Chapter Text
“Uraraka, help me I’m drowning in feelings.”
It wasn’t the way Ochako had pictured this encounter would unfold. Sure, she got the hint that Izuku was experiencing adolescent love endeavors; she had noticed the way he would hide from the other boys when they chattered about their crushes, or the way he ever so inconspicuously leaned in to eavesdrop on their conversations, nonetheless, as if he could gain some knowledge from their experiences.
Most importantly, Ochako remembered clearly the day she surprised Izuku at his desk before he had put his notes away and caught a glimpse of some interesting doodles: red hearts.
The hearts lined the page in a symmetrical, purposeful pattern. A single name was written with blue ink inside some of the hearts with colors idly contrasting. Ochako never got the chance to read that name because Izuku hastily slammed the notebook shut and began muttering at a pace much faster than usual (if that was even humanly possible).
After the incident Ochako often daydreamed in awe at this new information. What kind of girl was Izuku into? He probably would like someone he was already close to, right? She began a long list of the girls she had seen in any sort of interaction with her friend. Hatsume Mei was at the top (out of jealousy probably), Tsuyu, and Ashido next. Maybe Hagakure? Oh, and who could forget those from Class 1-B? Ochako paused when she realized she forgot to count herself. She was the closest to Izuku, right? Was it too far-fetched to think he might like her?
Ochako faltered at her wishful thinking. She wasn’t sure, but for quite a while now she knew she had a mild crush on Izuku; such a feeling would be dangerous if she didn’t immediately leash it. Though, this never stopped her from daydreaming about a world where Izuku reciprocated her feelings wholly and happily.
But life never goes the way one expects it to go.
Which is why she is standing in a familiar room with All Might staring down at her from all sides mockingly, as she listens to her best friend pour out his heart without realizing just how much harm he is doing to her.
“You like.. Todoroki?” Ochako asks.
“I like Todoroki,” Izuku repeats.
Ochako hesitates. In all of her predictions and dreams of how it would play out never in a million years she would have expected this. Ochako glances up at a pair of eyes— matched with a toothy grin and muscular physique— that bores holes into her own as she processes the news she‘s just heard.
“Wow.. um.. Sorry, I didn’t know you were into guys.” Is the best that Ochako could come up with. Izuku reddens, and Ochako inwardly curses herself. “I don’t have any problem with it!” She hurriedly corrects,“I’m just surprised is all. I honestly thought you liked Hatsume.”
“Hatsume? I — No, I don’t. Why would you think that?”
Ochako’s face flushes. “Um.. because you get along so well?” (Yep, definitely jealousy)
Izuku lets out a breathy laugh, killing Ochako on the inside. “I mean, maybe, if I wasn’t already so far gone.”
Izuku averts his eyes and Ochako finds herself following his piercing green eyes to the blackened, tattered notebook sitting atop his dresser in a demolished glory. It reads “Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13”. She knows he’s got all sorts of information packed away in that little book, including finer details on his crush apparently. She briefly wonders what he’s written down about her.
She looks back at Izuku, who has begun muttering again. “If I get some flowers or chocolate or something at least it’ll make up for any embarrassment or awkwardness I’ll cause him by my confession. Oh, does he like flowers though? I’ve seen him eating the cafeteria chocolate chip cookies so I assume he enjoys sweets. Yeah, perhaps the flowers would be a bit much. I can always bake him some-“
Ochako clears her throat and regrettably Izuku’s mouth snaps shut immediately.
“Oh! Sorry, I’m muttering again..” Izuku lowers his face in embarrassment.
“Oh goodness Deku no, it’s alright” -she waves her hands dismissively before continuing with her original thought- “I uh, have some experience with baking, so I can lend you a hand?”
He brightens at this, lifting his freckled face once more. “You’re a lifesaver, Uraraka! Are you free after school this Thursday?” He can’t seem to keep the excitement out of his voice. “I do plan on letting Todoroki know soon, but I’m not sure I’m quite ready yet. I can make him some treats as a peace offering for now.”
Ochako nods in agreement. “You can take your time, Deku,” she reminds him. “It’s best not to rush in to love very quickly.”
