Dekiru 10: The Symbol Of Peace And The Protector Of Earth

Chapter 58: Fireworks! The End To Vacation!

The room was steeped in a dense, awkward silence, as if the air itself were trying not to breathe too loudly. Then, one by one, the girls' faces turned scarlet.

Kyouka had curled into herself, hugging her knees tightly and muttering into them, "I... I can't believe I actually said that out loud..."

Ochako hovered a few inches above the floor, her hands pressed to her face. "Whyyy did we start talking about this...?" she mumbled, barely coherent through her fingers.

Tsuyu, sitting cross-legged on the floor, had managed to calm her outward blush-but inside, her heart was thudding like a bass drum. "Ribbit... this got heavy real fast."

Itsuka's composure cracked; she rubbed the back of her neck, ears glowing red. "I don't think I've ever blushed this much in my life."

Off to the side, Yanagi silently fiddled with a fragment of floating dust, her expression typically unreadable, though the faintest pink dusted her cheeks.

Pony, small and flustered, hugged her knees tighter, her ears twitching wildly. "I didn't mean to admit that, I just-I panicked!"

Toru, flickering from her invisibility out of embarrassment, managed to mumble, "How did this even happen? I don't usually go for guys like Midori..."

"Though I'm kinda surprised Yaomomo and Hagakure like the Green Bean," Kyouka added, her voice laced with teasing. Both girls immediately shot her a glare.

"If I recall correctly, you two were all over Todoroki not too long ago," Kyouka said with a smirk, earning irritated vein marks on their foreheads.

"That's not true!" Momo and Toru shouted in unison, their faces red as tomatoes.

"Pfft, sure," Kyouka teased, trying to lighten the mood. "I distinctly remember how you two were gushing over him. So much swooning, it was hard to miss."

The rest of the girls chuckled, though Momo and Toru fidgeted in their seats, thoroughly flustered.

"Okay, fine!" Toru exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. "Todoroki is... really handsome, but... shut up!" She paused, her blush deepening. "But that dweeb-Midori-he just... snuck his way into my heart. He's a complete dork, barely knew how to stand up for himself back then, but... I started noticing his hidden qualities."

Kyouka's gaze softened, and she nodded. "Yeah... I know what you mean," she said, her voice quieter this time.

Yanagi finally spoke, her voice calm but thoughtful. "Izuku is... different," she said. "He doesn't try to be flashy or perfect. He just works hard and makes you want to believe in him. It's... admirable." Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink as she looked away, her floating debris trembling slightly.

Pony hugged her knees tighter, her ears twitching furiously. "Yeah... I-I thought he was just another shy boy at first, but... he's not. He's really brave. It's like... you can't help but root for him," she said, her voice soft and embarrassed.

Tsuyu broke the brief silence. "Ochako, I thought you were going to suppress your feelings. You said months ago that being in a relationship would just get in the way of being heroes," she said bluntly.

Ochako peeked out from behind her hands, her floating slightly erratic now. "I... I did say that," she admitted softly.

Tsuyu tilted her head. "So what changed?"

Ochako's mind wandered, recalling moments with Izuku: Watching Dekiru never give up... how he fights villains, always giving his all, driving toward his goal, never backing down... It's just so... cool.

"I still think that way, to an extent," Ochako said, her voice tinged with hesitation. "But... seeing Dekiru give it his all, never holding back, always moving forward-it's inspiring. He's so focused, no room for distractions. I thought I needed to be like that too. To push my feelings aside and just... do my best."