Fireworks ~ TodoMomo

||Chapter 9||

Shouto tuned Midoriya and Iida out as he leaned back in his chair and looked around for a signature ponytail.

Class 2-A was packed into a private dining room. Smoke and the smell of grilled yakitori permeated the air as they chatted excitedly about the upcoming night.

Where was she?

Yaoyorozu planned for their class to meet here before going to enjoy the rest of the festival. Had something happened?

"Iida," he said, interrupting his friend's conversation with Midoriya. "Where's Yaoyorozu?"

Iida blinked then adjusted his glasses. "Unfortunately, Yaoyorozu-kun isn't going to make it tonight."

"What?" Shouto demanded. His stomach clenched almost painfully.

Iida shook his head in regret. "She said that her father had come back from a business trip so she was going to attend a family dinner."

Shouto felt a pang of hurt that she hadn't messaged him, but then, it wasn't like she had any specific obligation to him.

"Thanks," he muttered, dropping his head to glare down at his plate. He suddenly didn't feel like being at the event.

Yaoyorozu was the one who wanted to see the fireworks. She had been more excited than anyone. Why would she back out now? Shouto ground his teeth.

Was it her parents? Had they said something to her? Were they keeping her from attending?

His throat felt tight, and his hands shook as memories of his own childhood flashed through his mind. He couldn't stand this.

He didn't know much about Yaoyorozu's family life, but could it be that her parents were as overbearing as his father had been with him? He knew they had high expectations of her. Had they guilted her or forbade her from coming? Shouto imagined that Yaoyorozu might have a hard time telling her parents off it that was the case.

Hot anger curled in his throat.

She had planned all of this. She had been so excited.

His hands curled into tight fists.

How could she just decide not to come?

His chair screeched back as Shouto abruptly stood up.

"Todoroki-san!" Midoriya cried as he and Iida stared at him.

Shouto swallowed. He turned, ignoring them.

"Jirou." The earphone jack girl looked up. Shouto rolled his jaw. "What's Yaoyorozu's address?"

Her eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Shouto straightened. "I'm going to go get her."

Jirou met his eyes, and then, as if understanding, nodded. "I'll text it to you."

"Thanks," Shouto said, pushing his chair in.

He hurried out of the restaurant, feeling his phone already vibrating. He slid his hand into the pocket of his yukata and pulled it out, scanning Jirou's text.

"Todoroki!"

Shouto turned to see Midoriya and Iida in the doorway. "What are you going to do?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto's fingers tightened around his phone. "I'm going to get her."

Midoriya's eyes widened. "Yaoyorozu-san?"

"Todoroki-kun, that is unacceptable. You can't just barge into Yaoyorozu-kun's family affairs!"

"I know that," he said, avoiding Iida's gaze. "But I can't accept this!"

"You always say that it's a hero's duty to poke their head into places they don't belong, and Yaoyorozu was more excited than anyone for this." His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white. Shouto looked up, and his eyes met Midoriya's. He set his jaw. "So I'm going to go get her."

"Well, I - I can go with you..."

"No," Shouto said firmly. Then softening his tone added. "No. You stay here. You wanted to see the fireworks too, didn't you?" Midoriya's face turned red and as his friend's eyes glanced quickly towards Uraraka, Shouto knew he had hit the mark. He straightened. "Outside of you and Iida, I'm the fastest. I'll go by myself."

Shouto turned and took off down the street before Iida and Midoriya could protest.

A picture of Yaoyorozu crying flashed through his mind. He brought his hand up and pressed it to the middle of his chest. His fingers dug into the fabric over his chest. It ached.

The yukata was hard to run in, and he could feel the geta sandals bite into his toes. In the back of his mind, he knew it was definitely going to hurt tomorrow, but at the moment he just felt numb.

Yaoyorozu needed him.

The streets got more crowded as he spun around a corner and back towards the main road.

Faster.

He pushed past a couple, only barely muttering an apology as he continued towards the station.

Faster.

The seven-fifteen train would take him towards Aoyama.

Shouto could feel his muscles strain as he pushed his body on.

He needed to go faster.

His geta sandals slapped against the pavement. He had two hours until the start of the fireworks. He needed to get to Aichi and back. If everything went right, he'd just make it.

I want to be with her!