MosesArk Reborn2000
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Chapter 9: Happy Candle
🕑 Added 2023-11-23 16:14:34 +0000 UTCAlright, the second book of the Existence series is done, which meant that I was able to start writing this much sooner than normal, but alas, it's the last update for the year and before anything, I want to wish you all a HAPPY holidays and ask that you don't cancel your support for me during that period, I kinda need the cash to keep this up as bills need paying, and this is still a hobby that I'm trying to turn into something more. Still, as it's the last chapter, I managed to write it the way I did as it seems like a good place to end this for the moment after that somewhat dour start.
Chapter 9: Happy Candle
“Hi, guys!” The two boys stopped their conversation to see their friend approaching, waving at them as she wore a thick winter coat along with jeans.
"Yo, Nejire, do you have something fun planned for today? You sounded excited on the phone." Togata asked her, as she had asked them to meet her at the train station. As it was the middle of December, it was bitterly cold which meant that they, along with everyone there wrapped up tight with Togata wearing his favorite red scarf while Tamaki kept his lower face hidden in his green one which he wrapped around his face so much that it muffled his words.
“She always sounds excited.” He heard the man state through said scarf as Nejire closed the gap between them.
"Because there is always something to be excited about!" She stated, her hands on her hips as if that was a fact of life which Togata couldn't help but agree with.
"She's right, you know." He wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders, pointing towards the sky which might have been cloudy, but the sun's rays still peaked out, giving each cloud its silver lining. "There is always something in life to make you smile."
"Well, I might have fudged the truth a little," Nejire stated, rubbing the back of her head as she had told them that she wanted them to hit up this amusement park in another amusement park and that it'll have a ton of food for them to try but she had left out some details. "I totally have something big planned, but I also need your help to make it even better."
“I won’t help you shopping.” Tamaki was quick to shut them down, he wouldn’t let her rope him into this…for the 4th time. When she pouted at that, he did his best to remain strong, as Fatgum had been telling him he needed to but he felt his resolve start to crumble like wet tissue paper as he didn't like seeing Nejire sad, she was better when she was happy.
Lucky for him, she wasn't looking to see him agree to another trip to the mall but she did keep up the pout, but it took a little edge of victory to it. "Oh, that's bad news for you because I found someone else who likes trying on cute clothes." She had enjoyed her day out with Izuku and Yuyu a week prior, they had got to get him new clothes, have a great lunch and even catch the new Hawks movie, shame they didn't get the real one but his CGI wings were believable!
By the time they had got back to Ryukyu's agency, they had managed to spend 150K, lower than the last time but they had a tone of fun, which he needed as he had to meet with his mother afterwards. She wasn't allowed in the room, Ryukyu thinking it was best to give them some alone time, but they left without a fight so she didn't mind. It was funny seeing his face flash red while steam blew out of his ears when she and Yuyu offered to share their numbers once he got his new phone.
“I thought Yuyu didn't do 'cute'," Tamaki noted, having known the other girl longer than Hado did, as she had been with him and Togata back in junior high. As long as he knew the girl, she didn't so much hate cute things, as she preferred other styles. But then again, she was crushing so hard on Nejire that he could see her making another exception to that.
“Not her, someone new!” Both blinked at that, surprised that she had made a new friend without them knowing, especially outside of school as they were pretty sure that they would have heard if she was approached by another classmate.
“Oh, a mystery,” Togata bent over slightly, giddy for news. “Lay it on me.”
"Well, there was this case that Ryukyu and I did the other day, we had to track down these villains but then someone else beat us to it, this kid with a crazy fire quirk. We found him and he was super depressed and anxious, kinda like Tamaki but even more like a turtle in his shell." Nejire explained but paused when she realized that trying to tell them the whole story would take way too long and decided to cut things to the important stuff, she'll fill them in on the rest later.
"Well, anyway, he wants to be a hero and I said he should try for U.A. so we can be his sempai when he gets accepted but he missed a ton of school so he needs to help to catch up with stuff so he can be allowed to take the entrance exam, does that make sense?" She asked them, with the two sharing a look that seemed weird.
"How far behind is he?" Tamaki asked. U.A. was one of the top schools in the country, and the best hero school in Japan with only Shiketsu being a serious contender for that title. Because of that, they had some of the highest entry standards for every course. If you had anything less than a high 3, you could forget making it through the written portion of the exam.
"Maybe…months, I think. He kinda left school in May, so yeah." Nejire had the sense to at least look embarrassed by that as that was a big ask. Missing just a couple of weeks could be bad, but months? How the hell were they supposed to fix that?
