It was about 6:15 a.m. in the morning in the city of Musutafa, Japan. Inside a dark room with walls painted pink and a ceiling coated with glowing stars, an alarm clock beside the bed was currently making a beeping noise. A lump covered with the sheets slowly began to move on the bed.
"Ochaco, dear! Your alarm's been going off for fifteen minutes!" a woman's voice from outside the room said. "You're going to be late for your first day back at school!"
The lump slowly uncovered itself to reveal a drooling teenage girl with brown messy hair wearing light pink pajamas. As she scratched her head, she spoke as loud as she could.
"Got it, Mom! Coming!" she shouted while slowly getting out of her bed only to fall to the ground due to her sheets still wrapped around her leg. Looking at it, she gave a sigh while laughing a little. "Well that's one way to start the day"
After getting her leg unstuck, she stood up, stretched, and opened the curtain and window to see the sun shining brightly. She proceeded to the bathroom, took one good look in the mirror, and nearly freaked out.
"Gah!!! I can't even let Deku see me like this again!" she said quickly stripping herself from her pajamas and hopping into the shower. As she bathed, she used both hands to scrub her hair and wash it off.
After freshening up and drying off her hair, she opened her closet and placed on her uniform from her shirt down to her skirt and stockings. Feeling ready, she grabbed her bag and exited the room to the kitchen to see her mom making breakfast while her dad sat at the table reading a newspaper.
"Morning Mom, morning Dad," she said hugging them from behind and giving each a kiss on the cheek.
"Good morning Ochaco. Are you ready for your first day back to school?" Kokoa asked as she turned off the stove while earning a nod from her daughter.
"Yup, going back to school after Christmas break always feels great," she said taking a seat. Kokoa came to the table with plates of fried eggs and bacon. Ochaco's mouth began to water at the sight of the food. As soon as the plate touched the table, she clasped her hands together thanking for the food, and began chowing down the food not knowing that her movements caused something to drop from her skirt pocket. Upon hearing the thud, she looked down to see what it was.
"Wah!!!" she shouted while jumping off the chair to quickly grab it. Holding it close to her chest, she took deep breaths hoping her parents didn't see it. But, unfortunately...
"Oh honey, is that what I think it is?" she heard mom say from behind her.
"It's not what it looks like Mom," Ochaco said slowly turning her head to look at her with one eye with both cheeks forming a darker shade of red.
"Really? Cause that looks exactly like that 'lucky charm' little Izuku got you for Christmas," Kozo said smirking behind his newspaper. "And what a coincidence that it was in your pocket right when you were about to go back to school"
"Daddy!" Ochaco said in a whining voice as her cheeks went darker with red. As her parents laughed, she stood up and dusted off her skirt.
"It's just a keychain daddy. I'm just keeping it close and all..." she said holding the toy in her hand. As she stared at it, she began to remember last year when Inko, Sachi, and Izuku surprised her and her parents in our apartment for a Christmas party. She didn't have much money at the time, so all she could get him was a bag of Sticky Cut Mochi. Izuku on the other hand, gave her an All Might Keychain.
Last Month......
"Sorry, it's not much," Izuku said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Ochaco on the other hand held it up and looked at Izuku with a smile.
"Are you kidding?! I love it!" she said happily.
"Really?" Izuku said happily.
"Yeah, I'll think of it like a Lucky Charm," she said playing with the string. Her eyes then went to the Mochi bag that Izuku was holding in his hand and frowned. "I just wished I could've gotten you something better"
Seeing the frown on her face, Izuku smiled and ripped open the bag gaining Ochaco's attention. One by one, she watched as he tossed a piece of mochi into his mouth.
"I love your gift Ochaco. It's sweet and tasty," he said while chewing. Once he swallowed, he looked at her and said, "I don't care what I get, as long as it's from you, I'm happy"
Present......
Ever since he told her that, her heartbeat accelerated like crazy whenever he remembered that smile he gave her. Every time she approaches him, she feels something in her chest that makes her see him in a different light. Her chest feels so fuzzy and her legs become jelly. Thankfully, as she stared at the keychain and rubbed her thumb on the head part, the only thing she felt was the fuzzy feeling in her chest.
"...and safe," she said smiling unconsciously as she continued to daydream about the boy across from her door.
