𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠, 𝗌. 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝗈𝗋𝗈𝗄𝗂

𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍

as miyuki stepped off the elevator, she immediately noticed bakugou approaching izuku in the hallway. her eyes narrowed as she observed the way izuku's body seemed to tense up.

"hm," she murmured to herself, deciding to ask izuku about it later. she'd make sure to bring it up when he came by her room.

everyone was in the living room having a little get together. miyuki snuck out to go outside and sit on a bench. she needed some alone time to relax after the licensing exam.

the first thing she'd done upon returning was shower. she had felt so sticky and grimy that she couldn't stand it another second. now, she was comfortably dressed in her usual sleepwear: an oversized plain shirt, basketball shorts, and a pair of mismatched socks with slides. her hair braided in two braids by jirou. she wore her glasses, replacing the contacts she'd worn all day.

she stared up at the stars with a soft smile. if miyuki wasn't aspiring to be a hero, she'd love to be an astronaut. the stars looked magical tonight, like they held secrets only she could unlock.

"hi."

the soft voice pulled miyuki from her thoughts. she looked up to find todoroki standing beside her, his face calm, but his gaze thoughtful.

"hey," she greeted, shifting over on the bench to make room for him. "why aren't you with everyone else?"

"they're too loud," he replied simply, settling down beside her. miyuki couldn't help but chuckle at his bluntness, and then the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, both looking up at the stars.

after a few moments, miyuki broke the quiet.

"i like you," she blurted out. the words slipped out before she could stop them. her cheeks warmed as she looked at him, searching for any reaction. todoroki's eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent, making her nerves flare up even more.

"i know you said i didn't do anything wrong," she continued, her voice stumbling over her words. "but i can't help feeling that you've been ignoring me because of how i've been around you. the only reason i acted... well, flirty, was because i like you. i needed to tell you. it's okay if you don't feel the same way! i completely understand—I'm just sorry." she stared down at her hands.

todoroki stayed quiet, like he was carefully choosing each word in his mind, but the silence only made miyuki's heart race faster.

"oh god, i'm so stupid." she buried her face in her hands, feeling utterly mortified. "i shouldn't have said that. i'll just head inside."

"i don't think i'd be a good boyfriend," he murmured, just as she was about to stand.

she sighed, forcing a small chuckle to mask her nerves. "you can just reject me, you know?" she thought he was just making an excuse.

"i don't want to reject you." she glanced over, surprised. he met her gaze with a soft look in his eyes. "you're confusing me, todoroki."

"i like you too," he admitted quietly. "i was avoiding you because of that. i wanted my feelings to go away so i could focus on becoming a hero. i thought you would just be a distraction...i wanted to prove my old man wrong...that i can be greater than him, on my own."

"but pushing my feelings away hasn't worked," he said with a faint smile. "being around you makes me happy, satomi. it's a feeling i didn't know i needed. and...it's something i really like." miyuki's eyes sparkled with quiet excitement, her heart racing.

but then, his smile faded. "by avoiding you, i hurt you. i'm sorry. i just don't think i'd make a good boyfriend. i'm too much like my old man... yoarashi was right."