Chapter 22: The Date.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm golden hues over Chiba as the city slowly settled into a peaceful afternoon. The day after the U.S.J. incident had been anything but normal—UA was still in high alert, students were reeling from the attack, and everyone was left with a lingering sense of unease.
But today, Harue Dai had something else on his mind.
Standing in front of the small café near the main city center, he ran a hand through his messy orange hair, his fingers tingling slightly from the nervous heat building inside him. He had fought villains and pushed his Quirk more than he ever had to—but none of that compared to the sheer intensity of waiting for a girl on their first date.
And not just any girl. Mina Ashido.
He checked his phone for the third time in a minute. 5:02 PM. She wasn't late—just two minutes past the time they agreed on—but he still felt a wave of nervous energy.
"Yo! Harue!"
His head snapped up, and there she was.
Mina was wearing a casual, light pink sweater combined with a black skater skirt and sleek hand-bag on her shoulder. Yet, despite her outfit being simple, she looked… stunning. Her wild pink hair was slightly tamer than usual, though a few curls stuck out in every direction, framing her face perfectly.
"Hey," Harue greeted, rubbing the back of his neck.
Mina stopped a few steps away, suddenly hesitating. It was so unlike her—she was usually the bold, outgoing type, but now, she seemed almost… shy.
"So… uh, I'm here," she said, rocking on her heels.
Harue chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed."
Mina let out a small, awkward laugh, then fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. "I, uh… I don't really know about these sort of things, y'know?" she admitted, her voice quieter than usual.
"This is my first date!"
Harue felt a rush of warmth—not just from his Quirk, but from the realization that she was just as nervous as he was.
"Well," he said, offering her his hand, "guess we'll figure it out together?"
Mina blinked, then smiled—her usual bright, confident smile. "Yeah. Together."
She took his hand, and in an instant, the awkwardness melted away.
The café was a small, cozy spot, filled with the comforting aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries. They found a booth near the window, sitting across from each other as a light hum of chatter filled the air.
Mina, now visibly more relaxed, tapped her fingers on the table as she scanned the menu. "Ooooh, they have milkshakes! I love milkshakes. You want one?"
Harue smirked. "Sure. What flavor are you getting?"
"Strawberry. Classic. What about you?"
"Chocolate."
Mina gasped dramatically. "Oh my god, the betrayal."
Harue laughed. "What? Chocolate's good!"
She leaned forward, squinting at him like she was analyzing a deep mystery. "Okay, I'll allow it. But only if you let me try some."
"Only if I can try yours."
Mina grinned. "Deal."
Once they placed their order, the conversation flowed effortlessly. They talked about school, their classmates, even the insane event that happened at U.S.J. Though there was an underlying weight to that topic, they kept it lighthearted, focusing more on how cool Harue looked than the fear both of them felt.
"You were so cool Harue!" Mina said between sips of her milkshake. "Like, I knew you were strong!!, but dude you took out that shadow guy so quickly and were going toe to toe with that villain that even All Might had some trouble with!!!"
"Haha thanks but really... It was nothing much as I could only hold him back, All Might and Aizawa sensei were the real heroes!"
Harue chuckled as he humbly replied.
Ignoring that without him Aizawa would have been much more injured than he currently was.
(AN: Aizawa doesn't have the head injury that he got in the OG story as the Nomu didn't slam his head into the pavement.)
"Don't be so humble!! It makes me feel bad that I couldn't anything!!"
Mina let her tongue out and give him the stinky eye.
Harue laughed out loud at her antics as Mina suddenly got lost staring at his face and bright smile.
And so as the conversation continued, Mina grew even more animated—waving her hands, laughing loudly, teasing Harue whenever she had the chance. Any trace of her earlier nervousness was gone, replaced by the energetic girl he had come to admire.
And Harue? He was completely, utterly captivated.
After the café, they wandered through the park, enjoying the cool evening air. The sun had started to set, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges. Mina walked beside him, her arms swinging freely, her expression thoughtful.
"This was fun," she said suddenly.
Harue glanced at her. "Yeah. It was."
She looked up at him, her golden eyes shining. "You're really easy to talk to, y'know?"
Harue chuckled. "Same goes for you."
Mina grinned, then nudged his arm playfully. "Sooo… are you gonna walk me home, or what?"
"Of course," Harue said, feigning offense. "Do you expect anything different Missy!?."
Mina laughed, and they continued walking, their hands brushing against each other every so often. Each time it happened, Harue felt his heart race just a little faster.
When they finally reached her house, silence consumed them as the street lights cast a light glow at them.
Mina turned to him, suddenly looking a little shy again. "So… I had a really great time."
Harue swallowed, gathering every ounce of courage he had. "Me too."
A pause. The air between them felt heavy like it was waiting for a spark to ignite it.
Harue took a deep breath. "Mina."
She tilted her head. "Yeah?"
He hesitated for only a second before pushing forward. "Would you… I mean, do you wanna—" He exhaled sharply. "Would you be my girlfriend?"
Mina's eyes widened for a bit but then she smiled.
A big, bright, heart-melting smile.
"Yeah," she said softly. "Yeah, I would."
Before he could even process it, she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. Harue instinctively placed his hands on her waist.
She stood on her tippy toes, as she leaned in, and their lips met.
The kiss was warm, soft, and perfect. It started gentle, but soon, Mina deepened it, pulling him closer, her fingers threading through his hair. Harue responded by instinct, his own hands tightening around her waist. Heat pooled in his chest, a steady, comforting warmth—not from his Quirk, but from her.
By the time they finally pulled away, Mina was grinning. "Damn," she said, slightly breathless. "That was good."
Harue smirked. "Of course it would be when a beauty like you leads it."
Mina giggled, then took his hand, squeezing it. "So… you're mine now, huh?"
"Guess so," he said, squeezing back.
"Cool," she said, beaming. "I like that."
And with one last quick kiss, she turned and headed inside, leaving Harue standing there with a dumb smile on his face, his heart still racing.
Tonight had been perfect.
"And now to the annoying part…" Harue muttered as he started heading towards his own house.
Where his nosy parents were waiting to bother him with questions.
...….
As soon as Mina shut the door behind her, she leaned against it, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Did that really just happen?!
She was expecting this to just be a silly date and not this!!
In truth she was even a bit afraid, thinking that the reason he had invited her on a date was that he was going to reject her advances.
But all that worrying was for naught.
Because now.
Now, he was her boyfriend.
A high-pitched squeal bubbled up from her throat, and she clapped both hands over her mouth, her entire body buzzing with excitement.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!
Her heart was doing backflips, her mind replaying the moment over and over.
The way he had looked at her, the nervous way he had asked, and finally the kiss.
She instantly ran towards her mother who was waiting in the living room.
Alone as her dad was away this month for a company trip.
A teasing grin made its way on Mrs. Ashido as she hugged her daughter and asked what had happened.
Which grew into a bright sweet smile when Mina began to talk.
Yeah.
This truly was a perfect night.
End.