“I know, I know,” Izuku rubs his hair sheepishly. Ochako finds it terribly endearing and her fingers twitch at her side as if wishing to run her own hands through that curly mess.
Not now, Ochako.
“Actually, I should be heading home soon. I wouldn’t want to be walking out in the dark!” She makes an excuse quickly. Anything to get her out of this situation to collect herself from this new development that’s left her reeling. It doesn’t matter that she’s only been hanging around at his house for a couple hours, he’ll understand.
“Oh, right! I’ll see you to the door.”
And he does, shadowing her as she pulls on her shoes and places a hand on the silvery handle. Before she can escape, however, Izuku envelops her in a warm embrace, his light squeezing making Ochako’s heart flutter.
“Thanks, Uraraka. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he whispers painfully.
She can’t seem to force out a response, too occupied with keeping her shaking at bay and ignoring the increase in her heart rate.
As Izuku pulls away, much to Ochako’s disappointment, he flusters again. “I-I’m sorry, that was sudden and i wasn’t thinking I-“
“Deku.”
He stops as Ochako lets go of her hesitation and guides him right back into their previous position, this time wrapping her own arms around his back. She gives him a few experimental pats before whispering her own declaration.
“You can count on me to stick by you.”
Izuku exhales heavily, a simple sign of relief. Ochako has to yank herself away before the hug becomes too awkward, and she rushes out the door with a small wave.
As she sprints along the sidewalk and her best friend’s house fades into the distance, her eyes burn with the need to release the tears slowly building up and threatening to spill.
Not now, Ochako,
she tells herself again. She knows she can let go when she arrives at her apartment, but it feels so far away right now. Clear liquid pools around her eyelids, so she blinks rapidly, desperate to dry the droplets now clinging to her eyelashes. The road ahead of her blurs with a watery film, and she wipes furiously at her face.
Not now, Ochako.
She manages to make it to the train station without leakage, but of course public spaces are an even bigger hazard during a mental break down. She keeps her eyes fixed on the floor, boring holes through it as she swallows her emotions until she can board the train.
Not now, Ochako.
The ride is no less agonizing, those blurry faces occasionally peering at the trembling little girl with her fists balled up on her lap. It’s the biggest of reliefs when the buildings and trees gradually stop blending together as they whip past the slowing vehicle. It finally arrives at her stop. Not a second is wasted before she barrels in the direction of her home, brows furrowed and muscles straining. She bursts through the door, slamming it behind her.
Not—
the walls break. Small gasps escape from deep in her throat in wretched sobs. The water in her tear ducts overflows, creating mini waterfalls as it tumbles down her round cheeks, thoroughly soaking them. This is it. It‘s all over. Time to move on to the next one. It hurts so much, she clutches at her chest as if she could somehow relieve the ferocious sting jolting through her heart.
This is not the first time she had experienced a loss like this. As she wallows in her own misery, she unwillingly begins to remember all those times she just couldn’t be happy.
5th grade—where the sky was still always blue and the kids still horsed around at parks instead of sparring with their quirks like the older kids. Ochako arrived at school every morning with her purple backpack swinging behind her, her hands fastened tightly on the straps wrapped around her. She loved to skip to school, often meeting her friends along the way and especially looking forward to seeing a boy called Kurosaki. He was the quiet one in the class, preferring to stare at the sky with his ocean eyes or taking little naps, his ashy black hair fluttering when students passed by.
Ochako managed to befriend him one day at lunch when she realized she’d forgotten her lunch money. She felt dumb, wilting in embarrassment at the front of the line until the black haired boy stepped up and placed a few of his own shiny coins on the counter.
“Here,” he had said in his tiny voice, his equally tiny hands withdrawing as he left the line without buying his own food. Ochako had sought him out immediately after apologizing profusely to the cashier and snatching up her tray. She promised to repay with her own money, to which he politely declined.
“It’s my act of kindness for the day,” he had explained.
After that, Ochako had invited him to join her lunch table and acquaint him with her friends. She’d fallen in love just months later, watching the same curious gaze flickering adorably between her and his activities and the rare but gorgeous smile that crossed his face when she cracked a joke. They’d spoken of their future, Ochako fervently declaring she would make it to Yuuei and become a hero, while Kurosaki revealed his mad cooking skills and dream of becoming a chef.