Togata seemed to share that sentiment as he frowned slightly. "That is a tall order, Nejire. That gives him just a couple of months to get enough credits to qualify to write his finals." He wondered why she didn't just help them to make up for it and try next year but Hado didn't seem to be deterred.
“Which is why I’m asking for help, I already have Yuyu for help and with the two of you, he’ll make it for sure.” She told them, her energy proving infectious with the two as came hell or high water, when Nejire said she’ll do something, she’ll get it done.
"Hmmm…" It was because of that which made it easy for both to see what Togata would pick as he made a show of 'deciding'. His smile only confirmed that. "Well, what kind of hero would turn that down? Are you in, Tamaki?" It wasn't that hard when Tamaki considered it as Nejire was the best in their class when it came to English and Modern Literature, Togata was the best coach anyone could ask for when it came to P.E. and Tamaki himself knew a thing or two about chemistry and biology. Throw in Yuyu being the Math and History whiz that she was and who knows, maybe they’ll help this kid make it early.
"Yeah…" He raised his hand to cheer, but only got it halfway before stopping which didn't seem like enough for Hado who bounced over to him.
"Come on, Tamaki show us the heart of a lion, not a kitty cat!" Togata laughed at the scene as others in the station made them no mind, having their own lives to worry about as Hado recalled that she hadn't come alone.
“Oh, speaking of showing stuff,” She turned to the passage she had appeared from. “Come on, Yuyu! I want them to see our new friend.”
“Here he,” Yuyu replied, pulling something going by the strain in her voice before she managed to make their guest reveal himself to them. “Is!” While Yuyu was in winter clothing much like the rest, her being the more fashionable than what they had, the boy she pulled along was in anything but.
What they saw was a boy with forest green hair, lighter towards the tips much like the overhead leaves of the trees with the roots being as dark as the shadows that lived beneath the canopy. His eyes were a different story, bright emeralds that at the moment looked eager to not be there, much like how Tamaki looked in most social interactions. Back to his clothes, he was wearing a white summer yukata, one which had a large green snake pattern sown into it from top to bottom with a thick dark green sash acting as a belt. His hands were hidden in the large sleeves but his feet were visible thanks to the fact he wore a simple pair of green sandals.
As if to add to the odd sight, in this cold weather he had a snake wrapped around his shoulders like a scarf, the cold-blooded reptile watching the two of them with eyes that made them both suspect there was more to it than it just being a normal pet.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Midoriya asked for the 12th time, worried sick that he'd somehow embarrassed them as Haya sighed, as she had dealt with his anxiety before and probably would for a while but they had already told him would be cool.
Deciding that she could help him best by throwing him off the deep end, she pushed him towards the two. "Of course, I am, come on, they won't bite!"
“You won’t ever let me forget that happened, will you?” Togata asked her.
“He bit someone?!” Midoriya freaked as Togata just laughed it off while others looked at him like he should be in a facility if that comment was anything to go by.
“I didn’t bite them; I bit the chocolate they fired at me.” He explained, calming Midoriya down somewhat as he tried to get his beating heart in check.
“Her arm turned into chocolate.” Haya wasn’t making that easy by adding to the mental image, even if his fear was replaced with confusion as he tried to picture that.
“It was a chocolate arm that fired off chocolate blasts. It was the tastiest attack I’ve ever encountered.” Togata returned, as he hadn’t even meant to offend her. He was training and she happened to see him use his quirk, which made her freak out calling him a pervert and attacking him…not his finest hour but it was definitely something he could look back on and laugh.
Deciding to wonder if she was a baker later, he lifted his hand towards Midoriya. “Togata Mirio at your service, I have to say it’s real bold to dress for the summer in winter.” Midoriya blushed a little as he reached to shake his hand, stuttering as he tried to introduce himself while Hado leaned closer to Mirio.
“He’s like a mini-Tamaki!” She whispered as loudly as possible, Midoriya was stuck in his little world and unable to hear her as he tried to speak about how unusually strong Mirio was but not really and if he was also a U.A. student.
“I can hear you.” Amajiki on the other hand, was very much aware of the conversation as he frowned at her.
“Will you deny it?” He opened his mouth to do just that, paused and then looked away as he knew a lost battle when he saw one. So instead, he approached Midoriya, getting his attention.
“Amajiki Tamaki.” He muttered, his voice not all that audible in his scarf as Koharu looked at him, wondering why this human acted like her human.
“Midoriya Izuku,” Midoriya was just as low-key as he introduced himself, gesturing to the serpent wrapped around his shoulders. “And this Koharu.” She bounced her head in a nod to this.
Now, with that said and done, Amajiki looked towards his friend. “Nejire, what did you have planned? I doubt you wanted us to meet them in a train station of all places.” She nodded at that, happy that she could explain things in full.
