Chapter 13: Coupon

"A full-course dinner for two!" Uraraka drools, liquid dripping on the side of her lip. "My manager from my other part-time, not the one where that guy's my co-worker, mind you, gave this to me as a thank you for being one of her longest termed workers. It's gonna expire tomorrow and it would be a waste not to use it."

Upon realizing the implication of her words, Todoroki gives the ticket back to Uraraka but she doesn't take it. "Wouldn't it be better to rendezvous with your friends rather than giving it out?" He reasons out.

"Rendezvous?" Uraraka repeats, "Aren't you too young to be using such words?"

He clears his throat, a blush coloring his cheeks. Calm down, your Endeavor Shouto is showing. "As I was saying, it would be a waste not to use it for your own consumption. Why not invite Midoriya or Iida?"

She laughs nervously, scratching the side of her face. "I chose to give this to you with the intention that you ask Midoriya to go with you."

"What?" He must've said it too sharply because Uraraka seemed taken aback. "I'm sorry..." He looks down on his lap, gritting his teeth in regret.

"Don't apologize, sheesh!"

This only made Todoroki lower his head even more.

"Man, I forgot you're still an emotional teenager." She frowns. "Okay, I'll forgive you as long as you take the coupon and ask Midoriya-kun out, okay?"

Heterochromatic eyes peer under thick long lashes. "Wouldn't Midoriya find that weird?"

"Because?"

"It would seem like I'm asking Midoriya out on a date," Todoroki blushes furiously, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"What's wrong with that?"

Todoroki glowers at her. Uraraka laughs nervously, unconsciously moving her chair away from him on instinct.

"Also," The ridiculously frightening expression on his face is replaced by timidity. "Won't he feel uncomfortable... Since I'm... A man...."

Uraraka feels like someone poured a bucket of ice-cold water at her.

It all made sense now.

At first, she assumes that Midoriya-kun is still hanging up on his childhood friend whom he and Iida refused to talk about that's why he has yet to make a move on Todoroki-kun. She also factors out the fact that in Japanese law, he's considered underage (but the legal age of consent [depending on the prefecture] is 13 years old). But she never thought that the poor boy didn't know Midoriya is gay, and it seems neither does Todoroki know that he could be other than heterosexual.

"Why not a friendly rendezvous?" She wiggles her eyebrows, acting as if she didn't accidentally out her friend. "Like you know, a casual date with a friend?"

"I see," Bi-colored eyes widen in glee as if such a possibility never crossed his mind. He looks like a kid with candy dangling in front of his face. "Wait a minute, why don't you have a casual date with Iida?"

"You're persistent, aren't you? The thing is, I..." Uraraka sighs. "can't."

"Why?" Todoroki tilts his head to the side.

"You know how straight-laced Iida-kun is," She shrugs. "he's the type of person who will immediately have romantic feelings towards a person if he feels like you have the slightest bit of romantic feelings towards him."

"I thought of him more as a rational person."

Uraraka chuckles. "I thought so, too, at first,"

"But do you?"

She blinks. "Do I what?"

"Have romantic feelings toward Iida-kun?"

If Uraraka Ochako had the superpower of zero gravity, she would've used it right now and would send Todoroki-kun flying to God knows where.

But this is in an alternate universe where quirks do not exist, instead, she grips the table with such intensity and gives Todoroki a warm smile.

"Are you fucking with me?"

Todoroki swallows the invisible lump forming in his throat. Uraraka is such a force to reckon with.

"I'm sorry." He bows.

The brunette took a moment before she realizes her actions. "Oh no, I should be the one apologizing! Did I scare you?"

"Yes, you did."

"You're adorably honest, Todoroki-kun." She chuckles. "He and Midoriya-kun are my best friends. I wouldn't want things to go awkwardly between us just because of my selfishness."

"But what if Iida likes you," Todoroki pauses. "theoretically, would--"

"That would never happen!" She cuts him off almost immediately. "We treat each other like siblings. That mere notion of us dating is... Anyway," She turns her attention to the green-haired curly top who just exited the employee's room. "Midoriya-kun! Come here!"

Midoriya Izuku turns around upon hearing his name. Uraraka waves at him, and he cheerfully waves back. Slowly, he walks towards their table with a pitcher of water in hand.

Todoroki notices that he seems... different.

Forest green eyes that were always so bright it could light up the whole of Tokyo proper currently seems unsteady and tired. His eyebags were uncompromisingly prominent, and that says a lot since Midoriya is one of those blessed people who are unaffected by the side effect of exhaustion. His skin which is normally a healthy shade of pink turns pasty and pale. His smile that always made Todoroki's heart pound seemed more like just an unsympathetic curve.

