ShuraZero
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Chapter 86: Retail Therapy and Distraction Tactics
🕑 Added 2025-07-22 09:09:33 +0000 UTC
The silence in "Hosu Books" was almost reverential, a refuge from the city's hustle and bustle. Momo ran her fingers along the spines of thick volumes in the non-fiction section, completely absorbed. A few aisles away, Ochako was torn. In one hand, she held a book on sustainable architecture; in the other, the latest volume of a popular shojo manga.
Ochako approached her friend with a curious smile.
"Wow, Momo-chan." She pointed to the book Momo was examining, titled Post-Disaster Economic Theory and Heroic Reconstruction. "Some light afternoon reading?"
"It's fascinating," Momo replied, her eyes shining with a genuine passion that Ochako found admirable. "It analyzes how high-impact hero interventions affect local economies. Understanding this is crucial for minimizing the unintended consequences of our actions. And you, Ochako-san, what did you find?"
Ochako showed her both books with a nervous little laugh.
"Well, this one is to help my parents. It has new low-cost construction techniques. And this one..." her face flushed slightly, "well, the main character just found out her love rival is actually an alien prince. It's complicated."
As they headed to the register, the conversation turned more serious. Ochako looked out the window at the people passing by, her cheerful mood fading a bit.
"I hope the guys are okay. Especially Iida-kun."
Momo's expression also grew somber.
"Me too. I was reading about the psychological profile of vigilantes driven by revenge. Logic and emotion are often adversaries, Ochako-san. The most solid strategy can crumble with a single irrational impulse. I can only pray that Tenya's logic prevails over his grief."
They paid for their books and stepped out onto the sunny street, the feeling of normalcy fighting against the silent worry for their friend.
The "Hosu Sky Plaza" mall was an assault on the senses. Bright, loud, and crowded. Toru, wearing the simple summer dress that Yu had insisted she buy first, was a magnet for stares. People stopped to watch her, dazzled. Yu, on the other hand, wore huge sunglasses and a baseball cap, pulling off an "incognito celebrity" aura that, paradoxically, also drew attention.
"Hey, gorgeous!" a guy cut Toru off. "Haven't seen you around here before. Are you new in town?"
Izuku stepped between them with a tense smile.
"Sorry, she's with us. We're in a hurry."
Another one appeared on their other side, blocking their path.
"Whoa, with a face like that, you must be an angel. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"
Izuku's hero brain activated, using his analysis as a weapon.
"Interesting choice of phrase. It's number three on the list of least effective pickup lines according to 'Hero Weekly' magazine. Your posture indicates you favor your right leg, perhaps an old sports injury? Your approach is far too direct, suggesting a ninety-two percent probability of failure based on my friend's micro-expressions of rejection..."
The guy stood there, slack-jawed, blinking. He looked at Izuku, then at Toru, and retreated in complete confusion, muttering something about weird brainiacs. Yu fell into step beside Izuku as they walked, her voice an amused whisper.
"Not bad, prodigy. Using your 'muttering' as an idiot repellent. Creative. I give it a seven out of ten."
They arrived at a high-end boutique called "Éclat." Toru was overwhelmed.
"I don't know, Izuku-kun." She held up two dresses, one floral and one black. "Is this one too... childish? Or is this one too serious?"
Izuku analyzed them as if they were hero costumes.
"The floral one complements your bright, cheerful energy; it's an excellent choice for the daytime. The black one is elegant; it highlights your confidence. It depends on the impression you want to make: 'fun friend' or 'mysterious woman'?"
Toru blushed and went into the fitting room to try on the floral dress. She came out beaming.
"You were right! I love it!"
"My turn!" Yu announced with a mischievous grin.
She emerged from the fitting room in a blood-red dress, skin-tight, with an open back that left little to the imagination. She stood in front of Izuku, posing deliberately.
"So, Midoriya. What do you think? Too 'femme fatale' or just right for a casual dinner?"
Izuku choked on his own saliva, his face turning the color of the dress.
"I-it looks amazing, Yu-san! Very... strategic!"
"Strategic, I like that," she replied, enjoying her victory.
She went back in and came out wearing a crop top and leather pants.
"And this? For an unofficial night patrol?"
Oh my god! Those pants…! The way they fit… it shows the musculature in her legs, the result of years of training to support her gigantification. It's the pinnacle of athletic efficiency and aesthetics! And the top…! It's a perfect tactical distraction! The enemy would focus on her abdomen and she could counter with a right hook! It's brilliant! And very, very attractive!
Yu came out one last time, now in an elegant silver evening gown that clung to her every curve.
"And for infiltrating a high-society gala?" she asked, winking at him.
Izuku couldn't take it anymore. He just nodded, unable to form a single coherent word. Toru and Yu burst out laughing.
A while later, Izuku was walking awkwardly through the mall, completely hidden under a tower of luxury brand shopping bags.
"Izuku-kun, watch out for the fountain!" Toru shouted between laughs.
Izuku staggered, and Yu steadied him with one hand while talking on her phone.
"Kenji, we're at the south entrance. Get the trunk ready."
A sleek black car pulled up in front of them. A man in a suit, Kenji, got out and, with quiet efficiency, began to take the bags from a relieved Izuku.
"All set, Takeyama-sama. Shall I take these directly to your hotel suite?"
"Yes, Kenji. And make sure the silk dress doesn't get wrinkled. Thank you."
The car pulled away, leaving Izuku blinking, amazed at his mentor's standard of living.
The luxury spa, "Serenity," on the top floor of a skyscraper, smelled of lavender and tranquility.
"No, no, please! I surrender!" Izuku pleaded through muffled laughter as an esthetician tried to give him a pedicure.
"Hahaha! He looks like a fish out of water!" Toru teased from the chair next to him.
Later, in adjoining massage rooms separated by privacy screens, a calm finally settled over him. He was face down on a table, the ache in his muscles dissolving under the masseur's expert hands.
"Relax, young man," the man said in a soft voice. "Your back is incredibly tense."
Izuku lazily opened his eyes and glanced to the side. Through the screen, he could see Yu's table. She was face down, covered only by a white towel that stretched from her lower back. Her shoulders and back were exposed. Izuku was mesmerized. It wasn't a lecherous stare, but one of pure admiration. He saw the defined lines of her dorsal muscles, proof that her body was that of an elite athlete, strong and powerful.
It's not just Mt. Lady, the hero from the billboards, he thought. It's Yu. And her back tells a story... It's... incredibly sexy.
He felt guilty and fascinated at the same time.
After the massage, the three of them were in a relaxation room, wrapped in plush robes and sipping herbal tea.
"Okay. I could get used to this," Yu said with her eyes closed and a genuine smile. "I feel like my face muscles have finally un-clenched."
"I've never felt so... light!" Toru exclaimed. "It's like I'm really floating!"
Izuku looked at her with a sincerity that surprised Yu.
"This was... definitely an excellent decision to come with you guys. Thanks for inviting me."
It was five in the afternoon. The evening sun bathed Hosu in a golden light. The three of them walked down a quiet street with no particular destination. The conversation was easy, light. They talked about their favorite foods, about silly TV shows. The tension and forced jokes were gone. They weren't a hero and her interns. They were just Yu, Toru, and Izuku, a group of friends enjoying a peaceful day.
"I can't believe you like pineapple on pizza, Izuku-kun," Toru said, feigning horror.
"It's a perfect balance of sweet and salty! It's culinary science!"
Yu laughed, a genuine and carefree sound. They walked together as night began to fall on Hosu, in a perfect peace, unaware of the storm that was about to break.