But all the happy times had ended one day when she planned to finally face her feelings and tell him about her little crush. That day he had told her he was not interested in girls, and couldn’t figure out why. He told himself that dating wasn’t worth his time anyway, and Ochako had half-heartedly agreed. That day she had thrown aside her plans to confess and slowly withdrew from her friend group. It all reminded her too much of her broken heart.
By the time she applied for Yuuei, she’d been completely isolated, refusing to talk to others for fear of another heartbreak. She had resolved to start anew in this wonderful place, but here she was, repeating the same process.
I bet Kurosaki liked another boy, just like Deku, her mind whispers, digging into her already sensitive emotional state.
She cries today just like she cried that day, fallen on her knees and head buried in her hands. She unintentionally activates her quirk, and droplets float into the air, wiggling around the apartment like little bubbles. It’s not ideal, as surfaces inside are soon dripping with the seemingly endless tears escaping her exhausted eyes. She’ll have to dry them off later.
For now, she takes care of her waterlogged cheeks, rubbing at the ugly streaks left behind and ignoring the angry red occupying the whites of her eyes.
She does her homework in silence today, disregarding her usual tendency to listen to motivational music. It surprisingly takes her a shorter amount of time to finish, perhaps because work helps to distract her from emotions.
When she’s left with nothing else to do, however, she collapses on her bed and lets the remainder of her tears trickle slowly down and plop onto her blankets. This time she doesn’t bother wiping them away. She takes out her phone on instinct before remembering she doesn’t want to talk to Izuku until she could pull herself together. Not wanting to put it away, however, she opts instead to text Tsuyu, labeled “Froggirl” in her contacts. Another friend is best for small talk during these circumstances.
To: Froggirl
Me: so i was doing some thinking.
Me: im probably gonna ask him tomorrow but
Me: if iida can run fast, can he do everything else fast?
Me: like, can he text people at super sonic speeds?
It’s a dumb topic with an obvious answer, really, but there’s little Ochako can think of in her wrecked mental state. She doesn’t have to wait long for Tsuyu’s reply, luckily.
Froggirl: If I’m not mistaken, Iida’s quirk is held entirely in his legs, so he’d only get a boost when he’s running.
Me: you’re right, why didn’t i think of that? so that’s also why he can do those super fast kicks
Froggirl: You got it. But I’m not the one you should be asking about quirks. Doesn’t Midoriya keep a whole arsenal of the most detailed information on us in his notebook? Why don’t you talk to him?
Ochako winces. It seemed as though escaping from Izuku would be impossible—especially when he was so beloved by all her classmates.
Which means Todoroki probably likes him back.. she shakes her head vigorously.
Me: he’s busy right now, and besides, you’re the one i want to talk to!
Froggirl: Oh. I’m flattered.
Me: you’re my new best friend tsu tsu! ᕦ(Ò_Óˇ)ᕤ
Froggirl: ....?
Froggirl: Did something happen with Midoriya?
Ochako smacks her face with her phone. She’s an open book, isn’t she?
Me: i guess you could say that.
Froggirl: Ochako...
Froggirl: May I ask?
Me: I’ll tell you later. Can we please just talk about something else?
Froggirl: If you’re sure.
Froggirl: I saw on the news recently that a new villain is taking on Stain’s legacy.
Me: what?? explain.
Froggirl: well you know how a ton of Stain’s followers started heading towards the League of Villains ever since they learned of his association with them?
Me: yeah, they think by joining the League they’re carrying out his work.
Froggirl: Yeah, so this new guy calling himself Smear has started attacking heroes and claiming he’s Stain’s successor. He calls the League of Villains blasphemous and he’s the one everyone should be serving.
Me: wow he named himself ‘Smear’? that’s literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard
Froggirl: lmao same
Froggirl: but I wouldn’t be surprised if his name had more to do with his quirk than an infatuation with Stain.
Froggirl: oh and there’s one more thing
Me: ?
Froggirl: apparently he already has a sidekick
Me: what, seriously? No offense but, I can’t see anyone joining a freak with a name like ‘Smear’.
(；一_一)
Froggirl: I didn’t believe it either at first but apparently eye witnesses testify that he’s always been spotted with a teenaged girl so that kinda confirms it.
