{DEAR DEPARTURE} My Hero Academia

𝟷𝟼. 𝙰 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚗 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘

"Here we go," Sero sighs as he pulls back Mina's covers and sits her down on her bed. Ever since walking away from the others, Mina's energy had dimmed, replaced by signs of fatigue. Sero picks up her legs and places her feet on the bed, then removes her shoes and socks.

"Thanks, Sero," Mina yawns.

"Sure," he answers, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over her. "You better get some rest. You need it," he then adds with a comforting smile.

As Sero turns to leave, Mina mumbles "Hey, Hanta," which causes him to glance back.

"Yeah?"

"You should go for Y/N," she grins, her words laced with a hint of mischief.

Sero chuckles, an amused expression crossing his face. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on," she says tiredly. "Y/N is really pretty and I think it's obvious she likes you," Mina insists, her eyes half closed. "She's got a lot going on so you've got to be patient with her, but I'm sure it'll work out."

Sero raises an eyebrow, a teasing smile forming. "And how do you figure that?"

"Trust me, I've got a sixth sense for these things," Mina replies.

Sero laughs, finding Mina's sudden matchmaking attempt amusing. "Alright, alright. I'll consider it."

With that, he leaves Mina's room, shaking his head in disbelief. Mina allows herself to stay still for awhile, knowing that if she were to stand up too soon, he'll just come right back in here and make her lay back down.

After a few minutes, she slowly gets up and tiptoes towards her door. She doesn't hear anyone on the other side. But still nervous, she paces back and forth, unsure of what to do. She can't sleep, that's for certain. She didn't even get to talk to Kirishima yet.

That was it, she needs to get out of this room. So, quickly and without looking back, she bursts out of her room. Her bare feet make little noise as she runs into the common room, trying not to get caught. And she doesn't stop until she stands in front of Kirishima.

"Woah," he says, placing his hands on her arms to slow her down once she reaches him. "What's going on?"

"I wanted to talk to you," she tells him, her heart beating out of her chest. "I need you to know that I like you, Kirishima. That I've liked you for a long time. I'm sorry it took me so long to say something. Usually I'm not the type to be shy, but you... you make me feel different."

"Mina," Kirishima breathes, his mouth slightly agape.

"Please don't say anything yet," she stops him. "I have one more thing to say. I know your feelings for Bakugou and I understand but there's something I need to get off my chest."

Kirishima looks at her with a mix of curiosity and concern, silently urging her to continue.

"It's just... I've been holding onto this feeling, and it's been tearing me apart. I can't keep pretending, and I don't want to complicate things. So, Kirishima, I need something from you," Mina says, her voice a delicate mix of vulnerability and determination.

"Anything," Kirishima nods, his expression softening. "What do you need, Mina?"

"Just one kiss," she admits, the words hanging in the air, a bittersweet request. "Just one, so I can let go and move on. It's not about changing anything between us or trying to replace Bakugou. It's about closure, about finding the strength to move forward. Could you do that for me?"

"One kiss?" Kirishima repeats, his brow furrowed. He hesitates, trying to figure out the best way to approach the situation. He doesn't want to hurt her, but he knows it's not right.