bmysterys

She sees him walk in with his usual buddy at his side. His dark, shaggy hair that nearly covers his bright, blue eyes she could easily pick out from a crowd. The serious look on his face that could freeze anyone in place, but not usually in the way he would hope. Today, he wears a blue V-neck shirt fitted around his long,muscular torso, the color complemented his eyes, and black jeans that were loose around his legs but snug around his hips. Yona couldn’t help but stare as he walks in, nearly forgetting the current latte she was supposed to be making as the pair get in line. 

Jae-Ha was standing next to her, watching as she ogled at mister tall, dark, and handsome. A devious smile stretches his lips as he leaned over her shoulder. “Yona…” he kept his voice low but light in a sing-song voice to get her attention. “You’ll catch flies with your mouth open like that. Besides, I don’t think you can froth that much more, darling.” Yona gasped and turned it off, removing the cup before the contents spilled out to move onto the steaming wand. She could still feel him standing over her shoulder with that smug grin on his face, just waiting to tease her about it, but remained silent as she finished the order. The shorter the line gets and the closer the two men get to ordering, Yona can feel tiny pinpricks covering her body and her stomach tighten in knots. It was finally their turn and Yona greeted them with her usual smile.

“Welcome back! What can I get for you two today?” Yona asked cheerfully despite feeling like her body was shaking like a maraca. 

“Yona! Don’t you look radiant today! Don’t you think, Hak?” His friend beamed while the dark-haired man tried to not look annoyed.

“Do you have to do this every time? Sorry, Yona, I know how busy you are. I couldn’t believe the line had already reached the door by the time we got here,” Hak said, offering an apologetic smile to her. The softness in his eyes made her feel as if she could melt into a puddle before them.

“Oh no, don’t worry about that. And thank you, Soo-won, you’re too kind as always. So, what shall it be? Trying something new again, today?” She asked looking between the two.

“Just a black coffee for me today, Yona. Make it the strongest you have,” Hak answered.

“And I would love a chai latte if you don’t mind, gorgeous.” Soo-won smiled. 

Yona typed in their order trying to keep her eyes trained on the screen in front of her and print the tickets for both drinks. Soo-won was a lot like Jae-ha she had come to realize. Always a flirt. Although, Soo-won seemed more reserved for the ladies and wasn’t as straight forward or as boisterous as Jae-ha’s flair tended to have. The sentiment was sweet but it paled in the way Hak saying her name filled her stomach with butterflies. It was thick and smooth as honey with his tenor voice. Soo-won paid for them both since Hak paid the time before, the two always switching off on who covered their drinks instead of creating separate orders to save on time. Handing him their receipt, she hurried to the coffee bar to get started on their drinks while they walked over to the side to wait. With more coffee brewing and seamlessly moving around her other coworkers, she grabbed two cups and labeled them accordingly. Hak’s wouldn’t take nearly as long to prepare so she sets his next to the coffee pot with a coffee sleeve slid around it and went to work on Soo-won’s. While she prepared the latte, Jae-ha peeked at the order on the other cup and smirked. He pulled a marker from his apron pocket and quickly scribbled a little note, ‘Tall, dark, and strong just like you.’ He set the cup back down and continued on his way for the new orders coming in. Time to get the ball rolling, Yona-dear. 

Finally finished with the chai latte, Yona made a small note on the cup. ‘Thanks a latte!’ Since Soo-won paid this time around, it was his turn to get the note on his cup. She liked to make sure they both got one each time they came in so would take turns writing a note between them just as they took turns paying for their order. “Order up for Soo-won!” Yona called. She turned to grab the second drink behind her and held them both out as he met her at the pick-up counter. Soo-won grabbed the drinks from her hands and turned his around to see what note she had for him today.

“Why, thank you a latte as usual,” Soo-won smiled brightly with a wink and a light chuckle. Yona chuckled back and waved him off as he turned to give Hak his drink. “And one large black coffee to match your black soul.”

Hak rolled his eyes and took the drink, grateful to finally have the needed caffeine after a long shift and ignoring the urge to retort. “Let’s just hope this is strong enough to get me through the rest of the day.” He took a sip and sighed. “Perfect.”

Soo-won seemed distracted by something, staring at Hak as if there was something on his face. “What? Something wrong with your chai?”

Soo-won smirked then reached out towards Hak’s drink. He tried pulling it away from the man’s reach but Soo-won just rolled his eyes and tried turning it around in his hand. “Looks like someone gets an extra message now.” Hak stared at the words written on his cup. He never would’ve thought to look had Soo-won not shown him.

“She writes everyone a note.” Hak said plainly not wanting to think about the potential message behind the words. “She probably had a little more time to write one for both of us since we had a simpler order this time.”

Soo-won was unconvinced but decided to sip at his own drink instead of say otherwise. Hak tried to not think about it but his mind kept circling back to it. He’d be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t found the barista attractive. Her short and wavy, red hair framing a cute round face. Not to mention how short and tiny she is was a whole other level of cute. But, it was her smile and the way she went the extra mile to make other people smile that he noticed most and drew him towards her. He turned around just before they left the little cafe to see her taking the next order, her smile shining brighter than anyone else’s. See you tomorrow. He thought with a smile then turned back to follow Soo-won.

---

“Whew! What a day.” Yona wiped her brow with the back of her hand after finishing sweeping. The day had finally reached its end and the little cafe was now empty and quiet. It was strange to not see the normal hustle and bustle that filled the place but the workers took a little bit of peace from it nonetheless.

“Another grand day, you might say?” Jae-ha teased, leaning against the counter he had finished cleaning. 

“I think it’s sweet that Yona takes the time to put some thought into her messages for the customers!” Kija countered coming to Yona’s defense.

“It’s alright, Kija. Jae-ha is just teasing,” she smiled at him. Always the sensitive one. Kija never cared for Jae-ha’s flirtatious games or how he enjoyed teasing Yona any chance he got. 

“So, what are you going to write on lover boy’s cup tomorrow?” Jae-ha asked, ignoring Kija.

Yona looked over at Jae-ha confused. “Lover boy?” She inquired, trying to think who he could be talking about.

Innocent, sweet child… Jae-ha sighed. “You know, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome.” A smirk creeped on his face as her face turned bright red.

“Jae-ha!”

