Expect the Unexpected: Mei Hatsume x reader (BOOK 2)

Chapter 12: New Year's Wish

- Part 2: Begin! -

Fast forward a few days and new year's had come around. Many of your classmates had gone home for the holiday, however Mei and Denki were at school with you.

The three of you did a traditional shrine visit together, one you usually did every year filled with smiles and laughter, yet this time around it was more tense and awkward.

"So um-" Denki began, trying to find words to alleviate the silence, yet Mei shushed him instantly.

You were the most tense of them all, your focus not even on your friends but rather on the oncoming disaster.

"Huh?" You asked, looking up.

"Relax a bit would ya?" Denki grinned, draping an arm over your shoulder. "I thought you were mad at me again."

"Denks we sorted it out, I'm not mad," you sighed, massaging your temples. "Just stressed."

"Promise?"

---

"Yessir," you nodded at Endeavour.

Endeavour had surprisingly accepted not only you, but Bakugo and Midoriya as well. However, the welcome was far from warm, with him coldly greeting the four of you as he stated his aims.

He was clearly annoyed by your presences, grumbling how you were disrupting his sessions with Shoto.

"You accepted us, now stop complaining," Shoto grumbled, dragging his

You sighed, used to the bickering as you lived with Bakugo and Todoroki. Yet your focus wasn't completely on the hero, or on your friends.

Rather, it was on something that had happened yesterday, during the shrine visit.

I know I'm not the best at expressing feelings, or paying attention, so let's hope this year will be better for us. Sound good?

Mei's prayer was something you certainly hoped would come true, especially since you were prepared to give all your energy to keep it working.

Don't allow me to make stupid mistakes again. I've lost a friend once, I don't want to lose one again.

Denki's wish was similar to yours, both still cringing at the memories of late October.

"Oi, you're too tense," Bakugo grumbled, nudging your shoulder.

The four of you had long began walking, following the giant of a man in front of you.

"That's rich coming from you, isn't it?" You mumbled, smirking slightly.

"I'm rich," Todoroki piped in, walking inbetween the two of you.

"Way to ruin a moment half and half," you grumbled, shoving him away.

The poor boy just looked confused as he walked next to you, trying to figure your words out.

The four walking with you conversed in various topics, the main one revolving around Shoto and his growth. While you knew Endeavour meant well, you also found it concerning and mildly irritating that he hovered around Todoroki to inherit the family occupation.

You were well aware of the Todoroki family's situation, having been in the hero field for five years. Your elder brother was one of the first people to educate you on the state, wanting to remind you to never become like their father.

You pitied the children, really. It was a well known fact that they'd lost a child, which was the main root for Endeavour's ambitious tendencies. Yet you couldn't help but feel bad for the surviving children that had to live through the aftermath of their brother's death.

Shoto and you were never close to begin with, having only met each other at formal get togethers for heroes and sidekicks. However, every single time you'd always seen him crouched in a corner, trying to hide from his father and other influential figures.

Then, during the sports festival, Midoriya awakened the boy's flames, finally convincing him to use them. He never accepted them fully, still scared of them, but his power and acceptance increased by the day.

Now, the boy had grown from being pushed by his father, to pushing himself for his own goals.

"What do you think, Y/N-San?" Midoriya asked you, smiling.

The one issue you faced since yesterday's shrine visit was daydreaming. Especially during conversations. The four around you were immersed in a conversation, so you dazed off, paying no heed to them.

"Sorry, I missed what you were talking about. Could you repeat yourself?" You asked nervously.

"We were talking about new year's resolutions and traditions," the greenette smiled. "My mom and I always visit the shrine together with... family friends and we prepare a great meal together."

"I just visit with Denki and Mei, we usually just hope for the best," you shrugged.

"I usually spend the day with my siblings," Todoroki shrugged.

"The two of you have way too depressing traditions," Bakugo scoffed.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya protested, annoyed by the former's bluntness.

"Don't worry Izuku-kun, he's not wrong," you sighed, smiling at the greenette, before turning to your blonde friend. "What you call depressing was the highlight of my year for so long, so watch your words Katsuki-kun."

The blonde's eyes widened, surprised that something that seemed so insignificant was so important to you. His eyes met Midoriya's for a split second as he saw your resemblance in him, both in personality and in the calm, soothing look in the eyes.

He sighed, following you into Endeavour's agency.

With the amount of talking and zoning out you'd done, you'd barely realised that you'd walked all the way to the Endeavour agency since you had been purely functioning on muscle memory.

"You're too fucking tense," Bakugo grumbled, catching up to you.

You turned around and raised an eyebrow at the boy, knowing full well that he was saying it for your own good.

"Don't tell me what to do, Blasty," you smirked, turning back around.

One thing Bakugo didn't see, was that your fleeting show of emotion disappeared as soon as you turned around. You didn't let them see that it was all a show.

Let's hope for the best, yeah?

That was the core of both your friends' wishes, especially after the tough year.

Your wish took a different track.

Changing, you met Endeavour and his sidekicks in the lobby, wearing the third and hopefully last version of your hero costume.

"What are your goals and what do you wish to learn at my agency?" Endeavour boomed.

You thought about it momentarily, eyes flickering over to Burnin', who recognised you.

"I'd like to learn how to build an agency and I want to improve my technique so that I can ensure the health and happiness of all that I love," you stated, trying to live up to the resolution you'd made yesterday. "They need it."

Endeavour's eyes widened momentarily at your words, eyes flickering to Shoto, who refused to meet his eyes.

He nodded, glad you could state your aim with conviction.

After all, he himself knew that without conviction, no one could be protected.

A/N: idk what I did, but I like it?

QOTD: what role should Y/N play in the war? We've got rescue, recon and front liners

Pain counter?

Have a great day/night :)