(Melissa POV – I-Expo, I-Island)
"Alright, everyone." I clap my hands together with a bright smile. "That's every invention on display here at the Pavilion."
"Wow…" Uraraka exhales, eyes still wide as she glances back the way we came. "I can't believe we've already gone through everything."
"It was quite enlightening." Momo nods, a satisfied smile playing at her lips. "I'll have a great deal to think about on the way back. I can't wait for the next expo."
"Right?!" Deku says excitedly. "If they made all this in just a few years, then imagine what they'll have when the next one comes! The sensor integration alone was incredible, and if you combine that with the modular plating from the third exhibit—"
"Deku." Uraraka giggles. "Breathe."
"A-ah. Sorry."
I can't help giggling along with her. It's been like this the entire tour. Everyone excitedly discusses the inventions in their own ways. Deku rambles on excitedly, Uraraka calming him down, and Momo gently nudging the conversation forward while observing everything with academic curiosity.
'I'm glad they're having fun.' I think, before my gaze drifts, toward the two I've been quietly worrying about all afternoon.
Kata and Himiko.
They're standing a little apart from the rest of us, in front of one of the final displays. To be exact, Kata and Eri are looking at it. Eri's holding Kata's hand, leaning forward and seriously reading the exhibit's description so she can explain it to Kata later. She's clearly the only one of the three actually interested.
Kata himself is… hard to read. His helmet is back on, masking his entire face for almost the entire tour. He's been listening patiently to Eri, speaking calmly… but not a single one of the inventions has garnered any excitement or interest from him.
As for Himiko…
'I can't really say she's not enjoying herself. But none of it is because of the expo.'
She detached from our group after the first hour, and started walking with Kata and Eri. And while twirling a strand of her own hair, her eyes looking at him more than any displays, as they chat amongst each other. She seems to be enjoying it.
I let out a small, helpless sigh.
'Did I pick the wrong exhibits? I thought there'd be at least one thing that would catch their interest…'
And, well… beyond that, I had a small ulterior motive of my own. One I haven't quite been brave enough to act on.
'…Maybe I should give up.' My eyes linger on Kata for a moment longer, and I feel a quiet pang of regret. 'If only there were an easier way to talk to him…'
"Melissa?" I jolt slightly as Deku steps closer, his head tilted, brows drawn together in earnest worry. "What's wrong? You look kinda worried."
"O-oh! No, no, it's nothing like that!" I wave my hands quickly, laughing a little awkwardly. Momo and Uraraka have noticed too now, both turning toward me. "I was just… thinking about Kata and Himiko. They don't really seem to be enjoying the expo, and I was wondering if I should have shown you guys something else."
The three of them follow my gaze, and a small, puzzled silence settles between us.
"Huh?" Deku blinks. "They look fine, though?"
"Yeah." Uraraka tilts her head. "They look pretty normal to me. Eri's the one having the best day of her life." She laughs. "Look at her, she's having a blast explaining things."
"You're all misunderstanding." Momo says lightly, and we all turn to her in confusion.
She's watching Kata with a calm, knowing smile, arms folded neatly in front of her.
"They're having a lot of fun. Especially Kata." She glances back at us, her smile deepening slightly. "I'd even say he's in a particularly good mood right now."
The three of us look back at Kata, casually minding his own business, without a hint of emotion to be seen. There is, by any visible measure, absolutely nothing about him that suggests "good mood."
"…Is that so?" I manage, glancing back at Momo a little helplessly.
"Mhm." She nods, entirely confident.
Deku and Uraraka share a look. Then Deku rubs the back of his neck.
"Well… you're quite good at reading him. So, if you say so, then I guess that's how it is."
"Yeah!" Uraraka nods. "You're quite accurate too. How do you do it?"
"Intuition." Momo says simply, leaving us speechless.
'…Does that really work?'
I steal another glance at Kata, who in his hero costume, looks extremely intimidating.
'He doesn't exactly… invite conversation.' I press my hands together in front of me and take the smallest breath. 'But if Momo is right, then maybe this is the best time to ask…'
With a plan in mind, I decide to act on it before I lose my nerve.