Me: oh wow. that’s crazy. what’re they calling her?
Froggirl: Smear’s been heard referring to her as ‘Kiiro’
Me: that’s a weird name (¬_¬)
Froggirl: I agree, but it’s probably a code name like Smear’s.
Me: you’re right, I’d imagine they wouldn’t want their real names to get out to the public
Froggirl: they must be pretty good at concealing their identities if the police haven’t discovered them yet.
Me: why are all villains so freakin hard to find
Froggirl: they know if they’re not careful, us heroes can seriously kick their asses.
Me: right you are ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ
Froggirl: also, this Smear guy isn’t even following Stain’s philosophy properly
Me: what do you mean
Froggirl: he’s just targeting random heroes, there’s no rhyme or reason to his patterns. At least Stain picked on a specific demographic when he killed people.
Me: oh god so he’s just a crazed maniac??
Froggirl: or he’s an anarchist?
Me: whatever he is, I hope he’s taken care of soon. I don’t want people to keep getting hurt.
Froggirl: speaking of which, shouldn’t you be getting to sleep now? It’s almost 12 and we have school tomorrow. Wouldn’t want you to be dead inside during class
Me: please, im already dead inside
Froggirl: Ochako you are the most alive person I’ve met in my life.
Ochako freezes up, her hands trembling as she fumbles with her phone. The most alive person.
What a joke, she thinks. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Me: y’know what, you’re right, I should be getting some sleep. I can barely make out the words on this screen right now.
Froggirl: Ochako..
Me: g’night Tsu
Froggirl: sweet dreams
Ochako roughly presses the power button on her phone, suddenly not in the mood to stay up any longer. She buries her face deeper into her pillow, tears pricking at her eyes once more.
I’m not alive in the slightest. It’s all one huge lie.
She falls into a restless sleep, plagued by bad dreams that twist her face into a deep frown and paint dark, heavy bags underneath her eyes. She’s learning over and over that no one will ever love her, that she’ll keep moving on to the next and the next without ever succeeding at forming that special bond with someone. She’d thought Izuku is the one, he’s her true love. But that was all a childish dream, as had been all her former attempts. It was a lovely one while it lasted, but now it’s been replaced with the nightmare she faces in her uncomfortable slumber. The world around her has turned an angry red, a contrast to the much softer pink of love it used to be filled with. It thrashes violently with her in its grasp. And it’s painful, oh it’s painful. Ochako can’t see anything but the crushing loneliness she’s doomed to be devoured by. With a last piercing scream of defiance, Ochako wakes in a cold sweat, eyes dripping once again.
It’s still dark out, the moon casting a somber glow on her face. She sits up, quivering helplessly. The calm and beautiful night feels mocking, distorted in her pained gaze. The light is blinding and the dark is capturing. It’s suffocating, so she flees her room, throwing off her blanket and running to the sink to splash cold water on her face. When she finishes wiping away all the moisture, she takes a good look at herself in the mirror. She’s all alone again.
She’s been hiding. She hid her breakdown during the sports festival when Izuku came to check on her out of the kindness of his heart. She hid her crushing worry every time Izuku was stuck in Recovery Girl’s office and waited patiently for him to return and reassure her he was absolutely fine. She hid her feelings for Izuku out of fear that he wouldn’t be comfortable around her anymore. How long would she need to keep pretending?
Maybe I should just... stay home from school.
She needs a day to process the previous events, a day to catch up on the long lost sleep, a day to calm down and build her walls back up.
She texts Izuku:
Me: hey sorry I won’t be at school. Woke up with a fever ;(
To her surprise, he responds a few seconds later—
Deku: awe, hope you feel better
Me: you’re awake right now? It’s 5 in the morning??
Deku: I’m doing some early morning training! Can’t let myself get rusty (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
Me: you’re crazy m’dude
Deku: taking that as a compliment. I’ll send you the homework for today!
Me: thanks, I appreciate it!
Deku: it’s no problemo :3
Ochako squeezes her phone, the affection for her best friend returning in waves. Just because she already knew she had no chance didn’t mean her feelings would die out. She knows that, and yet..
You are the most alive person I’ve ever met in my life.
