"honesty and grace" (Mezo Shoji X Reader)

Chapter 1

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," you shout to your friend (F/f/n), as you carry in a box filled with baking ingredients and utensils. "I'm going as fast as I can. These boxes are heavy, you know." The box in your arms slowly becomes less and less easy to carry as you pass through the back door of the small bakery you worked in. Once inside, the box is placed in a cleared out spot on the marble counter top just before the baking room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to help with that?" She smiles, bulking up her arms intensely. Her quirk, super strength, enhances the performance of her muscles and gives her the ability to pick up, throw, crush, or move something with ease. Her body moves swiftly to the loading truck, bringing in more inventory in minutes than you have in the past half an hour. (F/f/n) brings in the boxes while you open and sort through them, making sure that the place is set for when the bakers and owner arrive at 7 AM. At the beginning of every Friday, you are instructed to get to the bakery early in the morning in order to stock up and sort through the inventory. Luckily, you both finish the job about fifteen minutes before seven, so you're given some down time.

You wave goodbye to the delivery truck driver before closing and locking the back door the way you found it when you arrived there at six. "Thanks for deciding you'd help, even though I shouldn't be thanking you for doing your job. It would've gone a lot faster had you just used your quirk in the first place." You laugh, playfully punching your friend in the arm. She only laughs, moving some hair out of her face and readjusting her yellow work hat.

"No problem, man. What would you do without someone like me?" Once again, the muscles in her body flex, and she poses herself in a position to look similar to All Might. She comically mimics his all famous laughter, which sends the both of you into a laughing fit. Soon, you calm down, and begin to casually chat about random things. "Oh," her eyes fell, before rising to meet yours, looking slightly bothered, "by the way, I'm not sure I'll be able to hang out on Saturday. Before you freak out and get mad at me, I have a good reason. My dad is super sick, probably got one hell of a flu, and my mom leaves for my grandparent's house tonight. She's going to America for ten days, so she wants me to take care of my dad. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Her gaze is filled with pity and sorrow. You just sigh and smile.

"No need to explain. I know that already. My mom is leaving with yours, remember? Our grandparents are like neighbors." Your hand goes behind your neck, rubbing it nervously. You slowly bring your hand back, fixing the work hat that you despised. It was just a simple yellow baseball cap with red stitching.

(F/f/n) chuckles, nodding her head and placing her hand over her face. "Wow, I'm slow." The two of you laugh as you hear the front door open, and your manager walks in with his jacket over his arm and a key ring in his hand.

***

3 PM rolls around, which just so happens to be your least favorite time of any weekday. That's when UA lets the students out for the day, and all the snotty kids come here and make a mess of the place. They use their quirks, showing off to the other classes, or start picking fights outside, and even sometimes inside of the establishment. The bakery is new, too, so it makes a fine place for people without quirks to leisure as they please. However, the amount of delinquents that pass through this area could ruin business, and you'd be out of a decent paying job. Your manager, a very kind young man by the name of Koki Itō, says that it's really no big deal, but having to deal with screaming, yelling, fighting, and annoying kids every day gets old rather quickly.

"(F/n)," you hear loudly from behind you, the broom in your hand nearly falling to the floor. The voice is your manager's. He seems to be in quite a hurry. "I have to go home, it's an emergency with my son. I believe he is ill. I'm putting you in charge of the register." His voice is calm, yet he sounds very unsure of himself.

Swallowing hard, all you can really do is nod in understanding. He grabs his jacket from the back, and runs outside to his car, taking off in a total of fifteen seconds to speed off without a second thought. You place the broom back in its spot, lazily walking over to the register. Well, one of two, at least. Your friend (F/f/n) works another one to your left. She is busy with a customer, so you go unnoticed for the time being. Though, as customers begin to rush in, mostly kids from UA, you realize that the swarm is a lot less than usual. Of course, there are still about thirty people in the building, but that amount is a lot less than usual. Orders are flung at you left and right, yen being handed over carelessly, the cash register ringing constantly; it's absolute insanity for about ten minutes, then things start to mellow out.

"Not that bad a rush today, I see?" A familiar voice says as you slide money into the black cash register.

Your head rises from the machine quickly, a smile forming on your face. "Ojiro, what a coincidence to see you here, you regular." You laugh, smiling at the blonde boy in front of you.

His shoulders rise and fall as his tail flicks softly, and you call his normal order. "Thanks. I've got a friend outside, too, so do you think I could get something for him, too? Like, some taiyaki?" He points to a pair of premade fish-shaped pastries behind a glass display window while holding up two fingers.

You nod, grabbing his order from the small metal shelf behind me, the bag warm with fresh pastries. You slide the little glass window open, putting two of the oddly shaped pastries in it as well. You smile as you read him his total before grabbing the money from him while popping open the register with a ring.

"You should tell your friend to come in tomorrow or something. I'm not that scary. Plus, tomorrow is Saturday. You guys aren't going to have school, and the bakery will be relatively slow." You conclude, a small smile on your face, curious as to who his friend could be.

A nervous smile comes to the boy's face. "Well, he's not one for social interaction. If he doesn't have to be out in public, he's not looking for ways to be. He can be kind of an introvert sometimes, y'know?" His eyes drop slightly, looking kind of bashful.

"Why would he be so nervous? Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." A smile comes to your face as you push the bag across the counter to him, allowing him to grab it. With a nod, he smiles and walks out of the building, more and more people coming in as he leaves. (F/f/n) and you sigh in unison as the day begins to pick up quite suddenly. You try not to think much about Ojiro's friend, kind of getting nervous to meet him. If you ever get to, that is. Come to think of it, you never even asked for the kids name. That should be the first thing Ojiro said about his friend, but he didn't even reveal to you his name.

"You are so obvious, (F/n)." Your friend says, causing your head to turn quickly in her direction. "That Ojiro guy? You very obviously like him." A smug smirk covers her face as the two of you meet each other's eyes.

You fumble with a bit of yen, dropping it on the floor. Quickly, you pick it up and look over at your friend. "Why would you even think of that, dude? We've only talked for like a week. I know nothing but his name, and he's not exactly my type." You sigh, handing a customer her change. She thanked you and took her small bag filled with goods to a small table just before the counter.

"You guys are literally always talking when he's here. He gets his food, finds you, and then leaves. He scopes you out." She says, causing your face to heat. You ignore it, though, thanking a customer for stopping at the establishment, calling their order back to the bakers. Once again, a sigh passes your lips as you look over at your friend.

"So, what? Maybe he just wanted to be friends with someone outside of his class?" You ask, crossing your arms, watching her take orders and call them.

She shrugs, a smile lingering on her face as she looks over in your direction. "Maybe. Or, maybe he likes you and you're just oblivious to it."

Finally, all the customers have been served for now, so you look at each other and cross your arms. "No. Again, he's not my type, (F/f/n)."

She laughs, shrugging and turning to face a man that walked through the door. "Whatever you say, (F/n)."