The man just shrugged. “What? Anyone with eyes can see just how gorgeous that man is. And someone has an adorable crush on him.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. Anxiety started twisting her stomach into knots the more flustered she felt. Her body could be set on fire and she probably wouldn’t know the difference with how hot she felt.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she turned away in hopes he would drop the subject but she should’ve known better.

“Mhmm… so what was he wearing today?”

Yona looked up as if recalling but a soft smile returned to her face as she could see him as clear as day in her mind’s eye. “He was a bit more casual today than usual, don’t you think? But that blue shirt really brought out his eyes. Made them seem brighter even though he looked more tired today. Sounded like he had just got off from a long shift.” She could feel her face heating up again just thinking about the man but then her body turned stiff. Shoot! How did he- She turned around, her eyes wide as she faced Jae-ha again but his relaxed posture had not changed. It was then Shin-ah emerged from the back with a towel and his apron slung over his shoulder.

“The kitchen is clean,” he informed them before taking in the quiet scene. Yona glaring at Jae-ha who seemed much too relaxed while Kija kept his arms crossed looking a bit disgruntled. He imagined that was also Jae-ha’s doing so he turned his eyes towards the green-haired man.

“See you tomorrow, princess,” Jae-ha winked, pushing himself off the counter as turned to leave while the others finished closing up and ignoring their stares. Yona stood there gaping at him in disbelief that she had fallen into his trap. Tomorrow...she knew there would certainly be more in store for her then...and she wasn’t sure she was quite ready for it.

--

The next day came and they fell back into their normal routine. Occasionally, Yona would glance towards the door to see if a certain someone had arrived yet. The conversation with Jae-ha the day before plagued her mind.

So what if I like him? It’s like he said, anyone can see how handsome Hak is. It’s just a natural attraction… Yona tried convincing herself, but the knots and butterflies in her stomach told a different story. Then just as the lunch rush was coming in, he finally arrived. Yona felt her heart skip a beat as he walked in with Soo-won and a few of his work buddies, all still in their uniforms for the Kouka Fire Department. It wasn’t often she got to see him in his uniform- the button-down shirt neatly tucked into his pants and well-fitted to his muscular frame- hearing how much he hated the formal look it gives. However, she couldn’t help but love this look on him, too.

“Do I need to call them over here to put out a fire?” Jae-ha whispered in her ear, jolting her out of her trance.

“Jae-ha!” She hissed trying to not spill the drink in her hand as she put a lid on it and called out the name of the order. The girl grabbed the drink with a quick thanks then hurried out as Yona wheeled on her coworker. Her cheeks puffed out ready to give him a piece of her mind but he was already back at the register hitting on the next customer. She groaned inwardly and shook her head. With a deep breath to calm back down, she resolved herself and got back to work. 

The line steadily moved as orders were taken. Hak and his crew creeped closer to the register to order, and Yona could feel a bead of sweat began to perspire on the back of her neck. Great! Now Jae-ha has me even more flustered! Ugh, just calm down! She tried telling herself, finishing an order of cold brews for a small group of students that came to study. Then, as usual, Jae-ha made sure the rotation of who was taking orders would make sure Yona was next to take Hak’s order.

“Good afternoon! What can I get for you today? I see you have the whole crew with you this time,” Yona smiled as she stood at the register, watching the tall, dark-haired man.

Hak sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Unfortunately… but pay them no mind, they just wanted to tag along. I doubt if they even actually order. Blame Soo-won, he’s kind of a pushover when it comes to letting people stick around to talk.” He gave her one of his rare smiles not knowing the effect it had on her.

Yona swallowed past the lump about to form in her throat and gave a light chuckle. “Oh, don’t worry about it! So, what shall it be today?”

He rattled off his and Soo-won’s order since the blond was too busy in deep conversation with one of the lady firefighters, insisting that she get a drink from here as well. Yona handed Hak his receipt after finishing the order with a sweet smile and couldn’t help but notice the way his fingers for a split second had brushed over hers when grabbing the receipt from her hand. The warmth sent tiny sparks through her fingers and made its way down her arm. With a small blush she kept hidden behind the wall of coffee blenders, makers, and other machines, she focused on the order at hand. She took Hak’s cup, wrote ‘Have a brew-tiful day!’ on the side, set it down, and turned to work on Soo-won’s. Jae-ha passed behind her to start on a mocha latte and glanced at the note she chose for Hak. Quickly, he made a couple of marks near the bottom of the cup and then continued with his task. Yona came back, finished both drinks then went to the pick up counter.

“Order up for Hak!” Even saying his name stirred the butterflies. He walked up to the counter and reached for both cups.

“Thanks, Yona,” he said with a smile. “Have a good one.”

Yona returned the smile with a nod. “You too, Hak. See you next time!”

Hak felt his heart skip a beat as she smiled up at him. It was the same thing every day, yet… would it continue to stay that way? Before he made a bumbling fool of himself, he turned away to take Soo-won his drink. “Here.” He said holding the cup out to the blond.

“Oh, why thank you,” Soo-won grabbed the drink and took a sip, while eyeing his friend. “So… what message did you get today?” He smirked from behind his cup but his eyes hid nothing.

Hak rolled his eyes and lifted the cup to read the message. “‘Have a brew-tiful day,’ there you happy?” But his eyes noticed something more. Just below the message, a pen had marked through parts of the warning label on the cup. Careful, the beverage you’re about to enjoy is extremely hot. His face warmed up and his hand immediately covered the message back up as he took a drink. He tried to play it off like nothing out of the norm had happened, not wanting to give Soo-won the satisfaction.

Soo-won was no fool. He knew Hak better than anyone, probably even better than the man knew himself. Despite being a normally quiet guy, he was acting a bit different and a little too quiet after he read the message on the cup. “Anything else?” Soo-won couldn’t help but ask. “Nothing to follow up from yesterday’s note, perhaps?” 

Now, the rest of their group had their attention drawn to their conversation. Hak glanced at each one of them then rested back on Soo-won’s smug grin. That look was enough to help Hak compose himself. He straightened his shoulders and relaxed as he took another sip. “Nope. Looks like you were wrong, as much as you hate to hear it.” He said casually then proceeded to walk past him letting the rest follow behind. Despite his words being said to Soo-won, he couldn’t ignore the fact he was eating his own words. Don’t I want to be wrong, though?