She has to ask Tsuyu what that means. As far as she’s concerned, Ochako died a long time ago, and she is nothing more than a hollow shell attempting to experience a love she knows she can never have.
Stiffly, Ochako makes herself some tea, the warm liquid’s bubbling soothing her frayed insides. She drinks the burning liquid without waiting, it’s heat stinging her throat and the inside of her mouth but also helping her to forget her other pain briefly.
I should drink tea more often, she thinks.
Afterwards, she shuffles back to her bed, pulling the covers back over. They’re usually so soft and comforting, but she’s at a point where even that isn’t enough. She closes her eyes once more, anticipating the nightmares to swallow her up once more. But this time it’s different. This time the world is completely black. It’s cold and uninviting, but Ochako wanders throughout anyways.
“Is anyone there?” she calls out, hope still twinkling in her chest as though she really had any. It’s dead silent, so she explores some more. There’s nothing to see but murky fog, and she calls out once more: “Hello?” It’s fleeting, but she tries anyway.
She’s alone, but she hopes anyway.
And a quiet voice finally returns her calls. Her mother’s face is before her, her hand reaching out to ruffle the strands in Ochako’s hair.
“It’s alright, Ochako. I’m here.”
But somehow, the voice does not belong to her mother. The hand bears the same soft and loving touch, but the voice is rougher and smaller. Yet Ochako basks in its embrace, as it almost sounds like...
She opens her eyes blearily, blinking away the sleep and running her own hand through her hair as if she could relive the feeling of the dream. Sliding slowly to her feet, she makes for the kitchen, a much more refreshed feeling washing over her with her good night’s rest. What she doesn’t expect is to smell the sharp aroma of a familiar sizzling breakfast nor does she expect to stumble upon a frog cooking bacon on her stove.
Tsuyu turns her head on cue and speaks, “Good morning, Ochako.”
“Wh-what wait what are you..” her mind is racing as she edges around the counter to face Tsuyu properly. “Are you real?” she pokes a puffy cheek, earning a rumbling noise from deep within her friend’s throat. Yep, she’s real alright.
“So it would appear my assumption was correct, and you’re not actually sick.”
“No, I really am sick! I, uhmmm...” As if to prove her point, Ochako forces out a couple short, lame coughs, to which Tsuyu snorts.
“You’re terrible at lying. Allow me to fix you breakfast and then you can tell me what’s really going on,” she punctuates every sentence with a soft croak which Ochako can only describe as fitting for a frog.
“But Tsu, how did you even get here? We have school today,” Ochako beats the next silence before it can even start with her own inquiry.
“I was at school,” Tsuyu explains. “But I understood what was going on, and wouldn’t you know it, I happen to be a stellar con artist.”
Ochako doesn’t like where this is going.
“Unlike your sad excuse for false symptoms, I can fake puke whenever I want to—props to my flexible quirk of course. I can store objects in my stomach and regurgitate them when necessary, so obviously they’re gonna send me home when I hurl a car battery.”
“You did what—“
“Only kidding,” she interrupts. “I swallowed a toilet paper roll and it came out pretty nasty.”
The sense of relief that washes over Ochako is not welcome, so she continues her interrogation. “Okay, well then where did you get the bacon? I could’ve sworn all I have is cereal and eggs.”
Tsuyu flips a piece of said bacon, the strip loudly sizzling in response as the grease bubbles up and pops at the surface. “I bought some,” she replies absentmindedly.
Ochako is done. “Tsu.. no. Don’t you dare waste your money on me,” she berates.
Tsuyu doesn’t even look at her when she returns, “Any money spent on my friends is never a waste.”
And to that, Ochako can say nothing more. She’s the same way, so any further arguing would only serve to make her a hypocrite. Instead, she changes the topic to what she’s certain Tsuyu came here for.
“Tsu, have you ever... fallen so impulsively in love with someone you know you’d never have a chance with and the day you finally gather the courage to confess to them with what little hope you have left but they coincidentally tell you that they’re pining after someone else before you even get the chance so now you have to pretend to be happy for them while nursing your utterly broken heart?”
