Chill, Have an Ice Cream: Prologue (Patreon)

Prologue

Ochako sighed as she started packing her things in her worn out bag only to notice the uneven strap after she picked it up. She clicked her tongue as she just noticed a tear on the stitching of the straps. There was no going around this, she’ll have to repair that little tear later. And here she was hoping she could have some extra time to watch TV but with the assignments today as well as the advance reading she needed to do just in case there was some surprise quiz, that looked more and more unlikely.

She wondered if she still had any leftover thread until her train of thought was broken as a wild mane of pink suddenly occupied her field of vision. “Hey Uraraka, wanna go for ice cream later?” asked Mina while a bright smile stretched across her face. Standing beside the pinkette was the cool yet surprisingly friendly beauty of their class, Momo.

She blinked for a bit, taken by surprise by the sudden offer but the lightness of her coin pouch and her grumbling of her empty stomach made her think twice. “I kinda want to go with you, I’m on a diet? Sorry.” She lied, apologizing for not being able to go out with them. She really wanted to go with them but she just didn’t have the funds for it.

“Oh come on~ You could use a cheat day or two.” Mina replied as she walked to Ochako’s side and poked her waist. The brunette jumped as she lightly glared at the pinkette who grinned back with a cheeky smile. Mina then added “We’re heroes in training! We need all the calories we can get so come on Uraraka, Let’s go!”

She looked away as she twiddled with her thumb before she answered back “I don’t know, Ice cream are calorie bombs.” Delicious, mouth watering calorie bombs she’ll gladly indulge in given the the chance. She was tempted, really tempted to join them but that might mean she had to pull from the rainy day funds and that was a big no for her.

Thankfully, Momo was there to back her up. “While we do burn through alot, it’s best not to over indulge.” Momo said as she tapped her chin while deep in thought. Ochako could almost breath out a sigh of relief at that. She had an excuse to dip out for now. She really hated it but her hands were tied here. Either she enjoys it now and suffer later or temper herself and have it pay off in dividends in the future.

Mina turned to Momo with an annoyed and aggrieved look on her face as she pouted and said “Not everyone can have a quirk fueled by their fat reserves.”. Momo only smiled back while Ochako covered her lips as she let out a snicker of amusement. She felt her mood lighten up already despite missing out now. Smalls like this reminded her why she loved hanging around with them. The camaraderie and fun they shared as heroines in training was so more pure. There was no back talking or rumor mongering, it was just this.

While it was fun, it's best not to keep them occupied. They had a long night ahead of them and they were burning daylight. Getting back home after dark is still a daunting prospect. “Well, I hope you guys have fun.” She said as she excused herself. Still, that mischievous smile spreading across Mina’s face was making her break out in cold sweat. She picked up her pace with cleaning her desk just in case.

“You know~” MIna started as she circled around Ochako before continuing “Maybe we should invite Midoriya as well. Would it be too much? You are treating me and I don’t want to impose.”. That stopped her in her tracks as the boy perked up at the mention of his name with this cute clueless look on his face. There were growling and shouting in the back of the class but she ignored it as she turned to look at the smug grin in Mina’s face as she gave her a look of betrayal. That was just dirty. The offer of free food was bad enough but she wasn’t prepared for what Momo was about to say next.

Momo looked at them in surprise before waving Mina's concern with a cheerful smile.“Oh, no, It’s fine. I was actually thinking of inviting Midoriya as well.”. Alarm bells started ringing inside Ochako’s head as she saw that smile turn a bit too fond at the end and that light dusting of pink on the raven haired beauty made her panic.

Slamming her palm on her desk, Ochako then shouted “I’ll join!”. Everyone left in the class stopped what they were doing as they turned towards her. She felt her cheeks burn as she slowly sunk down beneath her desk and covered her face in shame. She wanted her existence to end as Mina’s annoying smile stretched from ear to ear.

“Heh.” The pinkette simply responded as she pulled out her phone and snapped a photo. Never before had Ochako felt such an urge to throttle someone right now.

Momo tilted her head as she asked “Aren’t you on a diet? I wouldn’t want to break your plan. I know just how easy it is to go off the rails after just one bite.”. Bless this girl's pure soul, She wanted so bad to reach out and both hug and squeeze the life out of the heiress.