Yona watched them as Hak leads the small crowd out the cafe doors while Jae-ha huffed behind her. She turned around seeing a rather agitated and perplexed look on his face. “Everything alright?” She asked the man.

He rubbed his chin, still looking at the front entrance while mumbling under his breath. “There’s no way he didn’t see it, so why didn’t he… Hmm…”

Yona couldn’t seem to get a proper response out of him and wasn’t sure what he was even mumbling about. She looked back at the door wondering what had Jae-ha so fixated, but it wasn’t long until her mind wandered back to a familiar face. If only things were different… maybe I’d have the courage to tell you how I really feel.

The next few days mirrored the same. Busy days at the Dragon Cafe, Yona taking Hak and Soo-won’s orders while Jae-ha continued with his plans to help unite the pining couple. His attempts seemed futile as neither said anything more to the other, namely Hak since Yona had been kept in the dark all this time. However, that all changed one day when Zeno’s shift changed with Kija’s. Zeno came in as cheery as ever tying the apron around his waist. 

“Another brew-tiful day, yeah?!” He grinned with a chuckle. Walking past Yona and Jae-ha to man the drive-through window, he saw the next order sitting near the pick up counter. Reading the label, he noticed the note Jae-ha had already written. His eyes widened as he jumped up and bounced over to Yona. “The little miss finally did it?! You finally confessed?”

Yona freezed in her path and turned towards the small blond. “W-What? What are you talking about?!” She panicked and quickly moved over to him to see what she may have accidentally written. It’s supposed to be Soo-won’s turn, did I somehow write on Hak’s instead? But wait, why would Zeno think- Her eyes grew twice their size and looked around to see Jae-ha trying to act a little too casual. “Jae-ha…” she hissed trying to keep the blush from darkening her cheeks.

The culprit in question sighed and pushed his long green bangs out of his face before walking over to her. “Look, I just wanted to try to help. I thought he would’ve at least said something to you by now and make the next move but-”

“Jae-ha…” the color drained from her face, “what do you mean by that? Why would he…” The wheels in her head turned and she clutches her chest. “You mean this isn’t the first time?! How long have you been doing this?” Panic was setting in. Her breathing shallowed into quick short bursts. Jae-ha put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

“Yona.” His voice was direct but gentle as his eyes stared into hers. “It’s going to be okay. Look, if he didn’t feel the same way about you then he wouldn’t be in here every day like clockwork. And I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same way you look at him.” He paused to give her a small smile. “I just want you to be happy, dear.”

Shin-ah came out from the kitchen to refill the pastry case only to see Yona in a panic with Jae-ha trying to comfort her. He set down the tray of baked goods and walked over to make sure everything was alright. Yona watched as Shin-ah approached with his quiet demeanor and then looked at Zeno who still smiled warmly. Then she looked back into Jae-ha’s eyes. The calm confidence they held mixed with his calm voice and seeing her friends to surround her in support helped ease Yona and brought her breathing to be more leveled again. She gulped a big breath of air and released it slowly, nodding to Jae-ha and the others she was alright now.

“We all want the little miss to be happy.” Zeno chirped in with a bright smile before setting the headset on his head and turning away from the pair. Shin-ah nodded in agreement and gave her one of his rare smiles then also retreated back to his duties, leaving her in Jae-ha’s capable hands. However, that didn’t last long either.

“Is everything alright?” A voice sounded from behind her. If she didn’t already know that voice so well, the look on Jae-ha’s face certainly gave it away. His smile turning slightly smug then gave her a wink before turning her around to face the source of the voice. Yona swallowed dryly but managed to give him a smile.

“Sorry, yes everything is fine. Um, oh! Here’s yours and Soo-won’s order.” She tried covering up the awkward situation by handing him the two to-go cups. Her eyes caught the message on Hak’s drink and felt her face warm up again. Hak reached for the cups but his eyes stayed trained on her, his expression concerned.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked setting the cups down. “You don’t seem like you feel well.”

His concern for her warmed her heart and tightened the knots already formed in her stomach. She pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath through her nose as she looked up at him. Just do it. You can do it! Jae-ha’s right...right? No, forget about that. Focus!

“I like you a latte!” She blurted out to him then realized she just said the message Jae-ha had written on Hak’s cup rather than try to explain the current situation to the man before her. Her face turned two shades brighter red than her own hair as fear and embarrassment reflected through her eyes at him. His cheeks turned a bit red and she worried that she had just embarrassed him, too but then he covers his mouth with his hand. He mumbled something she couldn’t quite make out then he removed his hand revealing a sly grin she had yet to see on his face before. Liquid fire burned through her stomach and now she questioned herself if she really even had seen a blush on his face or not mere seconds ago.

“Are you always so articulate? I didn’t realize puns were more than just part of the job,” he teased her leaning against the counter between them. Her jaw dropped. She didn’t expect this kind of response and she didn’t know how to reply back. What was she doing again? Her thoughts short circuited as she stood there gaping at him. His hand reached out and a single finger tucked under her chin lifting her jaw up to close. The simple touch brought fire to the rest of her face. Maybe he needs to put out a fire after all, her mind couldn’t help but wander back to Jae-ha’s comment a few days ago. “Don’t tell me you’re a loss for words now. And here I thought we were finally making progress.” Hak winked at her, withdrawing his hand.

Yona felt as if her entire body turned into a blazing inferno. Her thoughts have turned to ash and her throat dried up, unable to do anything but silently scream on the inside.

“Why is this line so backed up?!” A voice rang out and the sound of a large door shutting close. “Yona!”

The woman squeaked and turned around to see Yun, their manager, standing at the end of the coffee bar on the other side of Jae-ha. “Sorry!” she apologized then quickly turned back to Hak handing the drinks back to him he had set down. With a smile and finally out of her daze, she found the lost words she needed. “I get off at 5.” 

Hak grabbed the drinks from her once again but leans in close, dropping his voice. “I’ll be here,” he straightened back up and just before turning away, he added, “I hope you like ramen!”

Yona watched as he walked away and handed Soo-won his drink, the butterflies stirring crazy in her stomach. I...have a date!

“Yona!’ Yun called out to her again as Jae-ha tried to keep from laughing.

---

Rinne taps her foot nervously, sitting in the registrar’s office, getting all of her paperwork in order. The woman across from her hums cheerfully as she goes about her work and Rinne can just tell easily how much of a morning person she is.

