I'll love you anyway

chapter 4

As a hero, Ochaco would never float someone into space,

Ever.

If you said "as a pissed-off 23-year-old woman", she'd probably say yes.

And whoopdy-doo, Ochaco WAS a very pissed off 23-year-old woman.

It wasn't Ashido's fault that she could be a little well...annoying?

It's just you get a little annoyed when someone has been pestering you for quite some time.

Like three hours.

Every day.

For a week.

Ochaco hated thinking of her friend this way so she tried to excuse herself.

"Excuse me, Mina, I need to go home."

"No, no, no. Stay! Tell me all about your 'not boyfriend'." Ashido teased.

Why was Ashido teasing her? She already said they're not dating.

"Miiiina! I already told you, Midoriya and I are not dating! Why can't you just accept that?" Ochaco yelled.

"Why can't YOU just accept that it's meant to be?" Ashido huffed.

What the heck? Why was Ashido being more pushy than usual today?

"Mina! I swear to god! Sometimes you are just such a-"

"A what, Ochaco? I'm just such a what?" Ashido yelled.

Ochaco saw red.

"A stupid, nosy, drama queen FREAK!" Ochaco screamed.

She was breathing heavily and her vision was a little hazy, but even she could tell that she had crossed a line.

"A freak. Okay, I get it." Ashido mumbled.

Ochaco immediately regretted everything.

"No...Mina, that's not what I mea-"

"No, no. It's okay. People have called me a freak before. It's okay. You're just one of my best friends. It's fine. I'll just...I'll just leave you alone." Ashido said with a fake smile.

There were tears in her eyes and she was hiccupping as she left the small café they were in.

Ochaco slumped down into her seat. The café was now silent despite the group of people. The baristas, cashiers, and waiters all looked shocked, disappointed, or both.

Some of the customers had their phones out as they recorded everything. Others just packed their things quickly and left.

Ochaco grabbed some money out of her purse and slammed it onto the table. She then exited as quickly as possible.

She ran all the way to her small apartment and cried.

Hours had passed and Ochaco still hadn't moved from her space on the floor.

She just felt so bad.

She shouldn't have said all that.

Ashido was her friend!

How could sh-

There was a buzz from her pocket. Ochaco grabbed her phone as it kept on vibrating.

All of her friends were spamming her.

Well not all of them.

Ashido wasn-

Another buzz caught her off guard.

She looked down and saw...

Tsu-chan

Your fight with Mina is all over the news! Do you need to talk?

Ida

Yelling in a public setting is not appropriate hero behavior. You need to learn to control yourself.

Ida

8 OTHER MESSAGES

Yao-Momo

Your quarrel with Mina has become a trending hashtag on Twitter. You should apologize quickly.

Tooru

Ochaco! Your fight is all over Tumblr girl! How could you!

Tooru

48 OTHER MESSAGES

Denki

That was a low blow man.

Tape boy!

I thought you were better than that. You knew people bullied Mina in elementary and you called her that?

EijiROCK

Not manly Ochaco. Not one bit. Tell Mina your sorry soon. Shes really crying

EijiROCK

2 OTHER MESSAGES

Ochaco rushed to her TV and hit the power button. The news was already on and there on the screen was her spat with Ashido. Broadcasted for the world to see.

Shit.

That was going to affect her hero rankings, her income, but most importantly...

her friendship with Ashido.

How was Ochaco going to fix this?

the next day

"Mmmhmm, yeah okay. I understand, no I'm fine. You should really ask...what's that? Oh. Well goodbye then, thank you." Ochaco sighed before hanging up.

She had called her manager and asked her for the rest of the month off. So two weeks.

Her hero ranking had already tanked, this would just add to it. Ochako didn't care though. She couldn't bring herself to go to work. So she was taking a break.

Ochaco flopped onto her couch and pressed the power button on the T.V. remote.

It was the news station again. Apparently, there had been a break-in at a low-level bank. Pro Heroes Quake and Creati had already arrived at the scene. Ochako couldn't help but feel guilty. She should be out there, not here moping. But...she just...couldn't.

"Thanks, Daichi, now many viewers are wondering about the lives of Pro Heroes Uravity and Pinky. Have they made up or is it a fight that will never be forgotten.? Uravity's manager had this to say."

The camera switched to a blue-skinned male who had black hair and was standing in front of the Uravity agency.

"Pro Hero Uravity will be absent for the next two weeks as she has asked for a break. That said when she returns she will be suspended to paperwork duty. That is all I am going to disclose, thank you."

The camera switched back to the female news anchor. She started to talk about what Ochaco's manager had said and then hero rankings.

"While Uravity's have gone down fast, Pinky's have been going up remarkably fast. Pinky has been getting a lot of support online and all over Japan."

Ochaco could feel tears run down her cheeks as the news anchor continued to talk about statistics, popularity, and gossip.

A knock was heard throughout the small apartment.

Ochaco considered who it could be as she wiped at her tears.

Asui had offered to talk, but she was helping her siblings learn how to swim this weekend. So it couldn't be her.

Ida might have come to lecture her on hero appropriate behavior, but also ask if she was okay.

It could be Jiro, who Ochaco had gotten a voice mail from.

The person knocked again and Ochaco opened the door.

Standing there, at her doorstep, was Midoriya Izuku.