Flea

Chapter Twenty Three

Hi readers, sorry but updates are going to be slowing down because I'm heading into exams and it's all a bit crazy. I'll try to pick up the pace and make up for it after they're over in December. This all feels like part 1 of the story, while part 2 commences at the summer camp arc where it gets crazyyyy so keep with me! Thanks for undertaking the journey with me xx.

"Kaminari, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. You need to unravel the mysteries of what Recovery Girl's hiding behind her layers. It's got to be scandalous because I did some research and apparently she still keeps covered in 40-degree heat. 40 DEGREE HEAT. If that isn't hot I don't know what is. Infiltrate and photographs are key. You were given your pretty boy looks for this one purpose."

Mineta's lust-filled voice drifted through the haze in Denki's mind. He only heard half of the instructions, but the electric type got the message. Usually, he enjoyed Mineta's schemes and hopped on for the ride, but this seemed too far. Maeve was not only fixing his increasingly unreliable brain, but she'd been really cool after overhearing him in the canteen that time. Instead of losing her shit she'd instead steered the conversation into a discussion on body image as effortlessly as Kamanari losing homework. If that wasn't impressive he didn't know what was.

"Um, yeah. I'll see what I can do," he said, watching trains whip past. Better to just go along and pretend he never got an opportunity. Kaminari continued.

"Good luck with Mount Lady. When I told Maeve where you were interning she called someone to literally just cackle into the receiver. Dunno who they were but that doesn't sound like a good omen." Not a good omen indeed. Mineta waved his hand majestically.

"Nonsense. I've realised something lately. The reason girls at school don't like me is because their taste isn't developed enough. Older women will get me, these sticky balls just need to find themselves a cougar."

Instead of giving that statement acknowledgement it clearly didn't deserve, Kaminari chose to search for Maeve across the train station. It took his eyes longer to pick her out of the crowd than expected; she wasn't wearing her trademark lab coat. The surgeon had instead veered in the opposite wardrobe direction. A tatty leather overcoat hung on her tiny frame like bat wings. She was talking to Yaoyorozu, about what it was impossible to say. Knowing them, stuff that sounded like it came out of a university science textbook.

"Well, I should check on my new employer," Kaminari said dryly. Mineta winked at him and gave two thumbs up, obviously interpreting that as something dirty.  They made their way over to the two girls. However, once the boys were within earshot they both stopped dead, mouths falling open.

"I've had my eyes on that support company. The owner shouldn't have a license. He's been over sexualising girl's costumes for a while now and in the case of yours, I could tell he had a field day. I'll talk to Nezu about it for future years. I looked over the thing's designs and they're completely ridiculous. It's an embarrassment, the piece gives you less support than a fucking tiger mum and is as practical as tissue paper," Maeve said wryly. When the eavesdroppers saw Yaoyorozu NODDING in AGREEMENT they knew they had to step in before things got out of hand.

"I think her hero costume is perfect the way it is, actually," Kaminari said breezily, shooting finger guns at them.

"Impractical? Yaoyorozu's outfit? It practically oozes practicality. When she wears it the masterpiece screams empowerment of women in a patriarchal industry," Mineta cooed, while Denki nodded vigorously, pretending he understood what the statement meant.

"Uh-huh. Mineta, do you know how many times you've referenced boobs or boobies in the cherished time we've spent together?" Maeve asked, and Yaoyorozu unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest. Mineta smiled sweetly.