“And there we are! You’re all set! You’ll be in Class 1A. Midnight will show you to your class,” she says in a bubbly voice just as the Pro Hero walks in. Rinne picks up her bag and quietly follows her down the long hallways, letting her drone on and on about the school and students here, how she hasn’t missed much and will do just fine. Midnight stops at the classroom door and slides it open with a grandeur flair as she enters to speak to the teacher. Rinne’s motioned into the class and Midnight passes by her with a wink as she takes her leave, although by the looks of some of her classmates faces, she wouldn’t be leaving their minds anytime soon. Perverts…

“Okay, class, listen up. We have a new student joining us. Please welcome Rinne Furuya.” The teacher turns his tired eyes towards her and nods to an empty seat towards the back half. “You’ll be sitting next to Ms. Morioko Gota. If you’ll take your seat, we’ll get started.”

Rinne looks up to see a cute, green-haired girl sitting next to what’s now to be her assigned seat for the class. She nods to her teacher and does as instructed trying to keep her eyes averted from the onlooking stares of her new classmates. The closer she got, she could see that the girl’s skin had a greenish hue to it as well. She sits in her seat and sets her bag down beside her then props up one of her textbooks on the desk.

---

Mori looks up from her desk the moment the doors slid open as Midnight strides in. Animatedly, she speaks with Aizawa-sensei until motioning towards the open classroom door. Just as Midnight turns and leaves, a girl walks in. Her dark skin peeks out from her uniform, making her pink hair stand out that much more. But, it wasn’t as bright or pale as Mina’s pink hair and skin. Hers had deeper tones to it that somehow just paired perfectly in contrast to her naturally darkened skin tone. Their teacher introduced the new girl to the class and pointed towards the empty seat next to Mori to be assigned at. Hmm...Rinne.. Mori thinks to herself as she watches the girl come closer to find her new seat. Little shivers run along her arms as if the vines and budding blossoms were twitching with life as Rinne closes the distance. She keeps her head down the whole way, her pink bangs covering her eyes from Mori’s view until she reaches her seat and props up her book on her desk to hide behind.

Mori turns her focus from the girl to pay more attention to the lesson and the small doodle she had absent-mindedly was working on before the announcement. A small scuffling sound to her side, Mori looks over to the new girl’s desk and at the edge of her opened book she could’ve sworn she saw a tiny rock creature peeking around it’s pages and look straight at her. She blinks her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things until the girl’s hand moves to the edge of the book covering the spot where the creature once was and her own hazel, almost golden eyes peered at her before disappearing back behind her textbook. Mori couldn’t help the small smile that twitches at her lips before returning to her own work.

Class droned on but Mori continues stealing glances over at her new neighbor, hoping for another peek at the cute little creature. Soon, class would be let out and Mori already plans to hang back to let most of her classmates filter out of the room so she could talk to this Rinne. When that time came, however, she wasn’t the only one with the same idea of wanting to talk to the new girl. Mineta, Mina, and Kaminari were the first over there while a few others seemed to hand back a little to watch from a safer distance. Mori rolls her eyes as she hears them immediately drown the poor girl in question after question.

“Wow! I love your hair! I wish my hair would lay down like yours with the layers but mine’s just kinda sticks out all over the place. Do you use anything for your hair?” Mina gushes trying to bond with her.

“Is that part of your quirk?! What else can you do?” Kaminari asks excitedly pointing around her textbook as Rinne tries pulling it closer.

“Another hot babe…” Mineta nearly drools. “Please… can I just-” CRACK!

A vine whips out hitting Mineta’s outstretched hand as he pulls it back quickly cradling it to his chest and all three heads snap around.

“Back off you twerp. Give her some room to breathe.” Mori steps in as her vine recedes and morphs back to her arm. Giving a slight push to the other two, she stands in front of Rinne’s desk, her back towards the girl as she stands between her and their classmates like a barrier. “She’s our classmate now and there will be plenty of time to get to know her, so give her time to at least adjust before you start crowding her.”

They stand there staring at Mori a bit shocked but still remaining still in their spot. Unsatisfied with their lack of movement, she crosses her arms over her chest and taps her foot, raising a brow at them. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get a move on!”

Finally, they scramble away while the rest of the class slowly goes about their own business. Mori stands there waiting for each student to leave before exhaling in relief.

“Whew… Sorry about that,” she says turning towards Rinne. “We have a lot of eccentric people in our class and a few of them with no sense of boundary control. They mean well and all… well, maybe not Mineta, I’d keep your distance as much as you can.”

The head of pink hair nods slowly, still keeping her gaze down for the most part until she finally meets Mori’s gaze after she stayed silent for a little while. “Thank you,” her soft voice finally says. Rinne sets down her textbook with a small smile showing the three little golems she had been hiding.

“Don’t mention it,” Mori smiles and takes a closer look at the small rock creations. “I thought I had seen one of you peeking at me during class.”

“They get a bit curious,” Rinne admits. Mori gives off a light giggle then straightens back up.

“They’re really cute. I’m Morioko by the way, but you can call me Mori! Everyone does.”

Rinne looks back up at the girl, taking in her green hair that seemed to be littered with flowers in a chaotic sort of way, yet somehow it makes her look really pretty that way and almost giving her green eyes a subtle glow. She was right when she thought her skin looked green when she had passed by walking towards her desk earlier, but it wasn’t the same kind of green as her hair and eyes. No, it was much paler, more subtle, but it worked for her look.

“Rinne. Nice to meet you,” she finally says with a smile. Mori smiles back at her and it only added to her radiance.

“Well, we should probably head out before we’re late to our next class.” Mori suggests then takes a few steps away. “Shall we?”

Rinne nods and gathers her stuff to follow.

---

Their next class finds the students outside on the playing fields in the school’s gym uniforms. Each of them casting glances at one another, wondering what is going to happen. Finally, their teacher shows up and explains that they are going to be exhibiting their own quirks to see how well they have a handle on using them in different scenarios. The first test was seeing how far they could throw a baseball using their quirk in whatever way benefits them best to acquire the best result. Aizawa demonstrates how he will be tracking the distance each ball is thrown and the students begin lining up excitedly for a shot.

“Katsuki Bakugou.” Aizawa calls. A disgruntled looking blonde steps up snatching the ball and gives a wicked grin before letting off an explosive fire power behind his throw. The spectacle only amped the other students for their turn as each one got a chance to show off a bit of their quirk.

