had yet to see them. Maybe they were waiting at the pool?

What you didn't expect, was for the girls to be waiting in the changing room for you. The moment you stepped in, Mina and Hagakure jumped to your side and immediately cried out, "You came!!"

Did they... really think that you would bail? Wow, you didn't think they'd know you so well...

An awkward giggle escaped your lips as you looked at the two clinging onto both your arms, "Uh... of course I did. I wouldn't have skipped for the world." Yeah, you're a professional liar.

"How have you been faring, [Name]-chan?" Momo was the one who approached you next, and you smiled in a way to reassure her, even though you knew your eye bags were a dead giveaway to your state of mind right now, "I'm better now, Momo-chan... the police and the heroes are protecting me and my family so I'm a lot more eased up."

But none of the girls seemed very convinced. In fact, Ochako came up to you with tears lining her doe brown eyes, "[Name]-chan..." Her voice dripped from guilt and you couldn't help but wrap your arms around her form. Even if you were the one who interacted with Shigaraki, you felt a pang in your chest watching your friend beat herself up for leaving you and Midoriya alone to deal with that creepy monster.

You knew it wasn't her fault, but Ochako didn't really seem to share your sentiment.

"There, there, Ochako-chan..." You cooed, and all the girls gave you both some space even if some of them, namely Jiro and Tsu had still wanted to check up on you. But they knew that you needed to talk with Uraraka, because they had also seen the absolute guilt the brunette held in her heart over what had transpired that day.

"I'm sorry... I should have stayed with you... I'm really sorry." Your cute friend muttered as she buried her face in the crook of your neck, while you gently sifted your fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm her down, "Don't apologize, Ochako-chan. It's no one else's fault but that Shigaraki's, definitely not yours. So please don't cry."

Listening to your small request, the brunette tried to muffle her cries as much as she could, and after a little while of calming down, she finally stopped crying and just sniffled every once in a while.

The moment she did stop crying, her brain finally registered what position she was in right now.

Currently hugging you in her swimsuit (it didn't matter if it was a fully covered one, it was still a swimsuit.)

Suddenly, her face flared up in such a bright color of red that you actually got concerned. You leaned over even more, still holding onto the small of her back as you were previously hugging her, and frowned in inquiry, "Ochako-chan, are you okay? You look red... are you sure you don't have a summer flu?"