Shinchako One-Shots

the future is unknown, but with you i feel at ease

Day One: Missed Connections

Quirkless AU, 18+ AU

Rating: SFW

To some people like Shinso, finding love isn't as easy as they make it out to be in the movies. In the beginning, it's all about meeting someone, talking to them, and waiting anxiously only to find out they don't really like you. The pain and embarrassment one goes through with each attempt is argued to make you grow stronger, but to Shinso it's just one big ball of disappointment. He'll tell you he doesn't see the point in something that is unknown or uncertain; essentially a waste of time and energy. And he'll most definitely tell you that he does not cry for weeks on end when someone ghosts him or leaves him on read.

In the city, with hands in his pocket with slumped shoulders, walked a guy named Shinso on his way to work. This was his daily routine, but today felt especially depressing. Having to wake up and stare at his ceiling, not having anyone at his side just felt empty. He wasn't sure why today was different, but he guessed it was one of those days where things just didn't go right—and he was half right. The weather before stepping out of his apartment to go to work, was so sunny that it felt like summer was right around the corner. The birds were singing their melodic tunes as the sun came out to play. Upon walking a few blocks down, Shinso felt something wet fall onto his cheek. This small touch was enough to stop him in his tracks. He looked up to find a grey cloud hovering above him. After that, the once bright blue sky turned grey and ominous. He brought up his suitcase to shield himself from the persistent rain while he looked for the nearest place to seek refuge.

Across the street, Shinso spotted the protruding rooftop of a nearby bus stop. He crossed the street and stood underneath. Not a second later, almost as if the weather knew, the rain fell even sharper than before. There was no way he'd be able to get the metro while managing to stay dry. Shinso shook himself off, wiping off the remaining raindrops from his case. He sat on the available seats behind him and sighed in exasperation. He lifted his arm, moving his sleeve to check the time.

7:25 am

He still had an hour left before he would be considered late. After sitting for a while, Shinso began taking note of how cold it was becoming. He was completely underprepared for today. He only wore his favorite navy blue coat, while failing to bring a beanie and some gloves. He shivered and watched the rain pour. He followed the water that ran down the sidewalk to find a girl holding a pink umbrella. Soon after, gusts of wind took over the streets making it even harder to see past oneself. The girl struggled to hold her umbrella and Shinso observed as the wind ripped it from her hold, causing it to tumble down the street. At this point in time, he had two options: he could sit there, watching her struggle and save himself from the embarrassment of running after an umbrella or he could get up, swallow his pride, and chase after it. There was no time for Shinso to choose so his feet did his thinking for him. He got up swiftly and ran towards the tumbling umbrella. Lucky for him, the umbrella stayed on the ground otherwise, it would have been difficult to catch it in the air. In a swift motion, Shinso snatched the umbrella and gripped onto it. He struggled against the wind and closed the umbrella.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so so much!" the girl huffed as she caught up to Shinso. "...phew. I would've gotten completely soaked if it weren't for your help."

"No problem." Shinso passed the umbrella to the girl and ran back underneath the bus stop. Once Shinso sat, he noticed the girl followed behind and stood near him.

"Where are you headed?" she asked sitting next to him.

"The metro," short and blunt was Shinso's motto when talking to others, mostly when he was nervous.

"Oh, me too!" Shinso simply smiled awkwardly and the conversation died down. "Wait, you're waiting for the bus to get to the metro?"

"I was just waiting for the rain to clear up." Both the girl and Shinso sat staring at the rain. The patter of the rain was enough white noise to fill the silent void between them.

"It doesn't look like it'll clear up any time soon..." the girl looked up and then back to Shinso, "Would you like to share my umbrella?" A warm smile appeared on her face. Shinso was taken aback, unable to form words to reply. He simply nodded and crouched underneath the umbrella. The girl giggled and held out her umbrella.

"I think it would be best if you held it. I'm a lot shorter than you and I don't want you crouching the entire way." Shinso took the umbrella and felt the girl huddle closer to him. This was the first time he had ever gotten close to someone, and not just in proximity.

"I'm Ochako, by the way."

"Hitoshi."

The breeze kicked in, swarming Shinso's nose with the aroma of Ochako's scent. She smelled of something sweet that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Was it honey? Vanilla? No, he knew exactly what she smelled like. This sweet aroma was a memory once forgotten, slowly invading his past, present, and even future. He couldn't help, but breathe in deeply, enjoying the aroma she gave off. The more he inhaled the harder his heart pounded. The heat rising to his cheeks. He hadn't felt like this in so long. He wasn't a high schooler anymore, but the way she made him feel was enough to sweep him off his feet.

The metro station was slowly coming to view as the two continued walking. Luckily for him, he still had twenty minutes before his train departed. Around the station many different colored umbrellas were bustling around trying to find their way into and out of the station. The two paid for their tickets as they arrived and walked near the platform.

"Well, this is my route," Ochako said turning to face Shinso. "Thank you once again for catching my umbrella." Shinso closed the umbrella and handed it to her.

"Of course."

She waved goodbye and made her way into the train. As he watched her go he felt something inside, urging him to stop her. A simple interaction. A promise for future meetings. The words he wanted to say were right at the tip of his tongue, but fear caught them and shoved them back down. He was stuck. Nervous of this newfound possibility. Possibilities that he craved, but once given the opportunity, he'd push them away. That was the only way he'd feel safe. Regardless of what decision he was planning to take, it didn't matter as she already got into her train. The doors closed and the train departed. He felt an ache deep in the pit of his stomach, knowing that he'd probably never see her again. The city was too big and he didn't know anything about her, other than her first name. He cursed to himself. He should have at least asked where she was headed or worked. Was she also heading to work or maybe she was on vacation? He wouldn't know. He was back to walking with slumped shoulders and hanging his head. He found the nearest bench and sat down. Shinso felt colder now that he was inactive. He placed his hands in his pocket in an attempt to conserve the little warmth that remained. This time he kept his hands in his coat pocket. That was when he noticed an unfamiliar object fumbling around. He pulled it out to find a folded paper with ink seeping through.

XXX-XXX-XXXX

x Ochako Uraraka

He had opened it up to find that Ochako had left a note for him. He couldn't help, but wear the biggest smile he's ever worn. He chuckled and held the piece of paper to his chest.