IZUOCHA'S LOVE STORIES (BOOK 1)

38 - SHY BOY AND ENERGETIC GIRL

By Sephsticles

Summary: After Ochako Uraraka is defeated by Katsuki Bakugo in the Sports Festival, Izuku Midoriya overhears his friend crying in the waiting room. Feeling worried over this, he tries to think of a way to make her feel better, and to let her know just how amazing he thinks she is. Written for Day 6 Prompt: Loss/Nightmare of IzuOcha Week 2017.

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It was nearing the finals of the UA Sports Festival, and Izuku Midoriya was feeling guilty.

He was feeling guilty of many things. For one, he regretted his defeat against his classmate and newfound rival Shoto Todoroki. He worried over not being able to fully control One for All, and how he was so focused on trying to help his opponent out of his inner turmoil that he ended up losing the match, thinking that he had failed his mentor, All Might, and broken his promise.

But at least he felt there was a silver lining. While he had gotten a broken leg, two broken arms, and various burns and scrapes, Recovery Girl had been there to treat him. While he had lost to Todoroki, he had gained a new friend in him. While he failed to safely control One for All, All Might had promised to help him find a new way to use it without having to be so self-destructive. So no, that was not what he regretted the most.

At that time, what he felt the worst about was not being able to help his friend Ochako Uraraka cope with her devastating defeat against their classmate, despite seeing the distress in her eyes after seeing her whole battle plan be literally blown to bits.

How could I just leave her like that? Izuku thought. Her opponent Katsuki Bakugo was a fearsome combatant, and his Explosion was definitely a lopsided matchup against her Zero Gravity, so he understood her problem...and yet regret still stung at his heart, because he felt he had done nothing about it, despite being her friend, despite seeing her nervously smiling and shaking before the match, reassuring him that everything was fine; she would do her best be strong and brave, and would even challenge him, saying that they should meet in the final match.

Izuku definitely agreed that Ochako was indeed strong and brave, perhaps even more than he was, he thought. Every time her opponent threw an explosion in her direction, she just dodged and kept pressing the attack like nothing happened, and to everyone's surprise, had actually been planning a counterattack the entire time in the form of a meteor shower created from the rubble kicked up from all the explosions.

But he also knew that her strength had a limit. That meteor shower was not only a sign of her strength, but also her desperation, as she had already hit her limit, having to both lighten herself and float the rocks; so when he saw Katsuki blow it away with his biggest explosion yet, Izuku knew that the fight was effectively over, further confirmed by the sight of Ochako limping towards her opponent only to collapse on the floor.

She had lost the match. Izuku knew the girl would not take well to that, so he was rather surprised - and concerned - with the seemingly carefree image Ochako was projecting to him as he knew it was just a facade. And yet he could do nothing, as any further attempt to pry would simply be brushed off with "I'm okay." or similar; all the boy could do wish her well, and then later freeze in shock as he heard her muffled crying through the thin door of the waiting room. His regret would further intensify upon seeing her back in the bleachers, with her eyes nearly swollen shut after letting out so much hidden tears.

And so, once it had been decided that Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo were to face each other in the final match, Izuku also decided that he had to do something about this. He had to help her. But the question was "How?".

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It wasn't until the end of the Sports Festival that Izuku made up his mind on what to do for her, after watching his classmates Kirishima and Kacchan of all people.