Mystic

Chapter Eleven

        "You can't just visit," protested Fuyumi. "Not without telling Dad, right?"

        I heard Shoto respond. "Whatever."

        "But why go now? Why see her after all this time?"

        "I'll be back."

        Back in the dining room/kitchen, I was happily munching away on my leftover soba from last night. I hadn't bothered to heat it up and could now understand why Todoroki liked it cold. It was refreshing. Fuyumi came into the room and took a seat at the table.

        "Everything alright?" I asked between bites.

        She glanced up, a quizzical expression on her face. "Huh? Yeah, everything's fine. How are you doing? Feeling better?"

        "Mmhm." I nodded. "My sleeping arrangement was quite comfortable, thank you. And, I've recovered a lot of the stamina I lost from overusing my Quirk."

        "Good to hear! Well, as soon as you're all done with breakfast, we can head out. I've got a whole day of shopping planned out for the two of us," she beamed. "We can take the train over to the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. They'll have plenty of things for you to pick out."

        Fuyumi seemed really excited. I assumed this was in part due to the fact she'd never had another girl to fawn over, just like she'd said yesterday. She was probably viewing this as some girl's trip schoolkids might have when they were younger, spending their weekly allowance and sharing gossip. Oh, please dear God, don't let it be that painful. I wasn't sure I'd feel comfortable in such a crowded place. Nonetheless, the second my dish was in the sink, she basically dragged me out the door.

        "Oh," she said, finally taking a second to look at me. "You're wearing your school uniform."

        I fidgeted with my skirt a little. "Uh, well, these are the only clothes I have apart from my hero costume and I didn't wanna bother you by asking to borrow anything else. You already lent me pajamas last night. I just wanted to be respectful and I knew we were going to be going shopping. I apologize if I misjudged the situation."

        "You're so sweet!" Fuyumi gave me a big smile. "But, you don't have to worry about things like that. I could have easily found something to give you. Doesn't matter now though. We've got a train to catch!"

        We raced down to the station, and I couldn't help but grin a bit too. Fuyumi was so different from Shoto. Instead of being cold and distant, she was warm and outgoing. A fact that only made me feel worse about my actions at dinner. Either way, she didn't seem to mind that now and was instead giving me a second chance at an introduction.

        The station wasn't that far, and after a few minutes, we arrived. And just in time too! We filed in, having to stand due to how crowded it was. The whole ordeal sorta set me on edge, but Fuyumi made sure my attention was focused on her as the train raced down the tracks.

        "So, what are your favorite colors?" She asked. "Oo, and what sorta stuff do you like to wear? We don't really have to worry about the cost, and the mall we're going to has a variety of stores, so you can really get just about anything you want."

        "Hmm, um, I've never really given it much thought. But, color-wise? Probably like my hero costume: Purples, greys, blacks. And, if I had to pick a style, I'd most likely stay practical. Nothing fancy, Just, uh, shirts. Pants. Yeah."

        "Oh my gosh, you are in desperate need of some fashion guidance. Listen, I may not be the hippest girl out there, but I'm most certainly in the know. Believe me, my students tell me everything."