"Ahem!" a voice said snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see her parents staring at her with sly looks on their faces which increased her embarrassment. "Shouldn't you be heading to school?"
Though she was still feeling flustered, her eyes widened as she looked at the clock on the wall.
"Shoot, I gotta go," she said before she stuffed the rest of the food in her mouth, grabbed her bag, and rushed towards the door. What she didn't expect, was for something or someone to be standing outside of the door when she opened it. Before she knew it, she was lying on the ground on top of the person.
"Heh, heh, good morning Ochaco," the person she was on top of said laughing. Knowing very well who that male voice belonged to, she pushed herself off him and looked down at the freckled face and green eyes of the boy she had known for many years. The one who was always determined to become a hero, even if he didn't have a quirk like her, and a total geek when it comes to all superheroes including All Might. "Are you ok?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Um, Good Morning Deku," she said nervously while pulling back a bit of her hair. Now that she had gotten a better look at him, despite not having much of a muscular body, she had noticed that not only he has gotten a lot taller but he was a lot more handsome than when they were kids. She's watched him and admired him not just for his smarts but also his personality. Whenever he mutters or gets embarrassed, she finds it so adorable that she secretly laughs behind his back. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to just stare at his face a little longer.
"Um, can you get off me now?" Izuku said to her with a visible blush on his face. Snapping out of her daze, and realizing the position they were in, she quickly scurried off him.
"I-I-I'm sorry Deku," she said pulling back some of her hair while turning her head away so he didn't see her face which was crimson red. Thankfully, Izuku didn't notice as he got up and simply dusted off his uniform.
"Nah, it's ok. Besides, this isn't the first time you've been this clumsy," Deku said using his fist to cover his laughter. "Like that time when we were younger, you tried to use your Zero Gravity to get to the counter to get a taste of the cake dough from the bowl only to fall in, and have your whole shorts covered in batter"
Upon hearing that, she quickly punched him in the arms while giving him a death glare.
"I told you not to bring that up again," she said with an angry pout as he rubbed the part of the arm she punched.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," Deku said raising up his arms. "It's still funny though"
"You better watch it, mister," she said still glaring at him while pointing her finger. Her anger was then soothed by the sound of a 'meow.' Upon feeling a soft sensation rubbing against the stockings on her legs, she looked down to see a big black cat rubbing its fur on her while looking up at her.
"Sachi, my baby girl!" Ochaco said kneeling down and scratching the cat she and Izuku took care of for years. When they started Middle School, she used some of the money she saved and bought her a gold bell so she could look like those Maneki-neko dolls. For years, the two of them took care of her like she was their child by orienting on where she stayed whether it was her apartment or his. "Have you been a good girl?"
"She was Ochaco. I was just letting her out so she can walk out until I come back," Izuku said bending down to rub the fur on top of Sachi's head. "Cat's gotta have their freedom too"
"Can't argue with that," Ochaco said standing back up. She watched as Sachi stretched before leaping towards Izuku who caught her in his arms.
"Hey, you want me to walk you down to the bus stop?" he asked which caused Ochaco's cheeks to burn up. Putting both hands together, and rubbing them while looking down, she struggled to give her answer.
"Huh? I mean... I don't mind... It's just..." she said before looking up slightly at his eyes. "I don't wanna make you late for your first day back"
"It's okay, Ochaco. I don't mind," he said proceeding to the staircase. "We go to different schools remember, so classes for me won't start for another hour. You on the other hand..."
As he trailed off, Ochaco raised her head remembering what the time said on the clock in her apartment. Not even bothering to say anything, she ran alongside Izuku down the stairs with Sachi running in front of them. Once they reached the bottom, they approached the outer gate of their apartment where they halted and turned to look at Sachi.
"Okay Sachi, be a good girl and don't wander off too far okay?" Izuku said to the kitty who meowed in response and walked in another direction. Ever since they could remember, Sachi has learned how to get back home from wherever, since they have taken to almost everywhere they go, whether to the park, to the mall, the store, or even at school.
Once she was out of sight, the two began walking down the sidewalk, making small talk.
"So Deku..." Ochaco said slightly looking at the tall boy beside him. "Aunt Inko said that before the break, your school asked for you all to submit forms for the High School you want to go to"
"Yeah, they did," Deku said with a confident smile.
