Requiem of the Broken

Chapter 30: Mind Dive

They hadn't said a word since they split with Mina's group. They'd been walking for close to five minutes and they just walked on, not looking or saying anything to each other. Both were far too nervous and embarrassed to be the ones to break the silence. Eventually, though, Ochako couldn't bear the silence any longer.

"I'm surprised you uh, didn't try to refuse Mina once. She can be a bit much to handle for people who've never met her before, haha..." Ochako said, laughing awkwardly.

Izuku glanced at her, but it was too dark to see her face clearly.

"I've had to deal with people who act similarly to her in the past; they weren't as positive or happy as she was though." He said.

Then before she could say something, he continued,

"It was... nice. Meeting someone like her. Reminds me of the days before the war. Outside of Mr. Sasakura, I guess I just forgot that things like happiness could still exist. That there will always be optimists like her about." He said looking up to the sky.

Ochako looked up to the sky as well, the stars shining above.

"She and Kirishima were the ones that kept us all sane during the war. Even if it hurt them, they always tried to smile for our sake. That was something they took to heart from All Might's lessons. "It's the times when you're scared or worried that you should deal with it by smiling! You've made it this far. It's fine if it's a bluff." " She recited from memory.

"They would always smile after every fight, try and cheer us up. Even if they had just watched a teacher get blown to bits by a villain, they'd still smile, even if it broke them to do so." She said, her own voice breaking as she remembered Mina smiling at the end of a battle, tears rolling down her cheeks, even after they had all witnessed Hound Dog's death first hand.

"I really wish, there were more people like her. The world needs people like her, and less like me." She whispered to the stars.

"I... I think you're pretty great..." mumbled Izuku from beside her.

Ochako jerked her head so sharply to face Izuku that she cracked her neck. Izuku was looking at the ground, hands in his pockets and not looking at her. Even so, she could tell he was blushing and she felt herself go red in turn.

"Thanks..." She replied, just as quietly.

They stood around for a few moments before Ochako coughed and started walking forward again. Ten minutes later, with some off and on talking they eventually got to Ochako's apartment complex.; where they stopped at the door.

"Thanks again, for dealing with us all tonight. I know it was probably a bit crazy having to deal with everyone like that." She said, with a laugh.

Izuku just smiled, and he gave an automatic bartender response. "It was my pleasure, we hope to see you again in the future." giving her a small bow as he finished.

"I'd like that, good night Izuku." She said genuinely.

"Goodnight," he said, as she opened the door behind her and walked into the complex.

Izuku stood there a moment longer, watching her leave before turning and heading back home himself. He liked talking to Ochako, even when the conversation turned sad or melancholic, he still enjoyed it. Mr. Sasakura had been relatively old during the war and hadn't really witnessed any of the horrors it had contained. While talking to him about it helped, they were a dissonance between their experiences that couldn't be bridged. With Ochako though, he felt that there was a connection there, that she could understand him where no one else he had met could.

After talking to her, his heart felt... lighter. He really, really, hoped he'd see her again. It was at that moment that he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the message that had just come in.