My Angel

Her Symbol of Hope

She took the window seat by Iida and kept to herself for the whole ride, glancing out the window and it seemed her mind was off. She was thankful that no one bothered focusing on her and rather busied themselves with Yaoyorozu's explanation of where they were headed.

" Just to make sure," her head snapped to the other seats across from them as Todoroki spoke loudly. " You know that what we're doing is selfish and that no one wants us to do it, right? You can still turn back if you want to."

Both Midoriya and Kirishima were fast to express their disagreement and resolve to carry on their task, Sora however hugged her backpack and bit on her lip. She too couldn't afford to go back. Not while a friend was in danger. And especially not while she had finally found a lead.

" Are you sure you're alright?" She snapped back to the real world when Iida called for her and somehow managed to smile back at him.

" I'm fine. Not to worry."

Iida took a second to study her before he spoke up again. " I understand that it's hard to have an argument with your friend."

Sora leaned her head on the window. " First argument, actually..." She heaved a prolonged sigh as though trying to get rid of a weight in her chest but to no use. " I don't seem to remember raising my voice at him even once since we've met."

Iida fiddled with his fingers. " Well, I don't usually punch my classmates either." He chanced a look at Midoriya.

" You say it again. You seemed out of your character." She pointed and he rubbed his head uneasily with a small blush. It was an interesting thing to see frankly. It wasn't every day that she saw the composed Iida blushing.

" The thing is, I was worried. Not just for the danger that they were putting themselves in. But for the outcomes as well." He held his left hand and stared at it longingly as though recalling the day it was first injured. " I've lost my way back then and ended up causing trouble for many people. And it was thanks to the heroes' help to avoid our punishment by law that we're still here today. But that kind of favor won't be inflected twice. I feared that, if not physically harmed, they would end up disqualified to be heroes. Thinking that way made me lose it and snap at them."

" But it was because you cared," Sora stated, gently placing a hand on his arm and he gave a weak nod. " I can't blame you for that."

" Seijin-kun was the same too," he said, his eyes meeting hers. " I wasn't there when all the racket happened, but I was told everything. He ended up landing himself in the hospital for two days so he could save you."

Sora's eyes dropped and her clutch of her backpack tightened. " I know that." She felt more ashamed than ever upon hearing it again. That despite all he had done, she just ended up ditching him in the end. And in a horrible way.

" He cared for you. So the least you could do, is to make up with him when you're back." Iida offered her a smile. " I know you two would."

With a small smile, she nodded at him weakly. True, she needed to apologize for her rudeness, she needed to thank him properly for saving her. And most of all, she needed to tell him that she too couldn't have come this far without him by her side...

________________

Sora gaped at the crowded streets of Kanagawa. People of all kinds were walking back and forth under the street lights and signboards. She wasn't used to seeing a city full of life at late night hours. She admired the city some more before Yaoyorozu dragged them all to a store with a flashing nameplate spelling the name 'Dirt-Cheap Donki Oote'.

Without any previous warning, Sora was forced by a rather excited Yaoyorozu into a white skirt, a blue collar sleeveless shirt, black leggings and white high boots. Her hair was freed from her usual plaits and held back into a half-moon bun. She was also given golden-rimmed glasses. " This is a hassle," she mumbled stepping out of the changing cabinet and holding down her skirt as though it was going to blow away. " Why should we do this?"