"I guess it's obvious which school you wrote down huh?" she said giggling a bit when he nodded. Her laughing went down a bit before looking down with a sulk. "But, do you really think you'll be able to get in?"
"What do you mean?" Izuku said in a surprised tone. "We both promised we're gonna be heroes remember?"
She then remembered the promise they made when they first met on how they both were gonna be heroes, be partners.
"I know, I remember," she said still looking down to the road. "It's just that, being a hero is dangerous and without a quirk..."
The sound of steps behind her suddenly stopped causing her to stop talking and cease hers too. She looked back to see Izuku standing there in silence with his hair covering his eyes. Ochaco on the other hand took it the wrong way and began to panic thinking she might have upset him.
"No! I mean... It's not that I doubt you... and I..." she said trying to come up with the words to speak but once Izuku spoke, her talking ceased.
"You said you wanted to be a hero because you want to give your parents an easy life right?" he said in a low voice which Ochaco nodded to. "If you're going to be the one who's protecting people, then who's gonna be the one to protect you?"
Upon hearing that, the girl gasped. She completely forgot Izuku cared about her, and that he was willing to do anything to help or protect her.
"When I become a hero, I won't just protect people. I want to protect you, right partner?" he said holding up a fist. Ochaco looked down at it and then back at his face.
This reminds her of the first fist bump they gave each other on the day they first met when they promised to be heroes together no matter the cost. With a confident smile, she nodded her head and returned the bump.
"Okay," she said as both of them shone off each other's grins. A minute later, they arrived at the bus stop and waited a little. Ochaco told Izuku he could just leave her, but he insisted on staying which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
Eventually, the bus came up, and as soon as the door opened, Ochaco stepped not before turning to wave Izuku bye.
"See you later Deku," she said standing on the step.
"Let's hang out at the mall later and get some ice cream, my treat," he said waving her back. As the door closed and the bus began moving, Ochaco went to take her seat at looked out the window to see what looked like smoke rising in the distance. She then looked down to see Izuku running in the direction of the smoke with an excited look on his face.
Though the bus was moving, she continued to stare at the boy as he ran off in the distance. Her thoughts were then interrupted by someone who just so happened to have taken a seat next to her.
"Hey, um excuse me?" the person from beside her said. Ochaco turned her head and looked up at the person to see it was a blonde-haired man. Getting a better look at him, she could clearly tell he was not Japanese and yet he spoke it so fluently. "Hope you don't mind I sit here"
"Oh uh, not at all sir," she responded back looking back out the window. A minute later she heard the man speak up again.
"Sorry, but I couldn't help but see you wave to that green-haired boy earlier. He your boyfriend or something?" he asked with a voice of curiosity. Ochaco's face, on the other hand, grew red like a volcano as steam puffed out of her ears in embarrassment.
"N-No sir!" she said waving both her hands. "He's just my neighbor and best friend. I've known him since kindergarten that's all!"
The man stared at her and chuckled at her exaggeration.
"Alright, alright. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable," he said in understanding. "He just seems like a nice kid that's all"
Ochaco's face began to cool down as she heard that. Nodding her head in agreement, she turned to look out the window again.
"He's not only nice. He's kind, honest, funny and to top it off, selfless," she said thinking about the memories she and Izuku made. As she spoke, she was completely unaware that her cheeks were still blushing red. "We both promised each other that we would go to UA High and become heroes. I don't know, maybe it's just an excuse for the two of us to stay together"
As he listened, the man laid back in his chair and smiled.
"Sounds to me like you two have a strong bond. Reminds me of how my wife and I used to be when we were around your age," he said in a calm voice. Though she just met him, Ochaco turned to look at him with curiosity.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yup. She was an honest, kind, fair, and kinda clumsy girl," he said clearly. "But then, the two of us got involved in a lot of situations together that made us who we are right now"
"Wow," Ochaco said. "What did you guys do together?"
The man simply turned his head so he could face her, but instead moved his eyelids to the window.
"Judging by the uniform those girls are wearing, I'm guessing that's your school?" he said causing Ochaco to quickly look out the window and see teens around her age walking into a tall building.
"Oh, Crap!" she said quickly taking up her bag, scooched past the man's legs, and rushed to the door of the us. "Thank you!"
As she exited the bus and ran into her school, the man she was talking to stared at her school with interest.