Mustering her courage and gathering her wits, she slowly peeked out of her desk as she answered “W-well, I forgot that I missed my cheat day last week. I just realized it now.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you passing out on Tsuyu and Tenya’s offer for a night out in the city.” Momo agreed with a nod. She hid a wince at that. She almost forgot about that. She couldn’t join that particular outing because she needed to wash her clothes.

Ochako averted her eyes as she replied “So yeah, I’d join if… if Deku joins.”. She felt her cheeks heat up once more but she couldn’t miss out on a chance to hang out with the boy. Not when…

“What’s this about ice cream Yaoyorozo-chan?” Deku suddenly asked behind her, making her stand up in attention. How did she not notice him walk up to them? This was extremely embarrassing for her. Was her hair still straight? Was her uniform in order? She should really greet him right now and not ignore him.

“Deku! I-I didn’t notice you there.” She said rather stiffly as the boy smiled at her radiantly. She almost felt her heart skip a bit at that moment. She quickly drove her elbows to the pinkette’s side just as she was about to open her mouth and the other girl was quickly brought down to her knees. There was going to be no teasing when she was savoring this moment.

“Worth it.”  Mina chuckled out in pain as she slowly got back to her feet.

“Oh, I finally got chosen in the Mr. Fantastic’s Ice Cream Parlor raffle and the slot is for tonight. I could bring four friends with me and I was thinking of asking you to join us. I already have Ashido onboard and Ochako here would join if you’ll join us” Momo replied as she clapped her hands. “Are you free tonight?” She then asked and the look on Izuku’s face made Ochako’s felt like jelly.

The way he brightened up and how his cheeks turned red had Ochako’s heart hammering like crazy inside her chest. He gasped out and covered his mouth and Ochako wanted nothing more than to flee right there and there but she was rooted in the spot. Her ears burned as she raised her hands before she tried to deny it but she was far too high in cloud nine to reply. She choked on her tongue in surprise and even Mina looked wide eyed in surprise. The words that quickly followed brought her crashing down to the ground.

“M-Mr. Fantastic’s Ice Cream Parlor! The one the former hero it’s named after runs? The hero themed shop where All Might and Endeavour frequents? That Ice Cream Shop!?” He shouted excitedly as he grabbed onto Momo’s hands. Ochako wanted to scream and tear her hair out before crying. She wanted to turn her back and clutch her chest but this was just Deku being Deku. This was normal, she had to remind herself even as a stray tear dripped down from her cheeks.

“Let me at him! Let me at him!” Mineta roared out in outrage and anger as Tsuyu grabbed him by the collar. Tsuyu actually had to put her back on it as the purple haired boy glared at the utterly oblivious moss haired boy who was too busy fanboying.

“It’s not worth it dude. Let it go.” Tsuyu said as she dragged him away so he could cool off.

“It’s not fair!” Cried out Mineta in despair before it was silenced as the door closed behind them.

“Oh man, I’ve been trying to win a ticket at his shop for ages. The amount of memorabilia he has for “burrowing” stuff is insane and that’s not talking about his photo collection. He usually cycles through them with how large it is” Izuku kept on gushing as Momo stared at him in bewilderment. Thankfully Mina was there to help deal with him as she walked up to the boy and started dragging him away.

“Ok fanboy, enough of that. We still have an ice cream parlor to go to and we can’t have you talking Yaoyorozo’s ears off with your trivias” The girl said as he held him by the collar of his jacket. He flailed around a bit but quickly calmed down as he let himself be dragged away. Ochako felt laughter bubbling up her chest at the ridiculous sight. He looked like a puppy being dragged away by its mother.

Wiping away the tears off her cheeks, she looked over to Momo before asking “So, is this shop far away?.”. It would be a pain if it was far away but she can almost walk back to the station like usual. Besides, she’ll have ice cream for dinner which was well worth the effort of walking an extra mile or so.

“Oh, it’s just beside the school. We just have to cross a street.” Momo answered simply as she walked after the two. Ochako raised a brow at that. How could she have missed this supposedly famous ice cream shop if it was just a stone throw away? Shouldn’t she see the line stretching across the block if All Might frequents it all the time?

-x-x-x-

As it turns out, the place was as plain as it can get. Aside from the old fashioned neon light sign, nothing particular stood out from the brick and mortar store. Yes, it looked like it came from some prequirk drama with the ice cream of the day drawn on a blackboard sign along with the old faded colors of red and white stripes, but it was so painfully plain. Still, she couldn’t peer through the window as her reflection stared back at her so maybe it looked better inside?

