The light of her smartphone fell down on the boy sitting on the ground by the side of the road, not moving, not talking... Just sitting there with his knees held to his chest like a kid who had just lost his favorite toy.
Sora walked over to him and sat by his side. " Iida is worried you know, it's way beyond curfew."
" I will apologize to him later..." Yuu murmured, not raising his head.
She nudged closer to him before speaking again. " What about me? I was worried too."
" I'm sorry..."
" Is that all you have to say for yourself?"
Yuu raised his head, but didn't look at her, rather focused forward on nothing in particular. " How did you find me?"
" We're beyond that question already." Sora sighed deeply. " We're best friends Yuu. It's only natural I would know what hole you would hide in when you're down."
It was then his eyes flicked to her, and she could see the tears in their corners. "... You knew..."
Sora shifted uncomfortably. " Yeah... He told me... Well, the whole of the class already, as soon as all his memories came back..."
Yuu buried his face down again. " ... I wish I had known sooner, I wish I had said something about it sooner, we could have spent more time together..."
" If you did, he would have just gone sooner. He said that's how it works," Sora said patting his back.
He knew, he better than anyone else knew. That the living and the dead shouldn't mingle together. It was under certain conditions and circumstances they did, and then they would have to cross over, to move on, just like Sora's father.
" You should head back. Iida-san will be furious at you too."
" Not a chance. I'm staying here with you until you're done crying or your tears have all dried and you can cry no more." Her smile softened. " I always did."
Yuu then drew a deep breath and clutched his metallic arm tightly. " Sorry for being the pathetic friend you have to take care of."
" What are you talking about now?"
" If I was just like Todoroki-san...Someone strong, blessed, and able to protect everyone. Maybe I wouldn't have to lose so many people at all..." He looked down at his prosthetic arm as he wiped away the tears that rolled down. " And I wouldn't need to wear this for the rest of my life..."
" Hold on a sec, is this about what Mina-chan and the others said before?"
Yuu snapped his head up and blinked twice at her and Sora blushed slightly as she scratched at her jaw. " Damn it... I knew you were still bothered about that... they should have talked to me before jumping to conclusions..."
" You..." he quickly wiped away all his tears as he looked at her. " You know-"
" That they said I have a crush on Todoroki? Yeah, I know." She rolled her eyes. "Geesh, Mina-chan..."
Oh, so it's only about that. He breathed out in relief before his mind caught on. " Wait, you don't?" His eyebrow shot up at that and Sora tried to hide her red face.
" Yeah, I did for a while, back at the beginning of the year... but it was a short-lived one. I never took it seriously." She ruffled her hair. " I mean, he is strong and handsome and all, but... me and Todoroki? Come on, I can't even see us more than close friends."
Thump.
" But... back in the training-"
" I know what I said." Sora tried to hide her face from him even further. " But... like I just said, it was but a short-lived crush and it faded away before summer ended."
Sora heaved a shaky sigh. " Damn you Mina-chan... it's all your fault..."
Yuu looked away as though thinking deeply about it. " But Todoroki-san is dependable and calm. He would be able to protect you. Why shouldn't you-"
" Because that's not all love is about." Sora exhaled and looked back at him. " There is more, much much more than just being dependable and strong. And it's not just about being protected, it's like..."
Two comets zoomed by just at that and both of them took a moment to stare at them as they faded away.
" It's like running together, maybe... to a certain point..."
She stood up and dusted her pants before extending her hand at him, offering him a smile. " If you're feeling better now, let's head back. We don't want the rest any more worried than when I left them."
Managing a smile, Yuu nodded his head as he took her hand with his right one and she pulled him up to his feet. " You shouldn't have felt obliged to hide away from us. You're not alone Yuu. You'll never be. We're all here with you, we're all looking at you, both in sadness and joy. This is your Hero Academia... no..." she shook her head as she gave a bright grin. " This is your home, Yuu." Her hand clutched his tightly.
" Yeah... you're right... thank you, Sora." He returned her grin with a thankful one. " I'm alright now. So let's head back to everyone else."
Sora agreed and together, they trudged back to their dorm just as another pair of comets zoomed overhead...
________________
" You guys! You guys!" As soon as they stepped foot into the dorm, Iida came rushing to them and he began shaking Yuu by the collar vigorously. " Do you even know what time is it now? Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"
" Sorry! I'm sorry!" But Iida wasn't going to loosen his grasp on Yuu any moment soon Sero and Kaminari had to step in and try to pry him off the boy.
" Calm down. Where did the ' be gentle in manners' go?" Sero asked.
" He said he was sorry!" Kaminari added. " Give him a break man!"
" So..." Jiro said as she walked over to her. " How is he holding?"
" He will get over it." Sora gave a small smile as she saw Yuu bowing over and over to a fuming Iida. " He knows he is not alone after all."
" Just after losing Kyubi, he had to say goodbye to his best friend and uncle. That sucks." Ashido joined in.
" But it was a good thing we left it to you, Sora-chan. I doubt going there all at once would have helped him." Hagakure added.
" It would have just overwhelmed him," Yaoyorozu stated.