"It's been a while since we got here, and we're basically done with the Pavilion." I clap my hands together to draw everyone's attention. "Why don't we head somewhere for lunch?"
"I could eat." Deku says immediately, looking a little relieved that I'd been the one to suggest it.
"I wonder if the food is as innovative as the inventions." Momo muses, finger to her chin. "Or is that asking too much?"
"Hehe… well, I won't spoil it." I smile, pressing a finger to my lips. "But I don't think you'll be disappointed."
"Sure! We're hungry too." Himiko's voice chirps from behind us, and I turn to see Kata's group rejoining the rest of us. Eri is back on his shoulder, swaying contentedly with every step he takes.
"Looking forward to it." Kata adds with a small nod toward me, and I nod back, perhaps a little too firmly.
"Then please, follow me." I say, leading them out through the Pavilion's main doors, and the bright midday sun hits us all at once. After hours under the soft, controlled lighting of the exhibition hall, the open sky feels almost too vivid.
"Whoa…" Uraraka stretches her arms above her head, blinking at the sudden brightness. "I forgot it was still daytime."
"That happens a lot here." I laugh. "The Pavilion's designed to feel like its own world."
A short walk along a curving path takes us to a small pedestrian bridge spanning a clear, narrow moat. Below, sunlight catches the water in pale ribbons, and tiny silver fish drift lazily within it.
"Oh!" Eri leans forward on Kata's shoulder. "Fish, Kata, look! Fish!"
"I see them." He answers, steadying her with one hand. "Don't lean too far."
She pulls back, satisfied, and I can't help smiling at the exchange.
'He worries about her so much.' I think. 'Maybe he's not as scary as he seems.'
On the other side of the bridge, the food court opens up before us, and it's one of my favorite places on the island.
A wide patterned-tile plaza spreads out beneath dozens of teal-and-white parasol umbrellas, each one shading a circular table of the same color. They're arranged in loose, generous rows, leaving plenty of space between them so the breeze can move through. At the far end, the main restaurant building rises in a sweeping curved dome, and the smells hit us as soon as we arrive.
Grilled meat, butter, the warm dough of fresh bread… every layer carried together on the breeze.
"This place is huge…" Deku breathes. "There's so much effort put into everything on I-Island."
"And there are so many options! I don't even know where to start." Uraraka adds, already scanning the menu board mounted near the entrance.
"They source ingredients and recipes from all over the world." I explain, a little proud despite myself. "Some of the chefs are quirk-users too, so a few of the dishes are… well, you'll see."
"Do you think it'll taste better than your cooking?" Himiko asks Kata curiously.
"My cooking's decent, but I probably don't measure up to a professional." Kata replies, nonchalant.
"I think your food will still taste better." Momo cuts in immediately.
"I wish I could've tried it." Uraraka sighs. "Everyone who's eaten it talks about it like it's the best thing they've ever had."
"Maybe we'll get to try it sometime…?" Deku asks, glancing at Kata hopefully.
"Who knows?" Kata shrugs, much to their collective disappointment.
'He can cook too?' I ponder. 'And well enough that everyone wants to try it…?'
That's something else I didn't expect.
We place our orders at the counter, with Uraraka taking longer than the rest of us combined, agonizing over the price tags until Deku nervously offers to split something with her, which makes her go a particular shade of pink. Then we head outside to find seating.
It's then that the biggest issue makes itself known.
"Each table only has four seats." Himiko notes lightly, hands clasped behind her back. "So… who sits with who?"
There's a tilt to her smile that I don't quite understand. But the air shifts subtly, and Uraraka acts immediately.
"Deku and I will sit here!" She blurts, dragging him with her. "Melissa, you should sit with us, right? Since you and Deku already know each other."
It does make the most sense. And under any other circumstance I would say yes immediately. But—
"Actually." I press my hands together in front of me, summoning the small bit of courage I'd been saving. "If you don't mind, I'd like to sit with Kata. There's something I've been wanting to ask him." I turn toward him, smiling as gently as I can manage. "Would that be okay?"