Turning to visibly vibrating Izuku and Momo who looked at the shop in awe, she asked “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”. Even Mina looked unsure as looked around, trying to find another ice cream shop but there was no building aside from the ice cream shop before them. Still, It definitely had the signs emblazoned in front of the glass door with the All Might-esque figure of an old-timey hero.

“Oh yes, this is definitely the place.” Momo replied as she looked up at the large sign in wonder. “It’s been months since I’ve last visited this place. I didn’t think I’d actually win the raffle.“ She added with a nod.

“Wait, you’ve been here before?”  Izuku asked as he looked at the heiress in envy and awe.

‘“My father brings me here whenever a family friend wins a slot. Last time I was here was just this summer.” Momo replied with a sigh of nostalgia and fond longing. She looked like she was remembering all the good times she had with her parents here. Ochako  would be a liar if she wasn’t a bit jealous of the other girl but she was also happy for her. Memories with one family was precious and something she’d always treasure.

“Is it really that hard to win the raffle?” Still, Ochako  was quite curious about this mystery shop. It seemed that this place was rather exclusive with its customers given how she heard Izuku admit to having tried before and failing. She wondered just the raffle is to make it so hard to get a spot inside?

“Definitely. The fee for the raffle is small, like thirty yen but that’s the problem” Izuku said as she frowned. She could definitely see why but she kept on listening as he continued “it’s so cheap that everyone and their mother try their luck at least once. With the limited slots, people often sell the slots they won with how lucrative it is. Things can get out of hand fast… like i’ve seen the ticket price go up to two hundred thousand yen”.

Ochako did a spit take as she heard the mind boggling price of the tickets. That was almost one fourth of her family's monthly budget. With how cheap the cost of entry was for the raffle… maybe she should try her luck. She could spare 30 yen for the raffle.

“So, what flavor do you guys have in mind?” Momo asked, breaking her out of her reverie. Her mind defaulted to chocolate or vanilla but maybe they don't have those flavors given how high class this shop seemed so she decided to keep quiet for now.

“Definitely the All American Banana Split! I’m so excited! Mr. Yagi kept on waxing poetic about that particular order and I just can’t wait to have a taste for myself.” Izuku replied as his eyes sparkled with wonder.

“It’s definitely good Izuku though I’m more partial to Mirko’s Peanut Butter Ice Cream.” Momo replied. Were the ice cream sold in the shop themed after heroes? Well, the All American definitely sounded like something that All Might eats.

“How about you Ashido, Uraraka?” Momo then asked as she walked up to the entrance and pushed the door open. The sound of merriment and music filled the air as she caught glimpse of waitresses dashing around in skates of all things. Well, this place was certainly lively at the very least.

Mina smiled as she proudly replied “Nope! I have nothing in mind but I wonder if they have anything colorful and full of personality?”.Ochako snorted in amusement at that as she and the punkette followed Momo inside with Deku trailing behind. Bubblegum ice creams were something that came to mind when it comes to colorful. With Mina having her mind set on her ice cream, the only one left was her.

“Ummm, this is the first time I’ve heard about this ice cream place so I guess we’ll just have to see.” Ochako replied as she scratched the back of her head. Choosing a flavor shouldn’t be too hard right? That line of thought was quickly derailed the moment they entered the shop.

It wasn’t the 50’s diner look the shop sported that caught her attention nor the wall filled with memorabilia and candid photos of various heroes and heroines, what caught her attention was the fanged waitress that suddenly filled the entirety of her field of vision. “Welcome to Mr. Fantastic’s Ice Cream Parlor!” The girl greeted them with an almost feverish smile on her face.

It took her a few seconds to process this but Momo didn’t even blink as she greeted the young blonde with a casual tone “Hey Himiko, how’s it going?”. The two obviously knew each other as the blonde practically launched herself at the heiress and hugged her tightly. She held on to Momo like she’ll go away if she ever lets go of her and the girl merely gave the blonde a pat on the head despite how uncomfortable she looked with how tightly the waitress hugged her.

“Oh my gosh, Momo! It’s been so long! I thought you already forgot about me~” The blonde replied as she let go of the girl. She vibrated in place and it was a miracle that she didn’t slip on her roller skates. She was certainly excitable, she had to give her that.

“It’s only been a month.” Momo answered back.

“A month too long” The girl then said with a pout on her face.

Momo raised her hands in surrender. “Fair enough.” she said with a soft smile on her face.