" Seijin-chan needed Sora-chan by his side, she is his closest friend and the one who more than any of us understands just how close Whisper-chan was to him," said Asui.
" So, did you speak to him, about that?" Ashido looked at her and Sora flushed red for a moment before looking at her.
" It's all because you couldn't hold your mouth, Mina-chan!" Sora hissed before rubbing her head. " I made it clear that I don't have a crush on Todoroki anymore, that's all."
" You didn't tell him-"
" No! He will know when it's time he knows! And I will be thankful if you all just hold your mouths this time!" She held a threatening finger at them. " Any more of that and you're dealing with me, not him!"
All of them pulled their fingers in front of their mouths as though zipping them.
" Why should I be included, I didn't have anything to do with this." Yaoyorozu sighed.
Sora exhaled and groaned. " No wonder he was very bothered back then. I should have known it..."...
" Sora, are you in love with Todoroki?!"
" Eh? EEEEEHHHH!!" Sora exclaimed as Ashido and the rest barged into her room the night she came back to the dorm.
" Is that true?" Even though her expression didn't change, she could swear Yaoyorozu's eyes were flaring with something akin to rivalry.
" What... wha... why..." Sora held her face as it glowed in red and heated up.
" Just tell us already!" Hagakure insisted. " We know for a fact he asked you out and you said yes!"
" He did?" Yaoyorozu asked.
" He did!" They answered.
" He did?" Sora asked again incurring curious looks at her.
" I heard you with my own ears! He told you that you should have known since you were with him during the internship and all!" Hagakure explained impatiently. " How can you forget it?"
Sora racked her mind trying to recall such an event before her eyes flew open. " Oh right, he did."
" Told ya!"
" No, wait!" Sora held her hands before her as though to keep them at bay. " He did say that to me but it wasn't a confession or anything!"
" Eh?" The girls chorused.
" He was consulting me on whether or not he should accept his sister's invitation to have dinner at home after his father was discharged!" She stated impatiently. " I was the one who knew exactly how complicated their relationship was during the internship and so he turned to me and I said yes he should go! Nothing else!"
" He didn't ask you out. We get it," said Ashido. " But what about you? How do you feel about him?"
" How do I feel... he's just a dear friend, that's all! What's wrong with you all?!" Sora complained.
" You don't have a crush on him?" Hagakure inquired again.
" No!" Sora had the feeling she was sitting for an interrogation. " I mean... I did, for the first term... But it was short-lived...I didn't really think of him that way!"
" Then, Sora-chan. Do you have someone you love?" Asui asked and Sora's face heated up again.
" She does," Ashido concluded.
" Definitely." Hagakure agreed.
" That's just the face of someone in love." Jiro backed them while rolling his earphone jack around.
" Stop it!" Sora cried covering her face with her own hands.
" Seems we can't tell Seijin-kun after all, even if she doesn't have a crush on Todoroki-kun... still..." At Uraraka's words, Sora lifted her face.
" Hold on a second." All the red faded away from her face and it was now their turn to be interrogated. " Two months ago, you said something about Yuu in the locker room. What does he have to do with this?"
" Nothing!" The concerned five chorused.
" You know I can see auras, right?" They nodded their heads. " Then you know that I know that you're lying, right?" Again, they nodded their heads, much slower.
" Spit it out, what have you told Yuu? Is it why he's been off for a while now?" Sora asked.
The girls looked at each other before Ashido took a deep breath. " I told Seijin that he was in love with you." She winced.
" You did what?"
" And I said you were in love with Todoroki-kun," Hagakure added, shifting uncomfortably.
" YOU DID WHAT!?!"
Sora was ready to gauge their eyes out wasn't it for Yaoyorozu and Asui stopping her. " Heck, I should have known! He was feeling worthless and useless because of that!"
" Worthless and useless?" Asui tilted her head.
" You mean, he wasn't jealous?" Ashido asked.
" For god's sake, Yuu would never get jealous just as he realized he was in love. It was just that... he must have thought he was no longer needed at all, that I wouldn't be his friend anymore now that Todoroki asked me out. And I failed to get all of that. Such friend I'm." Sora sighed leaning her head against her hands.
Asui blinked at her. " Sora-chan... you realized he was in love with you, didn't you?"
Sora said nothing, only nodding her head.
" Then, what was that at the training camp? You said you were just friends?" Uraraka asked.
" Because back at that time, I really thought he didn't think of me that way. It was my mistake for not realizing Yuu himself didn't know what his own feelings were. He didn't know what being in love meant." Sora looked up. " And I can't blame him."
" He is too innocent." Jiro pointed.
" I know. That's why, it wasn't until the training camp that I really got it." Sora rubbed her head as she thought of her situation. " Regardless. I should think how to tell him now, that all the stuff about Todoroki isn't true."
" Can't you just walk up to him and tell him?" Uraraka asked.
" Imagine Mi- I mean, the one you love walking up to you and saying he knows you're in love with him before you even got the courage to tell him, how would you feel?"
Blood rushed up to her face it was about to explode. " I will feel... like I don't want to face him for the rest of my life..."
" Multiply that feeling for Yuu then," said Sora.
