Something Further than the Universe

Chapter IX ~ Letting Go (For Tonight)

A/N: These chapters really do take a while to write, and editing and posting them is a whole different story. But I think this one was worth it, as I'm proud of the outcome. The Kiribaku element I've added has gotten some negative feedback, mostly due to lack of importance, but that is going to change soon. Also, I split the party scene into two chapters, so this is only part one!

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"Oh, c'mon... Where the hell did I leave my phone? I need to know what time it is!"

Mina nearly had a panic attack when it dawned on her for the fifteenth time in the last five minutes: she was going to be late. She was in a rush, the life-or-death kind, only minutes to spare before her friends left without her, and she wasn't even wearing the right clothes yet! Saturday had completely snuck up behind her before she even realized it, and now she was paying the price—either risk being late to the most incredible night of her life or do the practical thing and run out the door at the last minute.

She chose the latter option, obviously, throwing together an outfit she bought at the mall a few weeks ago and slipping on a new pair of black boots, stuffing some extra money inside them just in case. She checked the only place she could think of for her phone—under her bed. It was there, alright, but not in the way she was expecting, the screen covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust. She did a half-assed job at doing her makeup, and then, without looking back, she swung the door open and headed toward the elevator, smiling when she saw everyone waiting for her in the common area.

Mina greeted them all and then let her eyes fall on Jirou, whose presence stood out like a sore thumb. She didn't fit the embodiment of a party girl, at least from what Mina could remember, nor had she proven herself to be very rebellious. But the more the merrier, right? "Jirou, are you coming too?" she asked, kind of assuming the answer was yes. "Thank God another girl is going! Y'know, to be honest, I thought I'd be all alone with these dimwits."

She wasn't expecting Jirou to laugh, so she wasn't all that surprised when she didn't. "Yeah, I figured I would last night when Kaminari invited me," she replied, motioning toward the boy beside her, and Kaminari waved at Mina with a slightly apologetic smile on his face, almost like he'd done something wrong. She wanted to tell him that no, he hadn't done anything wrong, and he shouldn't have been so worried because she'd done the exact same thing.

Suddenly she had the urge to look out amongst the crowd for Izuku, who was still a no-show. He was even later than she was, and for a brief second she thought that maybe he'd abandoned her. But then she remembered he wouldn't have the guts to do that, not without warning her first. He was Izuku, after all.

"It's already past nine, you guys. We gotta get going. We aren't waiting on anyone, are we?" Jirou asked, looking down at her phone to presumably check the time. Everyone else shook their heads no.

"Wait."

They'd already taken a few steps forward, but they stopped in their tracks and turned around to face Mina, whose eyes were just begging for them not to go.

"We're still waiting on one more person."

Kirishima looked her square in the eye and raised an eyebrow. She'd told him what she had in store already so that at least one person would be on her side when Izuku showed up, and that way things wouldn't be so awkward. But the inevitable awkwardness of it all still scared her.

And the awkwardness would definitely prove itself to be inevitable, especially with the brilliance of Izuku's timing. He popped out from around the corner just moments after she mentioned him and his involvement in their plans.

There was a beat of silence as he waved at them clumsily, and she and Kirishima were the only ones to wave back. And then, like the meddlers they were, the rest of her friends gave her a little slice of hell.