“You two know each other?” Mina then piped up and Ochako nodded at that. They certainly knew each other with how casual they were to each other.

The already wide smile on the girl's face stretched wider as she nodded energetically. “Momo-chan here’s a regular here. I can’t forget the face of my favorite customer~” She answered as she slung her arm around the taller girl.

Momo smiled fondly at the blonde as reached for her pockets. Pulling out a plain red and white token that reminded her a lot of peppermint candy, she then said “You can say that. Hey, think you can give us four good seats?”

Himiko quickly snatched the token before raising it up against the light. She took a quick look before pocketing it and pulling away from Momo. “Do you have to ask~? Come on.” She replied as she twirled around, making her already scandalously short skirt flutter up before she skated away and headed for a particular table near the counter. If it wasn’t for the biker short the blonde wore, Ochako’s cheeks might have heated up a bit more. Even Deku wasn’t immune to the girl's strange charms as he had his gaze turned away while his ears burned.

They followed the girl as she waved at them from the table. She looked at the various patron’s inside the ice cream shop and almost did a double take when she saw the hunched form of the number two hero himself, Endeavour staring at his frozen treat which burned with a blue flame. She quickly averted her gaze as the man turned towards them while Deku kept gawking. The man’s stare can be quite unnerving in person.

Thankfully, the man turned his attention back to his ice cream as their little group found themselves at a comfortable seat further away from the busy restaurant. She could feel herself sink into the seat and she wanted nothing more than to sleep now with how it felt like she was sitting on clouds.

Toga came back to their table with four menus in hand soon after. She then fished out her phone and pulled out a stylus as she asked “So, what’ll it be?”.

“I’ll have my usual.” Momo replied.

“I’ll have the All American Sundae!” Izuku then said.

Himiko let out a soft chuckle as she wrote down their order before commenting“Someone’s an All Might fan~ So how about you cutie?”. She then turned her attention towards Mina who preened at the complement.

Mina leaned forward with a suggestive look on her face “Got anything that’ll match my color?”

Himoko pulled up the menu in front of Mina and started flipping through the rather hefty selection of ice cream.“I just got that thing. How does a bowl of Superman Ice Cream sound?” She replied as she stopped at a particular page before showing a rather colorful ice cream.

“Ohhh~ I like it.” Mina’s eyes sparkled as she grabbed the Menu and looked at the frozen treat.

Turning towards her, the waitress then asked “So, how about you honey? Got anything you have in mind?”. Ochako picked up the menu and started flipping through the selection. She balked a bit at the price and quickly turned back. They looked good but she did not want to burden Momo with something so expensive. Her eyes quickly turned to the first page and found herself looking at the most basic of selections.

“Ummm…” Ochako hummed  for a bit, silently debating if she should go for strawberries or vanilla but the latter’s slightly cheaper price gave her her choice. “I’ll take the Vanilla on a Waffle Cone?” She replied. The bowl was nice but she felt like she could get more out of the waffle cone.

There was a pause as she felt the girl's eyes staring at her. The intense look she had on her face which was devoid of her usual smile made her feel on edge. The last time someone gave her that stare was their homeroom teacher. It was as if she was looking through her very soul with those piercing golden eyes of hers.

Just as quickly as she sported this look did the smile come back. The girl saluted after she wrote everything down and waved at them as she skated away from them. “Ok~ I’ll make sure to tell the old man that one of our regulars came back with friends and a special boy.” The girl teased out making Momo blush rather intensely. Her unease was quickly replaced with a pang of jealousy but thankfully Deku was far too busy gushing about the photo hanging beside their chair. It was a black haired woman and All Might punching some unknown tuxedo wearing villain.

“Himiko!” Momo called out but the girl was already back at the counter telling their order to the huge dark skinned man manning the register. “That girl…” Momo sighed out with a shake of her head.

Biting her lips, Ochako then asked “Is she always this…?”. It was hard to describe Himiko’s herness. She was weird but not in a bad way but dealing with her was exhausting.

“Excitable? Intense?” Momo listed out before Ochako nodded at the latter descriptor. That was the word that she’d been missing. Momo chuckled as she leaned back and replied “Yes, that’s Himiko for you. She has an eye for interesting people or so Mr. Fantastic say. I swear he’s the only one that can keep her on a short leash, well aside from Kaina but she doesn’t count.”