There’s a short pause, and Ochako fears this was a bad idea. However, Tsuyu startles her with a much softer tone: “That’s.. awfully specific,” she comments. “Am I to assume that’s what happened with Midoriya?”
She really hit the nail on the head. Ochako nods feebly before realizing Tsuyu isn’t looking at her, so she speaks quietly—“that’s my story.”
Tsuyu abruptly extinguishes the flames, staring briefly at the slowly calming slices of bacon before she picks up the pan gingerly and pours the strips onto a plate. She picks one up and offers it to Ochako, who doesn’t resist taking it, though clearly surprised. It’s still hot, but it’s crunchy and packed with flavor, making her taste buds sing. She mutters something under her breath, probably “good shit.”
“I would imagine... Midoriya likes Todoroki?” Tsuyu breaks the silence again.
“Um.. yeah... how.. how did you know?”
Tsuyu’s gaze is scrutinizing, and Ochako almost flinches. “Ochako I..” she averts her eyes now, much to Ochako’s dismay. “I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed the way he stares at him.”
There it is. Her heart plunges even further in her chest, her eyes casting downwards as she faces reality. I’ve been blinded by my own wishful thinking. I didn’t see the truth right in front of my eyes.
“Ochako?”
She snaps her face upward to find Tsuyu has moved closer, is standing right in front of her, regarding her with a worried look.
“Tsuyu... you really don’t have to be here,” she struggles to keep her voice steady.
Unfortunately, her friend isn’t done with her. “You’re not alright, Ochako,” she reminds her, as if Ochako hadn’t been aware of that obvious fact already. “You don’t have to hide yourself like this.”
A cold claw of what feels like fury snakes around Ochako’s heart. She couldn’t possibly comprehend what it was like, could she? It suddenly occurs to her that she doesn’t know much about Tsuyu’s past at all. Hell, she hardly even knows anything about Izuku, and it’s not like she could get any answers from Katsuki either. What has she been doing this whole time? She finally has trustworthy friends yet she hasn’t even asked them about who they are, what made them who they are today. It might be a completely different story right now if Ochako just tried.
“I can’t just..so easily...” she struggles to find the right words to communicate how she’s feeling. Tsuyu is wonderful at evidence based assumptions, but she’s not a mind reader. If Ochako can’t formulate the right explanation, if she can’t...
Tsuyu hugs her. It’s sudden, but not unwelcome. She at least understands her friend enough to know Ochako appreciates physical gestures of affection, even if she’s not one to dish them out often herself. She rubs soothing circles along her back with the pads of her fingertips. Ochako returns the embrace slowly, resting her face on Tsuyu’s shoulder so she can hide the look of sorrow that’s crossed her face. It’s different from when Izuku has hugged her. Then, her heart was beating at a million miles per hour. Now, however, she feels comfortable pressed close to an understanding friend.
“I’m sorry, Ochako.. I know there’s nothing I can do to ease the heartache you’re feeling right now, but at least I can keep you company,” she says. “Rejection is hard, and I know you don’t have your family with you. So.. I’d like to become someone close to you. Not like Midoriya, but someone you can always fall back on when you can’t rely on him.”
It’s a pleasing thought, and Ochako lets out a shaky breath before she responds, “You’re already my close friend, Tsu.”
Tsuyu grips her even tighter for a moment then leaves the embrace to face Ochako. “I suppose I am,” she confirms. “But Ochako, I want to be the one you can tell your darkest secrets without worry. I want to earn your trust.”
“I already trust you,” Ochako refutes, confused.
“You don’t. Somewhere in your mind there’s an instinctive mental block telling you that you can’t share anything with anyone. So I’m going to try and remove that block.”
Tsuyu swipes another piece of bacon and chews thoughtfully. She’s analyzing her next move, and decides on something Ochako doesn’t know.
“I’ll start with my quirk,” she says finally. “As you know, I have abilities similar to a frog’s—stretchable and sticky tongue, huge jumps, wall climbing with my finger pads, and of course the stomach thing I just told you about. It’s a wonderfully flexible quirk that allows me to adapt to almost any situation, and my strength becomes even greater in the water.”
Ochako tips her head to the side, wondering where her friend was going with this. “I know that, what’s your point?”
“However,” she wipes her face with a napkin and tosses it into the garbage can with frighteningly accurate precision. “I do have a weakness.”
