MHA: A Cat's Way (Ch 58) (Patreon)

(Midorinya)

I sigh, looking down at my bento. Sure, I knew that All Might would be keeping a close eye on me given that I know about both his injury and his quirk, but isn’t his question kind of absurd!? Especially for a first year he barely knows!?

“I’m really going to need an explanation on why you think asking me is a good idea.” I sigh again, looking up at the man sitting across from me.

All Might, or Toshinori Yagi, as he prefers to be called in his skeleton form, chuckles while sheepishly scratching at the back of his head. “Well, you were my first choice, so I was hoping you could help me decide on my second. You do have classes with the other candidates.”

“As opposed to trying to crush their dreams a few minutes after meeting them?” I raise an eyebrow. He at least has the good grace to look apologetic, but he did apologize when he offered me his quirk back on the first day. I still won’t let him forget it though. There shouldn’t be many people who have something like that to hang over the number one hero’s head.

Well, he’s not very careful so there probably are, but not many who’d actually do it. Since, again. Number one hero.

“We haven’t even known each other for a month.” I say flatly. “Yes, it will be a month in a few days, but that’s still not enough time to make a good decision on who should get your quirk!”

That get’s Yagi to raise an eyebrow. “Really? Haven’t you been friends with Young Akihiro for much longer than that? You don’t think she would be a good candidate?”

It’s at times like these that I really question how he became the number one hero of not only Japan, but the entire world. Has he really not noticed?

“She hates you.” I say point blank. Ignoring his gobsmacked expression, I continue. “I’m pretty sure that if you offered it to her, she’d take it just to give it to a random person on the street. If she couldn’t give it to whatever animal she comes across first. Then she’d make sure you know and probably anime laugh at your despair.”

The blood he coughs up at that is expected at this point, and I make a mental note to look into making something to automatically clean that up. Sure, I’m not his biggest fan either, but judging by the random splatters of blood scattered on campus, he’s not big on cleaning up if it’s outdoors.

After cleaning it up with his specially designed handkerchief, he mutters half to himself, “Geez, did I offend her family’s honor or something?”

I shrug, deciding that I might as well start eating since it seems like this is going to take the entire lunch period. “I’m not sure about that, but you did start your career in America, so it’s possible.”

He blinks at me as I take a bite of rice. “She’s american? I thought her records said that she’s from Japan?”

I frown, taking another bite of food. I chew on both that, and the question. I looked a bit into her situation myself after she’d told me herself, and according to what I found she should have gone back to America. You don’t just keep an orphaned child in your country because they don’t have any immediate relatives. There’d even been precedents for that sort of thing! Though they thankfully aren’t common enough that people know about them.

Eventually, after swallowing, I answer. “I’m not entirely sure myself, but someone with some connections didn’t want her leaving the country after her mother died.” I shrug. “Or maybe they didn’t want to deal with the paperwork it would cause to send her back.”

Yagi sighs. “It doesn’t matter where you go, politics and the government are never simple.”

It’s a good thing I won’t have to deal with anything like that for another few years. I’m not dumb enough to think that heroes aren’t involved in politics, but at least I won’t have to lobby for the right to continue being a hero after I become one. And Nezu has offered to tutor me once a week, so I’m definitely going to have enough blackmail on them so that they won’t bother me by the time I graduate.

The staff don’t whisper that he’s rat satan for nothing.

But as for his question…

“I would say to wait and see until after the Sports Festival. You’ll be able to get a decent understanding of everyone’s abilities, and some of their personalities. Plus it would mean someone from another course could catch your eye, like Shinso.”

“Oh?” The fact that I offered an actual potential candidate catches his attention. “What’s this ‘Shinso’ like?”

“Hmm.” I’ve known him even less than anyone in my class, only a few days. But…

“He’s clearly suffered from quirk discrimination, but he hasn’t let that dissuade him from pursuing his dream of becoming a hero. And unlike me, he hasn’t had his hero idol tell him to be realistic.”

I hold back the smirk at Yagi’s wince. “Which is good, because according to basically everyone else, his quirk would make him an amazing villain.” I shrug. “Which is true, but it would also make him an amazing hero. Though the more popular he gets, the more trouble he’d run into utilizing it.”

“Really? What’s his quirk?” He asks with interest.

“You can find out in the Sports Festival with everyone else.” I shut him down immediately. Sure, Shinso might want the teachers to have their eyes on him to try and improve his chances of transferring into the hero course, but I’d also promised not to tell anyone about his quirk. The only reason he even told me is because I’m quirkless so he sympathizes.

Yagi sighs. “I suppose it would be better not to look at any of the students with any preconceptions.” He muses before getting a suspicious look on his face.

“But that’s enough of the serious talk. Tell me, when are you going to confess to Young Akihiro?”

I spit out my drink. I did not expect that question! “Wh-wh-what are you talking about!?” I yell. “W-w-we’re just f-f-friends!”

He smirks back at me, and I just know that this is payback for bringing up the rooftop earlier. “It’s obvious to anyone who cares to look that you have an interest in her. Which is reasonable,” he nods in a knowing way. “She’s got looks, drive, and a great quirk. Anyone would be interested!”

I groan with my head in my hands. “Why are we talking about this? Why?”

I get a chuckle in reply. “Because if you don’t make a move, someone else will. Especially when she shows what she can do at the Sports Festival.”

As much as I don’t want to admit it, he’s right. Once everyone else sees how amazing she is, she’s going to attract more than just professional interest from the pros. She’s going to attract romantic interest from our classmates.

But it’s not that simple! She’s out of my league! And I don’t want to risk ruining our friendship if I get rejected!

Yagi places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Talk to your friends and get their advice. But remember, either she says yes, or she says no. Isn’t that the worst that can happen?”

`~`

No. No it’s not.

At the end of the day, I talk to my ‘clan’, as Catia calls friend groups, which now includes Momo after Catia’s outburst at how they were treating Ashido. And while Jiro and Tsu get weird expressions, the others encourage me to at least ask her on a date.

After all, they say. The worst she can do is say no. Right?

Again, no.

No.

It.

Is.

Not.

It’s just after the last bell has rung, and I watch as she physically vomits after hearing me ask her if she’d like to go out to dinner with me. Luckily Aizawa-Sensei keeps a trash can by the door that she’s using. But I’m just staring as I see what she thinks of me as a romantic interest.

Eventually though, after she finishes heaving, she pulls up. “S-sorry, Midnoinya,” she starts. At least she’s still using my nickname. That’s a good sign…? “I-It’s not mew, this is something e-else.” She looks like she’s about to vomit again, her face twisting into an expression of absolute disgust before shaking her head.

“S-sorry, but I knead to talk to Nezu.” And with that she rushes out the door, leaving a room of dead silence in her wake.

Slowly, I turn to the others. “The worst she can do is say no. Right?” The others at least have the grace to look chagrined.