“That I do. Sorry about Himiko.” A voice suddenly apologized, making Ochako, Mina and Izuku jump in surprise as they turned to find the apron of a huge man. They turned their heads up and up and up as they beheld a chocolate skinned man holding a tray with their order. Ochako couldn’t help but gape at the man. He looked just as, if not bigger, than All Might. He was definitely a foreigner and not just tanned or half like Mirko.

“Holy crap where did you come from! And is that our order?” Mina shouted in shock as she pointed at the man.

“Right you are on that one missy.” the man replied as he started setting their order down. Momo was the first one to get hers, a rather heavy looking treat with all sorts of nuts topping several scoops of peanut ice cream topped with a candy in the shape of a carrot. Mina got hers next, a bowl of ice cream that was a mix of red, blue and yellow with matching sprinkles and hard shelled button-shaped chocolates.

“Wow, that was quick. I thought that would take longer. Like, did not expect the service to be instant!” commented as she looked down upon her bowl of ice cream with barely contained hunger.

The large man merely quirked his lips as he said “Quirks are bullshit.” That got a chuckle out of her and Izuku. Even with all the knowledge people have in this day and age, Quirks can still be quite bullshit indeed.

“That’s Mr. Fantastic for you! He’s the fastest hero I know of but his quirk...” Izuku cheered before trailing at the end as he started muttering about what the man's quirk could be. Super speed? Teleportation?

“Is a secret.” the now identified Mr. Fantastic replied as he gave him his order. The boat-shaped bowl contained a scoop of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry sandwiched between a banana split in half. Each scoop was topped with whipped cream and cherry along with a healthy serving of chocolate syrup. Ochako’s empty stomach grumbled a lot louder, enough that everyone in the table heard. Ochako blushed as she sunk into her seat while her friends and the man chuckled.

Finally, it was her order but it was not what she ordered. Instead of a waffle cone, what she had was a large bowl of vanilla ice cream, much more so than the single scoop she ordered. “Umm sir, I think you gave me the wrong order” she brought it up. She didn’t want Momo to pay too much for her order even if she wanted to dig in.

The man blinked as he looked down on her order. “Oh, would you look at that? I forgot to add the toppings.” the large man replied as he snapped his fingers and suddenly a tray of condiments dropped on his awaiting. “Caramel, Chocolate or Strawberry?” the man asked as he pulled out three normal sized bottles that looked miniscule in his hands.

“There’s no need! I can’t-!!” Ochako panicked as she stood up only for the man to smile at her and shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s in the house. All your orders are especially your Momo-chan!” The man simply replied with a smile making the rest of the table light up with smiles. The man simply shrugged as he added “Hey, no one said I can’t treat students from my Alma mater. So, what toppings will it be?” The man softly asked, making her slowly sit down on her seat. She felt her throat tighten up as she looked down on her treat.

“... Strawberry” She choked out with a shaky smile as the man nodded as he placed the bottles back on the tray and picked out another before he started sprucing up her ice cream. First came a generous serving of strawberries which bathed in some form of syrup before they were drizzled with a thick syrup which shouldn’t quite call as caramel with how dark and fragrant it was. She was left with an appetizing bowl of strawberries and vanilla ice cream. With a bow and flourish, the man disappeared and reappeared back in the cashier in the blink of an eye.

With their order here, they could finally dig in. Ochako stared at her ice cream before she picked up the golden spoon that came with the bowl. She dug in the scoop and made sure to get some of the syrup and strawberries before taking a bite. The sweet and tart taste of the syrup perfectly complemented the creamy vanilla ice cream and the sweetened strawberries. One spoon turned to many as she felt tears drip down her cheeks.

“Ochako? Are you ok?” Momo asked as she paused. The others looked at her in worry but she simply shook her head as she swallowed the delicious treat.

“Y-yes, It’s just so good!” She shakily replied as a large smile stretched across her face. The kindness of the man and the taste of the treat was all too much for her emotions welled up from her chest. She just couldn’t help herself feel so happy right now.

“Oh now I’m curious. Give me a taste~!” Mina replied as she reached out for her strawberry filled goodness and Ochako swatted her spoon away with her own as she cradled the treat close to her chest.

“No! Mine!” She cried out as she quickened her pace.

“Oh come on~ Just one bite.” Mina begged before everyone at the table laughed out loudly. For a brief instance in time, the specter of having to worry about the bill faded away and she could just enjoy this time with her friend. She savored every minute of it and hoped that in the future, she could have this feeling once again.