“Morioko Gota.”

The green haired beauty walks up and takes the ball. With a deep breath, she closes her eyes as if concentrating to take her time unlike most of the students who seemed more in a rush to show off their own quirk. She lifts her face to the sun and suddenly a slight rumble of the ground could be felt through their feet as Mori’s legs begin to morph into large sturdy roots, attaching themselves to the ground. The rest of her seemed to give off a warm glow. Rearing her arm back, she transforms the end of her hand into a vine to wrap around the ball and then with a slingshot motion, Mori throws the ball as the vine shoots it out like a whip giving it an extra push of momentum. She made an incredible distance even if it wasn’t the furthest, but it still shocked her classmates. As she turns around to rejoin the others for the next contestant to step forward, she was met with dropped jaws, sparkling eyes in awe, and a few cheers.

“I didn’t realize you could do that!” Ochaco beams.

“Wow, that was awesome! Can you basically turn into a tree, too?!” Kaminari asks.

Even Koda seemed to give her an approving nod of respect and awe, which wasn’t really surprising to her knowing his affinity with animals. They both had a mutual respect for nature. However, it was Rinne’s look of admiration and her eyes shining with wonder that caught Mori’s attention the most. Mori walks over to the girl to stand next to her again. A faint blush dusts her cheeks as she looks down at her hands, her fingers intertwined and twisting nervously. Mori smiles then looks back out to the field to see who would be called next until a soft voice speaks up again.

“That was really amazing. Your quirk is really beautiful.” Rinne tells her.

“Thanks!” Mori grins. “It’s called ‘Synthesis’. I’m able to draw on energy straight from the sun to help give me a sort of boost. It’s kinda like photosynthesis with plants except that I’m not limited to just one kind.”

Rinne gives her a curious look with a slight tilt of her head, making Mori chuckle.

“Think of it this way. Each plant, flower, tree, whatever it may be has their own purpose. Well, I’m not just one of those. I can change my arms into vines or my legs into roots and even flowers like to bud off of me. The more I learn about different kinds of plants, the more I am able to work with my quirk and try to adapt with it.” Mori explains, seeing the light shine in Rinne’s eyes as she begins to understand.

“That’s.. That’s amazing!”

“Rinne Furuya.” Her name is called before they could say anymore. Rinne swallows dryly and takes a deep breath before taking her turn.

She stands up there and feels the stares of her classmates. All of them wondering what she’s going to do. Rolling the ball between her hands, she debates between how she wants to do this. Rinne crouches low to the ground and sets the ball down. Placing her hands down in front of her, flat on the ground. Similarly like before when Mori had taken her turn, the ground begins to shake, except instead of Rinne transforming like Mori had, a creature begins to take form before her. Dirt, rock, and even a small mix of grass from the surrounding area build upon each other as the golem forms. Larger and taller the creature grows before them, standing more than twice their height and built larger than All Might with all of his muscles. As soon as she’s done, she picks up the ball and hands it to the golem. Carefully, it takes the ball from her grasp and turns away from her to face the open field. Everyone watches in silent awe as the golem reaches its arm back and throws the ball with a loud boom shaking the ground once more as it’s launches into the air. Rinne looks up at her golem with a smile and places a hand on it as if silently thanking it for its help before returning back to the earth. Brushing her hands together to cast off the residual dirt on her palms, she turns around facing her classmates who have gone deathly quiet. She stops in her tracks as she stares back at them before they roar into cheers. This time it was Midoryia that is the first to meet her as she finally walks back towards Mori.

“Incredible! So you can create golems? Are they only rock based that you can make them out of? How many can you make at a time and what’s the toll it takes on you? What’s your limit currently?” He rattles off question after question like an excited puppy. Rinne grips onto her arms and rubs at them trying to decide what question to answer first.

“Deku, you’re doing it again,” Ochaco gently reminds him, pulling at his arm.

The green haired boy looks over at his friend then back to Rinne and rubs the back of his neck nervously. “Oh! I’m sorry. I guess I just got a bit carried away. I’ve just never seen anything quite like it. I mean Cementoss is able to manipulate any form of cement he touches but it’s limited to that material. Then there’s Ectoplasm who can create live clones of himself, so I got to thinking how similar your quirk was to either of theirs.” He gives a small smile but takes a step back to allow Rinne through. She returns the smile, grateful for the breather and not expected to really answer all of his questions right there.

Maybe later when everyone isn’t around just watching me… Rinne thinks to herself. She can tell the boy was simply curious and his friend seemed pleasantly nice, too.

Finally, she makes it back where Mori stands who looks at her with an equally amazed look on her face.

“That was really impressive! It’s nice to know there are more nature based quirks out there. It explains your little guys from early now, too,” Mori says with a wide grin.

Rinne could feel her face heat up a bit at the compliment. She didn’t know why impressing Mori meant so much to her, but hearing her compliment made all the stares from earlier feel worth it. She was quickly growing more fond of the flowery girl in such a short amount of time.

I guess Midnight wasn’t wrong after all. I think I will do just fine here.

---

Their next classes weren’t as exciting, but how could you follow up with an adrenaline rush of using your quirks to simply sitting in a quiet classroom learning on the history of quirks and heroes. However, they came and went rather smoothly before lunchtime rolled around. Rinne couldn’t decide if she wanted to eat her lunch in the classroom or join the others in the cafeteria. Looking over at Mori, she wondered what she normally does or if she even brought her own lunch.

“Did you bring your lunch?” Morioko asks, glancing over at Rinne’s bag as she fills it with her class materials.

“Um, yeah. My mom wanted to make sure I had something. You know, for my first day and all…” she admits rather nervously.

“Great! Then we can skip the cafeteria! Come on, there’s something I want to show you.” The girl beams grabbing Rinne’s wrist to drag her along. “I think you’ll like it.”

Rinne lets herself be partially dragged by the cheerful girl until she finds her footing to keep pace with her. Weaving through the crowd of students in the hallways, they make their way outside to a part Rinne had yet been to. She continues to follow Mori around a corner until they find themselves standing at a gate. Mori fishes the keys out of her bag and opens the lock, swinging the gate open, then turns to Rinne with an illuminated smile.

“After you!”