Before Midoriya could ask in his polite waiter voice, Todoroki takes his hand.

It's cold and shaking.

"Are you alright?" Todoroki's voice was brimming with concern.

"Lately, you're always coming late to work." Uraraka frowns, it seems she's unaware of Midoriya's unhealthy appearance.

"Late?" Todoroki repeats. Midoriya takes this as a chance to retrieve his hand away. "Then why did you call his name a while ago if you knew Midoriya was late?"

"Oh," Uraraka scratches the back of her head, laughing. "That guy was deathly afraid of Midoriya ever since Midoriya threatened to beat him up quite some time ago."

Todoroki opens his mouth to ask when did that happen but Midoriya cuts him off.

"I heard from Iida-kun what just happened," Midoriya is speaking calmly, yet you can see in his eyes that he's burning in rage. "I heard he was trying to paint you as the bad guy, like what he did before. Iida was literally being held by Sato-san a while ago so he wouldn't beat that bastard of an ex-boyfriend that you have. Uraraka-san, why did you get back with him in the first place? Didn't you learn from what he did to you a year ago?"

Todoroki doesn't need to ask, he can already get the gist of the situation with just Midoriya's words. Uraraka and that guy dated a year ago and they broke up due to the same reason as today. That was probably the time Midoriya threatened Uraraka's ex. And they got back together recently, only for their relationship to follow the same direction as before.

"He said he'll change and make it all better..." Uraraka laughs nervously but she was avoiding eye contact. She knows Midoriya is right, but she herself doesn't have a decent explanation for her own actions.

"Human do not change, Uraraka-san. Once they see you fall for the same trick once, they'll try to do you twice. Thrice. Up until they're satisfied. Or until they get bored."

"You're too unforgiving," Uraraka frowns, taking Midoriya's arm and squeezing it tentatively.

"You know I would know, of all people." He says coldly.

Uraraka gives a sideward glance to Todoroki as she lets go of Midoriya, asking for a follow-up attack to change the direction of the tide. It seems that she is completely dumbstruck by Midoriya's brooding that she doesn't know what to say anymore. Todoroki gulps. Neither does he, but, hey.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. No, not even a certain orange-haired Strawberry's bankai could destroy it. And knowing how socially awkward Todoroki is, he knows what exactly he should do.

"Midoriya, will you go out with me?"

Midoriya's body turns rigid, almost dropping the menu in hand. Uraraka chokes at nothing, this isn't the follow-up she has in mind. But immediately, she pulls herself together and gives the bi-tone-haired boy a thumbs up.

Midoriya's face turns a deep shade of red. He pulls Todoroki by the wrist and drags him somewhere. Todoroki beams at Uraraka for successfully breaking the tension, before disappearing to God knows where Midoriya plans to bring him.

Now that Uraraka is alone, she stares at the plate before her, smiling.

Even though her relationship is once again, ruined, at least she brought forth a door of a new beginning to Midoriya's.

Something warm falls on the cool ceramic plate. Thick lashes fluttered, and multiple droplets start to trail down her cheek. She wipes it with the back of her hands, only for it to be replaced by a new batch of tears.

"Why am I crying?" She sobs, angrily rubbing her eyes. "I don't even like him that much."

After continuously wiping the liquid salt off her eyes, Uraraka realizes that it's futile. Instead, she allows these tears to freely fall down on her face. To stain her. To mark her broken.

She's not crying because of that guy. God, Uraraka Ochako is a strong independent woman who will not shed a man. She crying because deep inside, she knows.

She's lonely.

A mirthless laugh escapes her lips. God, she probably looks like a mess right now. Her mascara is probably all over the place... People must be staring at her and thinking that she's some stupid girl that got what she deserved. And they're exactly right. She's an idiot. This is what she deserves. She's--

A tall figure looms in her blurry eyesight, wiping her tears with a handkerchief that smells and feels expensive. She blinks the tears away to see who it is.

She can't help but smile upon realizing who the mystery man is.

"Are you some hero from a shoujo manga or something?" But she was crying.

And for some reason, so does he.

Maybe, the reason why she keeps on bringing those boyfriends, boyfriends she knows will dump her, here in Café Perry is because she wants him to see it. So that he'll reprimand her for all those stupid decisions she made in life. So that he could tell her that she was the stupidest girl he had ever met who never learns her lesson.

Instead, Iida Tenya pulls out a pair of blue coupons.

"Uraraka Ochako, will you go on a date with me?"