He tilts his head slightly.
"Why would I mind?" He says simply, and walks past me to take the other table. Eri hops down onto the chair beside him, swinging her legs and humming happily to herself, while I let out a slow, quiet breath.
'…He's a little cold, but he's not nearly as scary as he looks. I did it.'
A small thrill of victory hums in my chest. Step one complete.
"Hmmm…" Himiko taps a finger against her chin, eyes narrowing playfully as she looks between the two tables. "That's an interesting development." Her grin widens. "Well! I'll sit with Deku and Uraraka, then. Gotta give Momo some time."
"What does that mean?" I blink in confusion, only to turn to Momo and find her cheeks a faint, telling pink.
"I-it's nothing." She says quickly, and slides into the seat right next to Kata. Which leaves the chair across from him, and between Eri and Momo, to me.
'…Oh.' I sit down, not trusting my face to hide my sudden realisation. 'Oh no. I'm being a third wheel… or fourth? Whatever number this is. Won't this ruin my chances?!'
I make a small mental note to revisit that observation later, when I am not sitting across from the person it concerns.
Our orders are already placed, so there's nothing left to do but wait. And now that the moment has actually arrived, I find I have no idea where to begin. My eyes drop to the table, hands twisting together in my lap.
'…Okay. I've made it this far. Just say it. Just—'
"There's no need to be so nervous."
I jolt. Looking up, his helmet is already off, ruby red eyes locked on me, and a calm, even expression that's neither friendly, nor hostile.
'Although, on closer assessment, he is quite handsome.' I analyse objectively, without letting looks cloud my judgement.
It's not the intimidating mask anymore. It's just a face. That alone makes him feel a little more approachable.
"Whatever you want to ask, just ask." He says calmly. "I don't bite."
"Huh?" Eri looks up in confusion. "But you do bite, Kata."
'…What?'
"You and Himiko bite each other all the time." Eri nods to herself, sagely, with unshakable certainty. "You've bitten me too. I remember."
My mind goes blank, processing this new information.
'…He bites?' Is the first thing I think of. Then… 'He bites children?!'
"Eri." Kata closes his eyes for a long moment. "Please stop telling people that."
"But why?" She tilts her head, genuinely puzzled. "That's how you show someone you love them."
From the next table over, Himiko bursts into delighted laughter, not even pretending to hide it.
"Eri, that's supposed to be a secret." She manages between laughs.
"Oh." Eri's eyes go wide. Then, after a small pause, she leans toward me earnestly. "It's not bad biting. It doesn't hurt. Like this—" She takes a tiny, soft nibble at her own hand, then shows me her hand, without even bite marks to prove her point.
'Okay. Okay, that's… that's better. I think?' The vivid disaster image I'd been constructing in my head slowly comes apart.
Across the table, Momo, after a moment, turns to Kata, brow lightly furrowed.
"Is that so?" She asks thoughtfully. Then, with the genuine seriousness, she continues. "Why haven't you bitten me, Kata? Or… should I bite you first?"
For the first time since I met him, Kata's composure breaks.
It's a small, barely visible twitching at the corner of his mouth as he wearily closes his eyes.
It's not much, but it's unmistakably genuine emotion. Exasperation, helplessness, and the quiet despair of someone losing what they thought would be a peaceful afternoon.
Himiko's laughter, from the next table, grows even louder, and somehow, in spite of everything, and the secret I am now apparently complicit in keeping, I find I'm laughing too as I realise…
'There's nothing to be scared of.'
************
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
Well, most of the prep stuff is done. Next chapter is Melissa's question (what are the odds she'll ask him out, I wonder?) and a bit of All Might, before, plus the other classmates before the real action starts.
And as for this chapter... It feels weird. The reason being, it's Melissa's perspective. She doesn't know Kata beyond him being intimidating, so this was slowly showing her she needn't be scared... Yet (that is definitely not foreshadowing).
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