Rinne looks at her curiously but steps forward slowly and peers around the open gate. Rows and rows of various plants and flowers fill the space before her as vines hang from the surrounding fence creating a wall of lush greenery. Mori walks past her making Rinne step a bit further into the garden so the gate could be closed shut behind them. Standing just in front of her looking out among the garden, Mori’s proud smile and stance with her hands on her hips turn towards Rinne.

“Well? What do you think?” She asks.

Her golden eyes continue to stare at the beauty displayed before them, her mouth slightly ajar in awe, almost at a loss for words. “It’s… incredible…” she breathes then glances at her new friend. “You did all of this?”

Mori’s grin widens as she nods. “Yep! I got permission from the school after passing the entrance exams and started working on it over the summer. Kinda like my own personal training bit. I cultivate new plants I learn about and try to adapt my quirk to them as they grow. I spend a lot of time here since they require a lot of maintenance as is, but it’s also my safe haven. A place where I can just disappear to from time to time.”

Rinne was awestruck that she was invited to such a sacred place. Surely, she wasn’t the first one Mori has shown this place to...right? “It’s beautiful. And so peaceful. I can see why you’d want to escape to here. But… if it’s your personal space, why show me?” Her curiosity got the best of her and she couldn’t help but ask.

Mori’s smile never falters as she reaches out to grab Rinne’s hand and lead them to a spot to sit. “‘Cuz I knew you’d be able to properly appreciate it,” she says simply as she pulls out her lunch from her bag.

A small blush forms on her cheeks but decides to follow suit and take her own lunch from her bag. “Your secret is safe with me then. Thank you for sharing it with me.” Rinne says.

This time it was Mori’s turn to blush. Seeing the genuinity on Rinne’s face as she thanks her and then promises to keep the garden a secret from their classmates, it meant a lot to her. She focuses on her lunch and they fall into a peaceful silence as they begin eating. A few casual glances were casted at each other. Mori would watch as Rinne would interact with her tiny golems by her legs, dancing a finger around them as they reached out to grab hold. Likewise, Rinne would see Mori look over her garden or close her eyes lifting her face to the warm sun. She couldn’t help but notice how she seems how ethereal she looks when Mori begins to give off a warm glow simply by soaking up the warmth of the sun. It was like a golden halo surrounding her pale green skin making her hair appear brighter and the flowers blossom to its fullest. Rinne couldn’t help but be struck by the natural beauty sitting next to her as if the garden they sit beside became a person. That’s who Mori is. Her eyes suddenly snap open then look down at her legs to see one of Rinne’s golems trying to climb up onto her lap. She chuckles and holds out a finger for the golem to grab.

“They really are quite cute. Do you always have these three with you?” Mori turns her green eyes to Rinne to see her nodding. “And that doesn’t drain you?”

Rinne softly shrugs. “At first it did. They’re my first friends. I know it’s silly, but it’s never been easy for me to connect with others or open up. So, whenever I felt lonely, I would make them. I couldn’t keep them going longer than a few minutes with one at a time, but I would keep making them over and over again, tiring myself out just to make them last longer. Then, it just became more of a personal goal. Practicing on keeping them moving for longer periods of time, trying to have more than one made at a time. I kept at it for these little guys before I actually started training on the bigger stuff.” Rinne smiles at the one playing with Mori as she thinks back. “Then it just became second nature having them around all the time.”

“That’s really incredible, Rinne.” The way she says her name is like a sweet melody on a gentle breeze. She could tell she was falling for the nymph-like girl, but even to have just as a good friend would also be enough for her.

Rinne smiles at the compliment and they fall into an easy conversation for the rest of the lunch period. They talk back and forth discovering new things about each other. Mori was originally from Shikoku and once she was old enough for school, she was requested by U.A. to come attend to increase her variety in training. Hearing her describe the nature based island that she so loved drew Rinne in closer. Mori was able to use her quirk freely growing up and able to hone more of her abilities before moving to the city where nature wasn’t as prominent. But, that didn’t stop Mori. She adapted. Then, Rinne explained how she’s from Nagoya and her parents moved them here as soon as they heard she was accepted into U.A., wanting her to go to the best pro hero school there was in Japan. She knew it was more for the fact they hoped to make more of a name for themselves than it was for her to get the best education. If she could learn from the best, become the best, then that would mean more business for her parents, more income. Giving a shrug, she knew her parents meant well, but sometimes their passion for business annoyed her, especially when it directly affects her and what she wants to do for herself.

They learn a bit more about each other’s quirks. Mori expanding more on how her legs can turn into roots, digging deep into the ground and branching out at 25 feet. That’s the most she’s been able to reach so far anyways. Her arms, however, can turn into lengthy vines that can stretch out to 45 feet. The more interesting part of her quirk, Rinne found out, is her immunity to toxins and poisons. Many of her abilities directly tied and related to various plants and their uses. Rinne explains how the larger the golem she creates, the shorter the time she can control it as it’s more draining on her mind and body. She does have some basic earth manipulation without creating full golems but she finds it easier to control her rock monsters to do her bidding rather than throwing dirt and rocks around like projectiles. Lunch seemed to quickly come to an end the longer they talked. Brushing the dirt off their legs and skirts, they pack up and head back to class smiling the whole way.

As they take their seats, their teacher walks in with his usual wearied expression. He stands at the front of the room waiting for everyone to settle down before he starts his announcements.

“Alright, class is starting. Sit down and be quiet.” His gruff voice instructs. “There’s a few things I need to go over with you all before we get back into the lesson.”

Soft murmurs scatter across the room. All wondering what news he had for them.

“Here at U.A., we take our students to different training grounds to enhance on each of your quirks. In some cases, these locations may prove to be beneficial to your quirk while a detriment to others. It’s our job to prepare you to be able to activate your quirks in the most unlikely situations. You will work on getting a handle on your quirks, controlling them before they become unmanageable and run wild.” He explains, looking at each student carefully before continuing. “Our first location will be Shikoku while it’s still warm enough. After you’ve gone through training here for the next few weeks, you will be determined whether or not you’re ready for the next level of training to go on these trips. Let me remind you, this will not be a vacation. Shikoku is home to many mountain ranges. This will be our base camping area as we travel and train, far from the tourist spots and spas I’m sure many of you were hoping to experience during our time there. That will not be the case. Now that we’ve covered that, open up your textbooks.”