“Right, we’re going to have as much wintery fun as we can, after that I want us to all help little Izuku,” She pulled him into a hug with a yelp. "Study so that he can make it into U.A.!"
“Wouldn’t it be better to study now?” He asked, drawing their attention as he looked towards the floor, avoiding their gazes. “I mean, I’m really behind and need all the time I can get…” He had already had this conversation with his mother and Ryukyu, with the pro offering to vouch for him but only if he managed to get his grades to par. He didn't want to disappoint her by slacking off when he had such precious little time.
“Nope! All work and no play makes Nejire a dull girl!” Hado retorted, making it clear she would take no challenge to that. “So we’re going to this amusement park I heard about. It’ll be a fun time for everyone!”
“We’re gonna need the train to get there?” Togata asked, understanding what she was going for as Sir always said that a healthy mind and body needed rest and leisure. Even Sir enjoyed relaxing with a good book or playing Minecraft.
“Yup, it’s in the next prefecture, Aichi so it shouldn’t be a long trip.” Doing the math in his head, he figured that would be a little over an hour's trip by train. It wasn't too long and since it was still 10 am, they would get there before midday, giving them nearly the whole day to enjoy it.
“Well then, let’s go, the sooner we get there, the faster we can enjoy it!” Hado cheered along with him as they walked as a duo to get their tickets, leaving the three of them to play catch-up.
Line Break
In hindsight, he should have seen this coming, what was that you ask?
The fact he was seated next to Amajiki, someone just as introverted as him.
It made sense when he thought about it. the train sat 2 by 2 and it wasn't like there were a lot of options for them to sit in a close-knit group. So Hado sat with Haya, which he expected as they seemed close and he had fully expected that Amajiki would sit with the human ball of sunshine, Togata. He wouldn't have minded the group sitting with those they knew; it wasn't like he would have been alone as Koharu and he could have talked about a bunch of stuff.
But he was alone in that assessment since Hado handed him and Amajiki their tickets, told them to 'bond like the kittens they were' and bounced with Togata saying he'll just have a conversation with whoever he found himself seated with. Neither had spoken against this, and he was starting to suspect it was because they both couldn't say no to her and just silently accepted this as they got onto the train, found their seats and for the last 30 minutes, didn't say a word between them. they didn't use their phones; they didn't even look out the window at the passing snow-covered countryside.
Awkward would be an understatement as it was like a cloud of nervous depression hanging over the two of them, so much so that others actively avoided them while Koharu told him he was on his own while she took a nap. However, the time came when one of them had to break through this and say something, and it seemed that it wouldn't be him.
Tamaki gathered his confidence, as even he found this silence to be awkward. “So…How did you meet Hado?” He went with the most basic question he could about this.
“It’s a little…complicated.” Midoriya didn’t quite know how to answer that as he rubbed the back of his head, to which Tamaki cracked a smile, though he couldn’t see it with his scarf firmly in place.
“Most things are with her…” She was energy-given form, it being a miracle at times when she could sit still in class without fidgeting. She was his opposite, she and Mirio but he couldn’t imagine life without them. “But she’s one my closest friends.” She was one of the kindest people he knew, ready to help just about anyone, even if she could drown you out with her constant questions and habit of moving on before you could even answer said question.
He cared for her, and while she seemed to like this kid, he wouldn’t let her hurt her if he could help it.
Midoriya remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out a way to tell him. He had been told that he could speak about his situation if he so chose, but he didn’t like the idea of just…telling people, it felt wrong to him, like he was unloading his issues onto others who could have their stuff to deal with. But he also didn't want to lie, this guy was a friend of Hado's, and she trusted him enough to put them together like it was natural, if he tried to lie to him…would that mean he didn't trust her? Probably.
So he went with the middle path. “She helped me in a bad situation, even when we first met…she had an this energy to her,” He brought his legs up to his chest on his seat, recalling that first day. How when he feared she would arrest them, she smiled and asked to visit the shrine, asked about him, about the place. “She’s warm…like a campfire.” There was no other way he could describe her. He didn't get cold easily, but he could feel just how comforting she was, how welcoming in her honest bubbly self. Ryukyu was similar, but she was wiser, patient kind and understanding. She was a dragon's fire if you added in a blanket sown by your sweet old grandmother.
He didn’t even notice that he was continuing to speak unprompted. “She said I could be a hero with her at U.A…and that she’ll help. I’ve always wanted to help people, and she helped me which makes her all the cooler to me.” All Might used to be his idol, and in some regards he was. But he had been replaced as it was no Ryukyu that was his north star, while Hado was the rising sun. It might have only been a week since he woke up in her agency, but it felt longer as he might have gone back home with his mother after that first night, but he was a regular at the agency now.
