It Started With A Project (Kamijiro)

Chapter Seventeen: Finally Found

Author's edit: Hello, it's Galactic! It's finally the end of the story! Don't worry though, there's still an epilogue after this and another Kamijirou book on its way in the future! I hope you enjoyed reading it!

There was nothing but a long pause of silence. No one inside moved. No one outside breathed. No one was doing anything.

Yaoyorozu and Ashido backed away from the taped door, glancing at each other with regret filling their bodies. Did they just make the situation worse?

"I'm sorry," someone suddenly spoke as everyone outside flinched.

Jirou was facing the wall, with her head against the door and her arms still crossed. Her hair was covering her face as she held in tears.

"What are you sorry for? You didn't even do anything wrong," Kaminari answered Jirou's remark, she didn't lift her head from the door though.

"I don't know? For everything? For hurting you, for avoiding you, for flat out ignoring you," Jirou's voice quivered as she dug her nails into her arms. "I just had so much guilt from. . .everything that's happened. And every time I looked at you it got worse."

Kaminari set the mural down on his desk.

"And I wanted to get rid of the feeling, so I thought giving it time would work. And I guess the guilt never left because I still feel it now," her voice finally broke as she heard his footsteps walk toward her. She didn't have the courage to look up at him, so she kept her hair drooping over her face. Little blobs of water blurred her vision of the floor.

"The thought of almost suffocating you–" she stammered with her words, speaking quickly. "I like you okay. I care for you, I don't know why, I don't know how, I don't even kno-"

Kaminari took all the worries from her mouth she had in that moment, a finger guided her chin toward his as they shared their first kiss. She blinked twice, letting the collected tears stream down her cheeks. She was rarely one to cry, but those tears soon faded as his hands found their way to cup her face and rub them away. She pulled him down so she could reach him, bringing her arms up to his shoulders and around his neck.

The guilt was leaving with each second that passed. Pressed against the door, she looked up at him as they both opened their eyes, leaving one another's faces.

"You could say. . . that I liked you too," Kaminari gazed into her eyes lovingly, moving his hands to her waist.

"You big dork, why didn't you say anything sooner," Jirou's voice shook with confused happiness.

"What if I also said that you didn't hold all that guilt alone."

"Well then if I knew I would've helped you."

"But you didn't, because I was avoiding you too."

Jirou let out a relieved laugh, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

A consecutive 'whoo!' from outside their dorm startled both of them, hearing high fives and happy cheers. Sero ripped off the tape as Ashido flung the door open.

"IT WORKED!" Ashido hopped up and down as they both backed away from their hug.

"A-Ashido, were you listening the whole time?" Kaminari's face flushed red.

"So are you official? Please tell me you're both official!" Hagakure came up to Ashido as they held their hands together like fangirls.

"Um-" Kaminari rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, we're official. As long as he's okay with it," Jirou answered for him as Ashido and Hagakure shook her out of excitement, squealing that the operation worked.

"Official huh? I like the sound of that," Kaminari smiled as Sero smacked him on the back. "OW! What was that for?!"

"A good luck smack," Sero balled up his extra tape in his free hand.

"Were you the one who kept my door shut?" Kaminari lowered his eyebrows annoyed.

"Only for a little bit," Sero snickered as Uraraka ran over, Oijirou close behind.

"Did everything go wel– guys stop shaking Kyoka, she looks like she'll puke!" Uraraka bounced toward them.

"Why are there so many people here? I thought this floor was generally more quiet than the 4th one," Oijiro entered the crowd of people.

"Sorry for the trouble Oijirou," Yaoyorozu apologized. "Uraraka needed to distract you for our plan to work."

"This was a plan, you actually made a plan?" Jirou looked around bewildered.

Kaminari and Jirou both immediately glared at Ashido.

"Okay, but it WORKED right?" Ashido raised her shoulders and defended her point. "I'm the reason you're together now! You're welcome, by the way."

"You're also the reason my dorm handle got destroyed in the first place," Jirou held her hands on her hips.

"Okay, that was unintentional. It was Bakugo, not me," Ashido added.

"Maybe I'll try sneaking into your dorm to put blue dye in your shampoo. We'd totally match, right?" Jirou joked as Ashido complained, the hallway was filled with light laughter as the sun went down over the dormitory.