Very few of the students were able to pay much attention to class after that announcement and much to their pleasure, the rest of the day went by quickly. The students eagerly packed up their bags to return home. Rinne and Mori say their goodbyes and go their separate ways. The smile on Rinne’s face after a successful first day at a new school stayed on her face the entire way home.

---

“Looks like someone had a good first day?” Her mother asks her over dinner. Her parents casting pleased expressions.

Rinne nods as she pokes at the food on her plate with her chopsticks. “It really was.” She picks up her plate and stands to head into the kitchen. “I’m done. And I should go work on my homework.” After putting away her dishes, she passes by them and wraps her arms around them both. “Thank you.” She tells them with a smile and heads to her room, leaving her parents wondering after her.

---

The next few weeks go by filled with the same classes and training regiments. The students worked diligently to ensure their acceptance to go on the upcoming training trips. Their teacher would never outright let on that he was proud to see all of them manage to make it onto the trip, but he was, nonetheless. The trip to their first destination was long and tiring for him, though. Between flights and multiple transits, making sure each student was accounted for and enduring their endless supply of excitement and energy was wearing him down. Mori chuckles lightly to herself, but it doesn’t go undetected by Rinne who shares the bench seat with her.

“What’s so funny?”

Mori shakes her head to herself and leans back against the seat. “Oh, nothing. Aizawa-sensei should’ve expected this. They say it’s strictly training but that doesn’t stop this crazy class from getting excited about going on a trip. Training filled or not, it’s still a vacation from the classroom walls.” She explains and looks over at Rinne. Her three tiny golems were climbing on each other to take a peek out of the window. “We’re actually getting pretty close. We should be there soon. You’re going to love Shikoku, I just know it.”

Rinne looks up from watching her golems with a smile. “I can’t wait!”

The pair had grown rather close over the past few weeks. Working together to make sure they would be able to make it on the trip, they spent extra time meeting at Mori’s garden during breaks and sometimes early in the morning before school hours. Rinne’s golems even helped with maintenance by pulling out weeds or fighting off any unwanted bugs or critters that made their way in. They worked together to improve not only their quirks but also studying class materials together. It was becoming rare for the others to not see one without the other. They watch as the scenery outside the window becomes greener and more lush. Everyone begins buzzing with a new sense of excitement as their destination draws nearer.

As they finally arrive, everyone unloads and grabs their belongings to follow their teacher to where they’d be staying during their time here. With wandering eyes and a hop in their step, they make their way through the winding dirt road with trees and various plants on either side surrounding them. The trek was steep the closer they got to their campsite closer to the mountainside. Rinne could feel her connection with the ground beneath her feet grow stronger. Looking over at Mori to mention it, she sees her glowing again. Her radiance shining brighter than the streaks of sunlight filtering through the treetops overhead. They reach a small clearing with tents pitched up in two separate areas and a large fire pit placed between.

“Girls take the tents on the right, boys to the left. Get your things settled in. We won’t be staying long.” Aizawa informs them as he zips up his sleeping bag around him and lays on the ground as he waits.

Rinne and Mori picked out a tent to share next to Tsuyu and Ochaco. Momo and Kyoka chose the next closest one then Mina and Toru for the next. The girls gathered in the center after putting their things away in their chosen tents, chatting as they wait to leave. Some of the guys begin filtering into the group and once everyone seemed ready to go, Aizawa had them follow him once again further up the mountain to a designated training area.

“First, you will be sorted into pairs. This will be a bit different than you’ve experienced back at school. Here, your pairs will be assigned to different regions and it’s your job to do minimal damage while using your surroundings to your advantage the best way you can. Obviously, for some this will be a cake walk being in your element while for a select few, it’s going to require more control on your part to keep from destroying the area while finding a way to gain the upper hand against your opponent. Once you’re done, head back to camp. Now, here’s how you’ll be partnered up…” He goes through the premade list calling off names and their assigned areas. One by one, everyone was paired up. Rinne watches as Mori leaves with Mina into the thickest part of the forest.

Aizawa finally reaches the end of his list. “That just leaves you two on the cliffside.”

Rinne looks over at Todoroki, standing there quietly and reserved then turns towards her. He extends his hand in the direction of their assigned area allowing Rinne to lead the way. She takes a deep breath and starts walking with him following in step just behind her. They find the marked area and face off. Rinne isn’t sure what to expect at first. Do we just start or-- But Todoroki doesn’t waste any time. Raising his hands and widening his stance, he gives Rinne barely a minute to get ready before sliding his foot against the ground casting a wave of ice in her direction. She lifts her arms summoning one of her medium sized golems to block the ice from hitting her. The ice shatters as the golem strikes at it. Shards of ice splintering off and raining down around her. Rinne looks past her golem to see Todoroki begin to move to a new vantage spot for a direct hit towards her. Quickly, she summons a few more golems of equal size to the first one. The ground shakes as their bodies erupt from the ground. Rock and dirt piling on itself into her precious creations. They create a barrier around her to give a few short moments to think. Knowing he favors his ice, she’ll have to make sure to either keep creating enough of the golems she has now in case they get caught in his ice, or exert more energy into a single bigger one. She sends out three of them as a direct attack. Despite their make-up, because they aren’t much bigger than her, their speed isn’t hindered.

Todoroki looks surprised at the rate the rock creatures charge at him as he glides across the ground with his ice to maneuver around their attacks and avoid getting hit. One of them slams its fists against the ice causing a rippling crack to trip the boy. He manages to catch his footing just before he could fall to the ground, lifting himself up onto a new pillar of ice. Towering over Rinne and the golems, he has a better view of their surroundings. The edge of the trees opposing the edge of the cliff. Blocking access to the trees and forcing a smaller area to fight could be more to his benefit if he’s able to successfully immobilize the golems.