"So I'm training…at least I'm supposed to so that I can make her and Ryukyu proud…make them smile." Tamaki watched this entire thing, surprised and yet not by how the kid spoke about her. He had seen people hero worship, rush for autographs and the like from pros, even someone as relatively low ranked as Fat-gum dealt with it.
But Izuku was different, what he displayed was closer to what he saw people would show when they were talking about All Might. He didn't just view them as great heroes, he saw Hado and Ryukyu as his idols, as symbols of something greater. He didn't know what they did, but he knew the boy was leaving out some details and could only assume they helped him out when he was in a really tough spot. Which would just fit Nejire, wouldn't it? However, there was some impatience close to the end there, and he could only guess why.
“You think we’re wasting time.” Midoriya's turned to face him quirk as a bullet, his face losing some color as he worried that he had insulted him or some way, but Tamaki kept himself composed for he wasn't angry with him. it was disappointing, but the kid wasn't even a hero student yet so assuming he'd get it would have been a stretch, to say the least.
Leaning into his chair, he decided to explain it to him. “It’s normal for people to assume that. To those who haven’t gone through proper training, put in the real work, it can be hard to understand the habits of those who have.” He compared it to how an audience member would view a performance by a group of dancers, never comprehending the hard work that went into every movement, how much they practiced and worked to get it down and instead chalked it up to 'well, they're talented so of course they’re that good.’
“Training isn’t just about working out, improving your quirk and fighting. There is also proper rest and diet to consider, there is consistency to it. do one thing too much and you at best decrease your gains, at worst you make yourself sick.” He recalled when Mirio was first starting in that front. He would come to school exhausted from overtraining, fatigued from not eating a proper diet, or when he just collapsed once since he thought it was a good idea to double his training.
“Hado knows this well. Which is why she values stuff like this, the quiet moments between training because she trains harder than most would think possible for her.” Midoriya nodded, even if he didn’t quite get it, he figured that if he sat on it for a while, he eventually will.
Line Break
It was loud, with cheers, screams and laughter mixing in with the sounds of dozens of machines and generators running to maintain the rides. It was an old experience for Midoriya as he hadn't been to an amusement park in years, as they were best enjoyed in groups which he didn't belong to. But for Koharu, it was entirely new as the snake looked about with eager curiosity, her eyes widening whenever she caught sight of meats, whether they be fried, baked, grilled or some unholy combination of the three.
The group had just entered the park, their tickets in hand as they took in the sight of the place, Hado and Togata seemed to be most excited to be there, even though Togata was the oldest one there. “So, what should we do first? There’s a lot of options here.” Togata asked as the group looked at the many rides and attractions they had been set up, with Hado’s landing on one she wanted to try first.
“Oh, let's try the Tea Cups!" She pointed towards them, the ride in question even having a smaller-than-average line for it while those riding them seemed to be having fun. But that wasn't shared as Amajiki and Haya looked like they were sick.
Regardless, when put up to vote, Hado, Togata and a confused Midoriya wanted to try the Tea Cups, beating out the two naysayers. Waiting in line was easy enough, and since they paid for a gold ticket, they didn't need to pay to ride anything inside the park. Once inside the tea-up to 3 others, Midoriya saw that it wasn't automated as the centre wheel implied they would need to spin it. "Who's going to spin it?" The group looked among themselves, but Haya was quick to speak.
"Not-!" Unfortunately, not quickly enough as Hado and Togata grabbed the wheel the biggest smiles on their faces.
“We’ll do it!” They said in unison.
“Oh no…” Amajiki just held onto the seat, accepting his fate.
"What's the iss-ue!" Midoriya realized what that issue was as while the Tea Cups were designed to allow even a person with below-average strength to spin them at a reasonable speed, that was a double-edged sword as it meant those with exceptional speed to turn the ride into a hell trap. While the rest screamed in terror and held onto the seat, each other, or whatever food they had in their guts, Hado and Togata were having the time of their lives, spinning them around like they were liquid in a blender. Koharu hissed as she tightened her hold around his neck while he did the same, reaching up to her with one hand, the other holding onto Haya as they both screamed.
Hado and Togata didn't seem to hear them over their cheers as they egged the other on to increase the speed, to go faster which they could do, much to the horror of the rest as Togata was built like a brick house, even at the age of 17 while Hado might not have been as strong as him, but she had far more stamina than any of them and could turn the wheel for what they feared would be hours. Mercifully, their experience of spinning hell lasted only a few minutes as the attendant manning the ride announced it was time for them to either get off or wait for the next cycle.