Surprise flicks across Ochako’s expression. “Seriously?” curiosity prickles throughout her mind before she realizes it’s not going to be an easy thing for Tsuyu to tell her. “I mean, you don’t have to share with me, it’s okay—“
“It’s the cold,” she interrupts again. “Cold temperatures slow me down physically and mentally without fail, so in their presence I’m basically immobilized.”
Amazement flutters in her heart. She’d been worrying this whole time that she hasn’t learned a thing about her friends yet here Tsuyu was, uttering one of her deepest secrets to her as if she could sense what Ochako was thinking. “Are you sure your quirk isn’t mind reading?” she teases, almost certain her friend could tell what she means.
“That’s an acquired skill,” Tsuyu jokes back. “Although I certainly can’t read people like Bakugou—maybe he just doesn’t have a brain.”
They laugh together, each charmed by the other’s wittiness. That’s another characteristic the two of them share, Ochako realizes. Perhaps Tsuyu is a lot more like her than she thinks. But now it’s her turn.
“Okay so I’m sure you know this already, but my quirk is zero gravity— it allows me to turn off the gravity in an object or person simply by touching them,” she describes her quirk just like Tsuyu had. “It’s very useful in giving me the upper hand in battle or with rescuing victims in horrible situations. But, my quirk has a drawback in overuse—I tend to become very nauseous or start vomiting. It’s a little annoying to say the least, but I’m getting stronger.”
When she’s finished, Tsuyu gives her a most precious gift: a wide grin. She doesn’t smile all the time, but when she does, it’s about as blinding as Izuku’s.
And so is her laughter, the voice murmurs.
“There you go!” she ribbits excitedly. “You’re getting there.”
“But you already knew about my quirk, Tsu.” Ochako still doesn’t get it.
“You’re right,” she confirms. “But I only knew by seeing it happen. I wanted you to tell me explicitly without fear.”
It clicks.
“Th-thank you...”
Tsuyu nods in acknowledgment. “You should come back to school tomorrow, Ochako.”
“R-right,” she remembers- tomorrow is Thursday. “Hey Tsu, can I ask you something?” she waits for her friend to gesture in affirmation before she continues, “What did you mean yesterday by.. me being the most alive person you’ve met?”
As Ochako asks the question, she realizes Tsuyu still has not answered the one she asked when she first found bacon cooking in her kitchen. She waits patiently, however. That one would come next.
“I see you trying your absolute best for the sake of others—your friends, your family, and like Midoriya, you don’t hesitate to rush in to save others,” Tsuyu says with a solemn look at the ceiling. “Midoriya might be in the spotlight now, but you deserve it just as much as he does, Ochako. You’re so loved by the class and you know your limits. Which is.. what I strive to be.”
It’s not the answer she had anticipated, but it’s an answer Ochako is intensely grateful for. Hearing someone acknowledge her hard work is the most satisfying feeling she’s experienced, and it nearly sends her into tears again. Instead, she opts to bring up what she’d been thinking about before. It was a rhetorical question she’d asked at the beginning, but she wants an answer anyway. It‘s the only thing that can explain how Tsuyu managed to understand so easily.
“Tsu, you didn’t answer my question earlier, when I asked if you’d been in this position before.”
Tsuyu stills. It appears she was hoping Ochako wouldn’t bring that up.
“I did find out all about your little crush on Midoriya,” she sighs, making Ochako flush. “So I guess it’s only fair I tell you that yes, I have experienced the same circumstance you have, down to the last detail.”
That explains it. Ochako can’t help but feel an intense wave of empathy for her friend. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she tells her.
Tsuyu waves it off. “No need. I’m fine.”
“If you want me to help you with anything—“
“It’s alright, Ochako.” Interruption is becoming her thing apparently. “Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s some business I have to attend to at home. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Of course,” Ochako decides. “And you won’t have to puke any toilet paper rolls this time.”
Tsuyu laughs at that, showing off her beaming smile once more. It curves the ends of Ochako’s mouth upwards too as she says goodbye to the one she feels infinitely more comfortable with just by this one interaction. And with that, Ochako is alone again. But this time, she doesn’t feel so lonely.