Rinne looks up to where Todoroki stands out of her golems reach and clicks her tongue disapprovingly. She directs her golems to start smashing against the thick ice, chipping away at it slowly. Unsatisfied with the lack of progress they were able to make, she finally opts for her larger golem. They begin to merge together, rocks rolling and crumbling to reform into one giant rock beast. Reaching his peak form, Todoroki nearly loses his balance as the golem shakes the ground with every movement it makes. It slowly raises its arms and swings them towards the icy pillar breaking it in half. Todoroki emits his ice against the golem to create a new path for him to use. The golem moving much slower than its previous smaller counterparts as it tries to grab Todoroki but misses. He continues his trek until safely reaching the ground with the golem encased in a thin layer of ice. The rock monster was unfazed by the ice as it breaks through with ease in its search for its intended target. The battle between ice and rock continue until Rinne begins to feel the effects of controlling the large beast for so long. Sweat beads at her brow as she struggles to keep her control over her element. Frost begins taking form over half of Todoroki’s body as he overuses his quirk without tapping into his flames he continues to swear against using to reject his father. It wasn’t until the golem begins to crumble in on itself that Todoroki realizes the toll it’s taking on Rinne. Firing one last icy blast to finish off the remains of the golem, Todoroki stands before Rinne, chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. His chilled breath foggy with each exhale against the warm air surrounding them. Rinne looks just as spent as her legs threatened to give out and buckle. Todoroki reaches out to steady her to keep her from falling.

“Thanks,” she smiles weakly, internally chastising herself for reaching this point.

Todoroki offers a small smile and a short nod. “Your golems are really impressive. I didn’t think I was going to last much longer. Honestly, I thought you were going to win.”

Rinne shakes her head. “You only used your ice. Making larger golems like that is harder for me to control. I don’t know if I would be able to stand a chance if you were taking this seriously and using both of your quirks.”

Todoroki falls silent as they walk back to camp. “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“What do you mean?”

He looks down at his left hand, the side that houses his father’s quirk. “Aizawa-sensei said we had to control our quirks to not do damage to the land. Being surrounded by trees, the flames would’ve been too much. Besides, your golems can’t burn. If I was able to make a blast with enough force then maybe it would be able to push your golems around but ultimately, they wouldn’t be affected by the flames.” He clenches his hand into a fist then lowers it to his side before looking at her with a smile. “My quirk is mostly ineffective against yours. It ended up being a matter of who would tire out first from exhausting our powers.”

Rinne considers his words carefully before smiling back, grateful for his kind words. They make it back to camp to see most of the other students already returned. Mori’s eyes light up as she sees Rinne and Todoroki walk into camp then rushes over to meet them.

“Rinne! Are you alright?” She frets over the girl as Todoroki chuckles lightly and waves goodbye as he leaves her in Mori’s capable care. She chuckles as she leans a little on her for support, waving back at Shouto before hugging Mori back

“I’m fine, Mori. Just overworked myself.” Rinne replies with a smile. Mori’s eyes shining with concern as their gazes meet.

“You need to take it easy for the rest of the night, then.” Mori decides resolutely. Her tone dictating there wasn’t any room for arguments. She takes Rinne to sit by the fire pit where most of the other students have gathered.

“Rinne! You’re back!” Ochaco beams and waves both her and Mori over. “Sure looks like you gave Todoroki a hard time!”

They all look over to see him standing next to the fire. The ice on his right side starting to thaw out from the warmth of the flames. Rinne takes a seat and Mori makes up a couple of s’mores for them. The melted chocolate-marshmallow mix stuffed between two graham crackers in her hands, giving one to Rinne as she takes the seat next to her. She burns her finger on the hot, sticky treat and brings it to her mouth to cool it off. Mori snatches her hand and inspects the now reddened digit. Setting her own s’more to the side, she pulls out a homemade salve and medicates her finger. The cool of the ointment bringing immediate relief to Rinne’s sensitive finger tip. Her eyes watching carefully in awe as the redness fades away within minutes. Mori smiles as she puts it away, still holding Rinne’s hand.

“Just something I made after studying my plants. It helps with burns, dry skin, small cuts, just a simple first aid I carry around with me now. Just in case.” She gives her a wink. Rinne stares at her electric green eyes, pools of emeralds swirling in their depths the longer she gazed into them. Neither were aware how long they had been staring at each other for until the sound of someone’s throat clearing breaks their trance.

“So are you two...like a thing?” Kirishima asks leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees.

Rinne could feel her face heat up in a furious blush as she looks away and is suddenly very interested in the s’more she had yet to take a bite of. Now cooled to a lesser warm temperature, she takes a bite trying to avoid the collective stares narrowing in on her. Mori smiles at the girl’s timid nature.

“That’s something I’d rather discuss with her first before telling the lot of you,” Mori answers taking a big bite of her s’more. Rinne’s head snaps up and twists towards her. “Besides, it’s not like the rest of you have been exactly forward with your personal interests either.” A few turn their heads avoiding the confrontation, a couple nearly choke on their s’mores or drink, while Kirishima just laughs and wraps an arm around Bakugo’s shoulders who sits next to him.

“Alright, alright, that’s fair!” He winks at Bakugou whose cheeks turn a rosy shade before mumbling something incoherent under his breath and turning away but keeping himself tucked under Kirishima’s arm. “Only you know when the time is right.”

Mori smiles then turns back to Rinne who continues to stare wide-eyed at her like a deer caught in headlights. Grabbing her hand, they drop their s’mores as Mori drags the stunned girl from the campsite. Just past the line of tents, the nymph-like girl leads them through the small forest until they emerge on the other side. They find themselves on the edge of a cliffside overlooking the ocean. Mori finally stops in her tracks but doesn’t let go of Rinne. The sun begins to set, its warm glow reflecting on the water’s surface as the sky is dyed in various colors of pinks and oranges. Slowly, Mori walks closer to the edge, encouraging Rinne to join her as she sits down on the soft grass. Hand in hand, they feel the cool breeze ruffle their hair and hear the light chirps of the birds fluttering in the trees behind them. It was quiet, peaceful. The sun slowly descending on the horizon, darkening the sky a little more as each minute passes by.

“Mori?” Rinne’s quiet voice breaks through the reverie.

“Hmm?” Her relaxed response came.

Rinne looks down at their joined hands then up at the girl’s face. She couldn’t quite find the words to her question. Mori glances over at her and smiles, raising their hands up together and pushing their palms against each other, Rinne feeling a warm buzzing where their hands connected

“I like you, Rinne. I was hoping I was being obvious about it, but I didn’t want to push you either just in case you didn’t feel the same. You are amazingly sweet and kind, and it feels like you often understand me better than myself.”

Rinne nervously tucks her hair behind her ear, Mori noticing small golems hiding behind Rinne, curious. “I-I really like you, too.” She says quietly as Mori gives a light squeeze to her hand.