Stumbling out of it, Midoriya still felt like his world was spinning as Koharu swayed on his shoulder, dizzy from that ride as he had to hold onto an equally unstable Haya just to remain standing. Amajiki had no suck luck as the guy near crawled off the ride, muttering thanks that he was still alive. Seeing their friends so…unadjusted after their ride was enough for the two culprits to realize that they might have gone a bit overboard, that of the other 3 glaring at them as they stumbled off and away, putting as much distance between them as Togata laughed to try and lower the tension.
“Maybe we got a little too into it.” Togata laughed as Haya glared at him, trying to get her legs to stop feeling like jelly.
“You…think?” He asked him.
“Sorry about that, it won’t happen again.” Hado pocked Amajiki as he got up to his feet, swaying in the wind.
“I feel like my stomach swapped places with a liver.”
Togata nodded. "Noted, alright, how about we let the newbie choose the next right then?" He turned their attention to Midoriya, who took a second to realize that.
“M-me…?” He pointed to himself, finally getting some sort of balance back.
"Yup, go on, whichever you like, we'll do." Togata crossed his arms with a bright smile. Midoriya nodded, though he wasn't sure he was the best option for that. Still, if it meant that could avoid the Tea Cup nightmare, he'd happily accept it.
Looking at the other rides, he tried to find something more of his speed. The only issue was that aside from wanting to avoid anything too crazy at the moment, he could barely remember how good most of these rides were, having last been to an amusement park when he was 5, but while it was a distant memory, there was one ride that he could remember well as he pointed it out. "How about something….slower?" He suggested, his finger pointing towards the merry-go-round which had more kids than teens around it.
“Please.” Haya and Tamaki immediately voted for it. Screw that it was kids, it would be better than the alternative.
Line Break
Midoriya's choice proved to be popular, even if it was slower, it was a fun experience for them to ride and a funny image when Togata was by far, the largest person there as the attendant rubbed his eyes twice to ensure he wasn't seeing things. It was certainly funny to the kids who seemed to take an instant liking to him and beg him to 'race' him around the merry-go-round while they just watched, content to not be the centre of attention.
After they had time to collect themselves after the calm merry-go-round, Haya decided it was time to get some payback on her friends as with her turn to choose, she pointed towards the roller coaster.
"You have to be joking," Amajiki told her as she led them to the line.
“Nope, all serious. This time, I want to be screaming because I’m having fun, not just from terror.” Haya replied as Hado was just happy to see them all enjoying themselves. Much like the train ride over, he was paired with Amajiki again, the two in the middle of the 6-person car with Togata being in the last row of their car with someone else and Hado and Haya being in the front. They spent most of the ride terrified as they screamed and hugged one another, but it was like Haya said, partly fun screams from the group which was why when they got their pictures and saw that it didn’t paint the two in the best light, with Amajiki and Izuku holding one another like they were Scooby and Shaggy, that they decided to go again and get better ones to remember, even if they still looked like death warmed them over.
After a second trip on the roller coaster which earned the name the 'Scream extractor', they had secured better pictures, made all the funnier as Haya and Hado had managed to time it to have no expressions whatsoever, appearing as unamused as rocks while Togata posed with his mouth open like a chimp as he pointed towards the back car. Speaking of Togata, it was decided that he'd have the next pick and he chose the bumper cars. As they were uneven, they decided it would be best for each to have their own and to compete against each other as they would everyone else. Koharu decided she didn’t want to deal with that and slithered into his Yukata to try and rest, out of sight.
When he got into his car, he could admit that he struggled a little, having never ridden one which was not helped by the fact everyone could smell blood in the water and kept on targeting it, but he eventually managed to find his grove and get some revenge against them, having fun as he knocked into other cars and yelling in joy, his anxiety forgotten in the moment as even Amajiki seemed to have a competitive streak in him as they had a silent alliance to go after their extrovert friends. By the end of it, Togata left, proclaiming himself the king of the bumper cars while Haya argued with him over technicalities of what counted as a full hit, assists and accidents.
Amajiki, with a little bit more energy, pointed out his choice which happened to be the graviton. Strapped into the ride, they were in for it as the ride was like the tea cups but as steroids as the force of the rotation kept them firmly to the sides of the ride, something that Koharu didn't need to deal with as he handed her off to the terrified attendant with the assurance that she won't bite. Inside the ride, Midoriya was starting to wonder if he should have sat it out as well as the bright flashing lights and loud noises only added to the confusion on his 5 senses. Of the group, Amajiki and Hado seemed to be fine, having the most fun through the chaos while Togata was in the middle, a little green but still smiling. Midoriya and Haya, by contrast, were as green as grass and grateful they didn't eat anything beforehand else they would have made someone's day at the fair pretty…vomit-covered.
