Heart-Strings

CH 2

"Next week? Are you sure? Do you have a pinky promise on that?" She held out her pinky for the promise.

—

This may seem childish in other people's eyes, but to them it was one neither ever broke.

—

"Yes, Pinky promise!"

Her mother connected their pinkies and they both looked at each other and let out a smile.

"Ok, good! Thank you mommy." Izumi let go of her pinky and pulled her mom into another bear hug before leaving.

"You're welcome sweetie. Bye!" Inko waved her hand towards her daughter, as Izumi reciprocated that.

Inko let out a small smile of her own and went back to packing her bag for work.

———

It was cold again. Really cold.

Now-a-days the cold seems to bring her thoughts back to the boy she had first seen 2 weeks ago.

She tried to talk to him the other days he came but, sometimes, she would get there late and other times early enough for some small greetings.

Izumi jogged as fast as she could, with her breathing all over the place, wishing to reach the beach before he left.

Today she woke up extra early in hopes of getting to talk to him, but not only for greetings, but for his name.

Her talk with her mother had made a pause on her plans, but she wasn't ready to quit!

——

As she got near the gate, she slowed down her jog to get a breath in.

She looked around searching for the unique coloured hair.

"Yes! He's still here!"

She was too excited for her own good.

She doesn't remember a time when she had been this exited to talk to someone that wasn't a little child.

It doesn't matter

She heaved out a big sigh in hopes of getting all her ragged breathing out in one go.

After all, she didn't want to seem like she died on her short run there.

——

"Hello pretty stranger!"

Her cheeks flushed as if it was not her who was calling someone that, but the other way around.

She lifted her large scarf to cover her face a bit more from the slight embarrassment.

The said stranger looked up, already knowing who it was from the nickname.

"Ah yes, hello."

Silence

—

Izumi felt awkward and went to put down her bag.

The boy got up and stretched slightly.

He was getting ready to run again.

"Ah! Wait!" Izumi shouted, a bit too loud.

"Ah, sorry I didn't mean to say that so loud!" She flushed a light pink.

The stranger looked at her a bit shocked but that was soon replaced with his usual neutral face.

"It's ok. Can I do something for you?" He asked with both confusion and uncertainty.

Izumi, turning redder by the minute, said "Ah yes, sorry, I just wanted to ask for your name."

She said with a soft smile looking at the stranger.

She mentally tried to dismiss her previous situation.

The boy tilted his head, slightly. "My name?"

"Mhm! I feel bad for calling you 'Pretty stranger' even though you have a name, and I want us to be friends!"

Izumi sighed in her mind with relief, even though the words were rushed out, she said everything she had to.

The stranger looked at her confused before he started blushing , very slightly, rather embarrassed about what he's about to say .

" 'm I don't mind you calling me that." He looked to a side before looking back at her.

A way of lowering the slight embarrassment.

Huh?

Izumi's face changed to its normal colour, as she stared at the stranger with fascination.

—

"Is something wrong?" The boy asked.

"No! I just thought that you looked really adorable at the moment." She smiled, chuckling a bit

The stranger's face got slighter pink from the comment.

He never really had anyone called him pretty or adorable, apart from his sister and mother.

It felt slightly strange

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like that."

Izumi laughed a bit, as she felt that she could finally talk to the stranger as if they were a normal person, which they were.

"But even though don't mind the name, I would rather for your name, so it's not awkward, well atleast to me!"

"Oh, I see." The boy nodded as he showed his understanding. "My name is Shouto."

"Ah, ok! Just Shouto? Is that your last name or first name?"

"My first name."

"Ah." Izumi paused a bit, waiting for him to give the last name.

Izumi looked confused when she had not gotten it.

She, being confused, left it off as him not having a last name.

"Maybe he's an orphan?" She tried to make sense of it.

"Ok! Well my name is Midoriya Izumi! Nice to meet you." Izumi stood up to grab Shouto's hand for the greeting.

Shouto nodded and reached out.

"Yes, Likewise."

Izumi let out a smile as she let go of the handshake.

Todoroki checked his watch.

"Sorry I have to be heading out, goodbye Midoriya." He waved, a bit uncertain if that was the way to go about.

Izumi saw this and unconsciously gave an ensuring smile.

"Yes, goodbye Shouto-kun! See you tomorrow."

Izumi waved and watched as Shouto gave a nod and left.