" I get it that you want Seijin to muster his courage and tell you that himself. But will you leave things the way they're now?" Asked Jiro.
" I don't want to. But I don't know what to do!" She ruffled her hair. " Damn it! Toru-chan, Mina-chan, if you hadn't said all that!"
" We're sorry..." The two girls backed from her, not wanting to be in her range.
" Sora-chan..." Sora looked up at Asui. " How do you feel about Seijin-chan now?"
As her eyes locked with her friend's, Sora exhaled deeply and hugged her knees. " I... don't know..."
" You don't know?!" It wasn't the answer any of the girls were waiting for apparently. Sora ran a hand through her hair.
" I mean, I do care for him, more than a friend, more than a childhood friend for that matter. And knowing he has feelings for me, it certainly made my heart flutter with happiness but... I don't know if I can return his feelings." The girl seemed concerned, and her expression was pensive and calm as she leaned her cheek on her arm. " There is a lot I... We have to go through before we can understand where this leads us. And certainly now is not the time to ask those questions with all that's happening outside. So for now, I would like to put this matter aside, for both of us. So I can find out an answer after this war is done with." A small and gentle smile appeared on her face as she looked up again, albeit, she wasn't really looking at any of them by that moment. " So that I can return Yuu's feelings one day."
The girls looked at her, half surprised, half smiling in understanding. And before Ashido could get excited over the last sentence, Sora shut her up as she threw a pillow to her face.
" I get you now, Shirogane-san." Yaoyorozu smiled softly at her. "It's true that it won't do in our current situation. So for you and Seijin-san to get your answers, we should solve the whole matter as soon as possible." Sora went all read at her words and buried her face in another pillow.
" I don't think it's hero-like to want to end the war for such a reason," she complained into her pillow.
" It's!" Uraraka cut her sharply. " Sora-chan, a hero isn't someone who has a cool reason to fight, you made me realize that. Heroes are humans too, so if that reason is enough for you, then it's worth fighting for."
Sora's eyes sparkled for a second when she looked up, as if she grasped something in her friend's expression. " Ochaco-chan..."
" Then it's all the more reason to stir-"
" Don't you ever dare to step in any further than you already had!" Sora's eyes glared warningly at Ashido. She took a deep breath, and it seemed she had already a plan formulated for what she should do from then on. " I will find a way to deal with Yuu, so please..."
" Let's leave it to Sora-chan then." Asui looked back at them. " All we've done was make it harder for Seijin-chan. If someone is able to ease it for him now, if he is willing to listen to someone, it would be Sora-chan."...
" Geez, it would take ages for him to confess to you." Ashido puffed her cheeks at her. " You sure you don't want us to give him a small nudge?"
" No thank you. I would rather it be at his own pace. He will say it when he's ready," Sora said smiling at the boy sitting down with his head hanging low while Iida rebuked him.
" Don't you think we should step in and save him though?" Jiro asked with a sweat drop.
" Yeah... I think we should..." Sora laughed awkwardly...
________________
Sora woke up to an urgent knocking on her room's door. She rolled off her bed to the ground, wrapped in her quilt, and grunted in pain. " Coming!" She twisted up and walked to the door.
She opened it, one eye still closed, and rubbing her matted hair, she came face to face with a worried Yuu. " What? It's still 6 AM."
She yawned only for Yuu to hold a sheet of paper to her. " This was stuck to your door too. Maybe you should read it." He urged.
Sora took the paper and folded it open, the more she read, the wider her eyes got and she was far from going back to sleep again after reaching the end. " What the heck!"
" I bet you anything everyone else got ones too," said the boy. " We should head down."
Sora nodded as they went to the elevator. As expected, once reaching the common area, they found most of their class gathered there, each holding a similar sheet of paper. " Sora-chan, Seijin-chan, you too..." Asui turned to them.
" He sent it to the whole class?" Yuu asked as he scanned the room.
" All For One... Villains are after him..." Shoji mumbled as he read his letter.
" What's going on?!" Kirishima was glaring at his paper as though trying to glimpse any lead to Midoriya's whereabouts.
" Midoriya-chan..."
Sora clenched her letter it crumbled in her hand. " Does he think we will be satisfied with just these sheets of paper!" She said throwing it down to the ground. " What's all this about leaving UA so we don't get caught?! Isn't he the one who should be needing protection right now!"
" Sora..." Yuu gently patted her shoulder. " Try thinking from his perspective. He doesn't want any of us to get hurt because of him."
" And what the heck he thinks us?!" She shot at the boy. " We're heroes, right? We're supposed to be helping those in need, right?" She looked back at her classmates.
" Sora-chan..."
" I don't want this... I don't want them to take any more people from me!" Her fists shook furiously before Asui walked over to her, patting her back.
" I understand what you want to say, Shirogane-kun, I don't like this too..." Iida's hands clutched his paper tightly too. " But there is nothing we can do anymore. Midoriya-kun made his choice and, knowing him, it would be hard to go after him..."
Kirishima looked down at that. " Is there really... nothing we can do..."
And a heavy silence fell upon all of them as no one could afford an answer...