Getting off of that, it was Hado’s turn again and she chose the Zipper. Being strapped into a metal cage and spun around while moving wasn't the best experience as he did fall when he came out of his, his balance telling him his legs were his sides and his arms were knees. At least he wasn't the only one as it is now even Togata looked washed when he came through, having to lean on the railings just to stay up while Hado happily crawled away, her face bright despite the fact she was screwed as he was. When his time came again, he chose the pirate, then they went onto the octopus with Togata laughing his head off when they did the drop tower and Amajiki getting his payback with the Tornado.
He might have spent most of his time screaming, or feeling like he'd throw up what he had for dinner last week, but he couldn't deny that he was having more fun than he had managed in years, with people who didn't see him as the Pryo kid, as the problem child but as…him.
Line Break
As they walked around, looking for a place to get lunch, Midoriya's eyes spotted the Ferris wheel in the distance. It wasn't the biggest, it wasn't even the cleanest as even from a distance, he could tell that it had seen better days. Still, he also remembered that ride fondly, as he remembered riding it with his mother, Kacchan and auntie when they were little. They had felt so big when they reached the top, being able to see so much and dream about how as heroes, they'll see that sight all the time, standing on top of buildings.
That memory and the pleasant feeling it gave him drew him to tug on Hado's sleeve, getting her attention as he pointed towards it. She looked where he was directing before turning to him. "You want to ride the Ferris wheel?" He nodded his head, his attention focused on the ride as Hado thought about it for a moment, it was his turn to pick but they also were looking for food…
“Well, it’s one the calmest rides here, so we don’t need to worry about getting sick riding it.” She shrugged her shoulders, throwing her support behind him as they could wait another 30 minutes, it wasn’t like food was in short supply.
“I say we go for it!” Togata agreed with her as the group changed course and approached the line in question, with Midoriya far more eager to ride it than any other ride as he nearly vibrated, heat flowing off him like a radiator. The group found this cute to see him so enthusiastic about it, as this was part of the reason they came, to have fun. While they went through the line, they heard that each car held 4 people, no exception even if you were smaller than average. That meant that again, one of them would need to ride in another group and right as Togata was going to volunteer again, Midoriya saw a group slightly ahead of them, just 3 of them.
“Sorry, little lady but the rules are clear. It’s just 4.” The worker told them, the largest of the trio, which wasn’t that big to begin with tried to speak up.
"But there are 3 of us," Midoriya noted that she sounded young, around his age with dark green hair pocking out of the beanie she wore. She held onto the hand of who he assumed was her younger brother, with her sister held in her other hand having hair that matched who he assumed was their older sister in color and tone. But what was strange was that all 3 were wearing far more clothing than the cold would call for. Even when he compared it to everyone else, he would say they were all wearing at least 2 extra layers. Were they the opposite of him?
The attendee sighed, scratching the back of their head. "That's also an issue. We need each one full. Fair policies, so you need to find someone willing to join you guys before I let you on." The little girl looked saddened by this, especially since most people there were already in groups, the chance of finding someone willing to break from their own would be a challenge.
“Hey, Midoriya, you good?” Midoriya barely heard Amajiki calling him as his body moved on its own, approaching the trio.
“If they’ll have me,” They turned to face him, with Midoriya being a bit embarrassed with how forward he was but he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, it just wasn’t in his DNA. “I can be the 4thperson.”
“You mean that?” The girl fully turned to him, and if he had to describe her in a single word, 'cute' would be the best his brain could manage in its current frozen state as he took in her features. Absentmindedly, he nodded his head and she nodded in return, a faint smile on her face appearing which made his already warm body burn hotter. “Thanks. If I had known we needed a 4th person, we would have been prepared.”
“It-it’s not an issue…happy to help…” That was all he could manage as he had the instinctive feeling that Koharu was laughing at him, even as she took refuge in his clothes and didn't see the interaction, she probably heard it and felt his body's reaction to it.
With that matter settled, the man stepped aside and opened the door for the carriage, waving them inside. “Okay then, since you met the requirements, please step inside, make sure to strap yourselves in and mind the door.” They did just that as they instructed, with Hado and the rest of them waving at him as they got inside and fastened their seatbelts. As the Ferris wheel moved to allow other carriages to accept passengers, Midoriya realized he was in with 3 people he did not know who had the best poker faces he had ever seen.
So, he tried to correct that. “I…I’m Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you.” Feeling Koharu move, she made herself know by pocking her head out the top, which got some reaction from the two kids but it was less fear and more curiosity. “And this is my friend, Koharu.” He introduced them as the unknown girl nodded.
“Asui Tsuyu, these are my younger siblings, my brother Samidare and the youngest, Satsuki." She introduced them, nodding her head to them when their name was stated. However, his mind wasn't fully there as it was taking in her features he thought she was cute before, but he could very much see that was an understatement. She might of a blank face with wide eyes and lightly flushed cheeks, but he couldn’t help but look, seeing how those same wide eyes were not creepy, but endearing, as if she was bearing her heart to him with just a glance, presenting not a bit of malice to her.
He was lucky that Koharu was there to laugh in his head, or else he would have made a bigger fool of himself the he already had as he tried to collect himself. "P-pleasure to meet you three.” If they thought his response was weird, they didn’t say it as the boy instead turned his attention to the snake wrapped around his shoulders.
“Why do you have a snake?” Samidare asked, with Midoriya reaching to pat Koharu’s head, the serpent leaning into his touch.
"Well, like I said, she's, my friend. A close friend at that." He smiled, thinking back to his days in the temple, and how even when he thought he was alone, she was never far.
“Okay, but aren’t snakes bad?” The younger boy asked, no doubt having been told to avoid snakes by his parents.
Midoriya nodded, not arguing that as he could have just as easily been bitten by a venomous snake instead of meeting Koharu. “Most are, but she’s one of the best out there, and she won’t let you forget that.” He muttered that last part, as the snake was a diva when she wanted to be as she gave him a stick eye for that comment. “She’s as calm as rain unless you anger her but she has patience.”
With that finished, the group fell into silence again, with Midoriya wondering how the hell he was supposed to continue the conversation, or if he should as he could barely tell what these three were thinking. Sure, the youngest didn't take her eyes off him but that could mean a lot of things, she was a little girl after all. “So um…how are you liking the fair? Having fun?” He could feel Koharu calling him smooth in the most sarcastic way possible.
"(Gero) It's not as bad as I thought it'd be." Tsuyu could see that the guy was struggling, it was kind of hard not to but he was trying, so she decided to throw him a lifeline. It beat riding in silence with a stranger.
“Oh? Why is that? Is it the weird food?” She shook her head, she did find most of the food being sold to be repugnant, but she had been well aware of that before she arrived and some stalls sold more sensible things.
“No, we just would have preferred coming in the summer but the carnival moves around. If we waited till spring, they would be 4 prefectures away in Niigata.” Just to leave the house, she had to make sure her siblings were properly wrapped up and assure her folks that she'd make sure to keep a good eye on them the entire time. But with the new school semester coming in spring, she wouldn't have the time to take them out, not if she wanted to keep up with her studies.
“Strange schedule, wouldn’t it make sense to set up shop next in Shizuoka or Nagano?” Midoriya asked her.
“They will, but they aren’t staying here for the entire winter, they’ll be packed up and gone in a few days.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” He nodded his head before his eyes went back to her and this time, she noted he wasn't focused on her face with a deer in the headlights look, but more on her body. Just as she was ready to write him off as another pervert and move on, he spoke. “So…you don’t care for the cold, do you?” Oh, that was what he was focused on, her clothes.
“No really, our quirk makes us more sensitive to high temperatures, the cold especially.” She didn’t explain everything but enough, though she found it interesting for him to say that when he was dressed like he was about to hit a summer festival.
Midoriya awkwardly chuckled, trying to play it off as cool and failing. “Well, I’m the opposite then, I’m comfortable even in the middle of winter thanks to my quirk.”
"We could tell from your clothes," Samidare noted, making him blush a little as he realized that would be obvious.
"I thought he didn't have money," Satsuki spoke up for the first time, her bland delivery catching him off guard.
“Satsuki, that’s rude.” Tsuyu scolded her little sister.
“How does that work? Like are you just warm or something?” Samidare asked, as if he didn’t know any better, he would say that the space was warmer than he was expecting, but he couldn’t tell how as it was pretty open to the cold winter air.
"I'm…like a walking volcano, my body temp is higher than even yours if you have a really bad fever, so this weather is just a bit chilly to me," Midoriya replied, as even before he left home after the…incident, he never needed to worry about the heating bill, summer or winter he could just sit there and be fine.
"I want to test that," Satsuki announced, grabbing their attention as Midoriya looked at her, wondering what the hell she meant by that.
“Oh…” Looking at her sister, he wondered if she could explain this to him, but she only nodded. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt anyone, he agreed. “Okay…” Satsuki smiled as she got off her sister’s lap and quickly got into his, snuggling into him like he was her bed as he turned back to Tsuyu who just shrugged her shoulders.
“(Gero) Just go with it. My family are pretty straightforward people.” He blinked at that sound, finding it adorable which only made him warmer, something that the little girl on his lap appreciated greatly.
“He is warm…it’s like when we left the water bed out in the sun…” She giggled as she found that he had been right to say he was warm. And she wasn’t the only one enjoying this a Koharu slithered down to her level, appearing over her head and looking down at her as the girl reached up to pat her like she saw Izuku doing.
“Hello snakey, my name is Satsuki.” She introduced herself, Koharu finding this human pleasant as she leaned into her touch, it was different to her normal human, being smaller and weaker, but also softer and squishy, lacking any muscle. Seeing the snake up close, and feeling how warm and smooth her scales were only made the little girl giggle more. “She’s warm too, and not slimy at all.”
"She takes care of herself," Midoriya stated.
“Uhm…” The three turned their attention to Samidare who looked a little embarrassed. “Could I…hold her?” He gestured towards the snake which his sister was playing with.
Midoriya smiled, happy as this was something he was familiar with. “You would like to ask her yourself, after all, she has to want to be held.”
“Oh, Koharu…?” He asked though it seemed like he was making sure he got the name right and when Midoriya nodded, he continued, his attention on the snake. “Can I hold you?”
She watched him for a moment, thinking it over before turning to Izuku and telling him to stretch his hand as she wasn’t about to touch the cold metal floor. Expecting nothing less than this, he did as she asked of him. “Go ahead.” He encouraged the other boy, who looked a little hesitant about it, as this was still a snake but if she was so calm with his sister, she couldn't be that bad, right? So he followed the instruction and lifted his arm, there was still distance between them but it wasn't an issue for Koharu who worked her way down Izuku's sleeve towards the younger boy before bridging the gap, soon finding herself resting on his lap, the large snake needing the space as she couldn’t have fit on his shoulders.
Seeing the wonder in his eyes as he stroked her, Midoriya smiled. “See, not that hard, is it?”
"I thought snakes were cold-blooded, but she's really warm." He noted, as he even took off his gloves and could feel that she was like a heater or something.
"She hangs off me all the time, so she's warmer than normal. Pretty sure that's why she's also larger than normal." Midoriya answered as he knew that her growth was abnormal for her species, both in length and weight. And with no end in sight, he wondered if she'd grow to the size of an anaconda. What would he feed her then?
They continued to talk about their lives, with Tsuyu revealing she was aiming for U.A. come the spring, which made Izuku all the more determined to make it as it could mean they could be classmates, while he gave a little about himself and how he spent a good chunk of the year working at a shrine. Alas, like all good things, it came to an end when the ride came to a stop, the group realized they were at ground level as the attendant opened the door for them to exit, being shocked when he saw the large green snake on the boy's lap.
Ignoring this and how others freaked at seeing her, Samidare reluctantly returned Koharu to Izuku, but not before she gave him a little lick on the cheek goodbye, making him blush a little as Izuku kept his chuckle to himself when he heard the serpent say he was one of the 'good frogs, they all were'. Stepping to the side to allow others room to get off, he spoke up. "I enjoyed that."
“(Gero) So did we. Hope to see you around?” Tsuyu replied, her face giving a little away but he was pretty sure she was happy, which meant he not only talked to a girl his age, but she was leaving the conversation happy, that was a win!
“Definitely. Good luck getting into U.A.” He nodded, his good mood so high that not even the idea of spontaneously combusting for a second and being left in the nude could ruin his day.
“And good luck to you, come on, let’s go.” Tsuyu made sure her siblings had everything, gloves and all before leading them away.
“Bye Midoriya, bye Ms. Snakey!” Satsuki waved back at them, the girl giving him a big smile which melted his burning heart, with even the serpent around his shoulders finding the sight adorable.
“Bye.” Samidare was far more collected in it, but perhaps it was more bashful? Either way, Midoriya waved them off as he waited for Hado and the rest to get off, he couldn’t wait to tell them about the sibling trio he had met.
Line Break
I'm starting to see a theme, this chapter was over 1,000 words longer than normal, and this is the version which was cut as there was still MORE amusement park stuff I wanted to add, but it would have made this even longer so it all faced the cutting board in finale editing.
Still, I'm happy with it and I hope you are too as that is the last chapter of the year for this, then the next will come out will be announced on my Twitter (I still refuse to call it 'X', that sounds like an edgy 14-year old came up with it). In the meantime, I'll work on other stories, create more content for this, and watch Invincible Season 2 and other shit as I've quite behind on some of my shows.
Happy Holidays.
