Izuku walked calmly through the streets of Musutafu with Himiko at his side.
A psychopathic killer at home? he thought as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Is there any decision dumber than this one?
He mentally scolded himself for his recklessness.
Bringing a girl home wasn't a small thing. And even less so when the girl in question was a potential psycho who could stab him in his sleep.
Well, putting it that way makes it sound worse than it really is, he admitted internally.
He turned to look at her again.
He found the cute kawaii girl appearance she projected with the oversized clothes kind of funny. The gray hoodie practically reached the middle of her thighs, and the pants looked way too baggy on her slim figure.
His gaze drifted involuntarily down to her chest.
Average breasts, he analyzed mentally. Definitely smaller than Ochako's. And even smaller than Momo's.
Momo's were a full on visual spectacle.
The problem was that his entire life philosophy was built on one fundamental principle: Big breasted girl = Girl with a big heart.
But Himiko didn't have that.
Izuku scratched his chin thoughtfully as he walked, lost in his philosophical reflections.
I'm at a critical point in my theory, he considered seriously. So, are girls with small breasts potential villains?
But something had to stand out in his analysis.
Himiko had wonderful thighs. When she'd fallen onto his face in the alley, the experience had been spectacular: soft, firm, fleshy and perfectly proportioned.
Then maybe that compensates for it, he theorized. Maybe the right equation is: Small breasts + Spectacular thighs = Chaotic but salvageable personality.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice when Himiko realized he was staring at her.
"Ohhh, Izuku-kun!" she exclaimed happily, startling him. "Were you looking at me? That makes me sooo, sooo happy! You look so cute when you make that focused face..."
Izuku didn't look away. Instead, he stared her right in the eyes with a serious expression.
"Meeting you just gave me new ideas about my breast theory," he declared with total sincerity.
Himiko blinked several times, processing the completely unexpected statement.
"Breast... theory?" she repeated slowly.
"It's complicated," Izuku replied as he scratched the back of his neck. "I'll explain it later when I have all the data organized."
Before Himiko could ask more questions about his strange academic obsession with female breasts, Izuku stopped in front of a convenience store lit up by bright fluorescent lights.
"We need to make a quick stop," he announced as he pushed the door open.
DING DING
A little bell jingled above their heads.
"Welcome!" the cashier greeted from behind the counter.
Himiko walked in cheerfully behind Izuku and returned the greeting with a radiant smile.
"Good evening!"
The cashier, a guy who looked maybe eighteen or nineteen, blushed slightly at her smile.
The effects a cute girl can have on a virgin guy, Izuku thought with an air of superiority as he watched the employee's reaction.
Then the impact of his own internal comment hit him hard.
Wait.
His eyes opened wide.
I'M ALSO A VIRGIN.
"Izuku-kun?" Himiko's voice pulled him out of his existential crisis. "What did we come for?"
He shook his head vigorously, trying to banish the self destructive thoughts.
"We came to buy iron rich foods," he explained as he regained his composure. "Pull out the list I gave you."
Himiko reached into the pocket of her hoodie and took out the wrinkled pages Izuku had given her at the restaurant.
PHASE 1: NUTRITIONAL REGULATION
Iron rich diet (spinach, red meat, lentils)
Vitamin B12 supplements
Essential amino acids
Izuku pointed to the first item.
"This one's phase one: regulating your diet. It's the foundation of the whole treatment."
Himiko looked at the list with curiosity.
"What are we gonna buy?"
"Spinach, meat, lentils," Izuku listed off as he walked toward the produce aisle. "And some vitamin supplements if they have them."
They reached the fresh vegetable refrigerator. Izuku grabbed a bag of spinach and showed it to Himiko.
She looked at it like he'd offered her poison.
"Eww! Gross, gross!" she exclaimed as she dramatically stepped back. "Why is it so green and boring? It doesn't shine, it doesn't have the red color I like! It looks like dead grass!"
She waved her hands in front of her like she could shoo away the offensive spinach.
"Izuku-kun, you wouldn't wanna eat something that ugly either, right? I'd rather have something that makes me feel alive, something that drips and feels warm! Hehe..."
Her yellow eyes glowed with a disturbing light.
"Get that out of my sight before I cut it into little pieces!"
Izuku looked at her with exasperation.
"Toga-san," he said in a firm voice as he placed the bag of spinach in the basket he'd grabbed at the entrance. "You have to obey me if you want me to help you."
Himiko pouted dramatically.
"Besides," Izuku added in a persuasive tone, "if you eat spinach, I'll eat it too. We'll do this together."
Himiko looked at him with shining eyes.
"Really?"
"Really," he confirmed. "Now, put more spinach in the basket."
Reluctantly, Himiko grabbed another bag and dropped it in the basket with obvious disgust.
They kept going down the aisles. Izuku added canned lentils, packages of frozen ground beef, and some bottles of orange juice fortified with iron.
Every time he added something, he patiently explained why it was important for her treatment.
"Iron helps produce hemoglobin," he'd say as he picked up another product. "Your body needs that to function properly without depending so much on outside blood."
Himiko listened with varying attention, more interested in watching Izuku than in the nutritional info.
When they reached the cereal aisle, Himiko stopped dead in her tracks.
Her eyes locked onto a bright box with intensely red colored cereal.
"Izuku-kun!" she exclaimed enthusiastically as she grabbed the box. "Look how pretty! It's red!"
She read the label.
"Pomegranate cereal with... antioxidants?"
Discreetly, she tried to take the bag of spinach out of the basket and replace it with the cereal.
Izuku looked at her with narrowed eyes.
Himiko froze mid motion, holding the cereal in one hand and the spinach in the other. She gave him a completely innocent smile that wasn't fooling anybody.
"I wasn't doing anything," she said in a sweet voice.
Izuku sighed deeply before walking over to her. He took the cereal from her hands and examined it briefly.
"You've behaved well so far," he admitted as he put the box in the basket along with the spinach. "So one cereal wouldn't hurt. You can keep it."
"For real?! Thanks, Izuku-kun! You're the best! I can't wait to get home and try my cereal!"
She practically bounced as they walked toward the register.
Izuku paid for everything, deliberately ignoring the cashier's curious look when he saw the amount of spinach and vitamin supplements he was buying alongside the pomegranate cereal.
They left the store with two full bags.
"Let me carry one," Himiko offered, holding out her hands.
"Sure," Izuku handed her the lighter bag. "Thanks."
They walked in silence for a few minutes, with Himiko cheerfully swinging her bag while she hummed a tune.
Finally, they turned the familiar corner that led to the apartment building where he lived.
Izuku stopped in front of the entrance.
And now, he thought with growing apprehension. The big challenge. Explaining to Mom how I came up with the idea of bringing a crazy girl home.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
"Izuku-kun?" Himiko was looking at him curiously. "Why'd you stop?"
"Nothing," he replied as he rubbed his temples. "Just... mentally preparing myself."
They went up the stairs to the second floor. The hallway was quiet, lit only by the ceiling lights that hummed softly.
They stopped in front of the door and Izuku took a deep breath.
It's okay, he told himself. Mom's pretty understanding. She'll get it… probably.
Who am I trying to fool? She's gonna think I've completely lost my mind.
"You live here?" Himiko asked as she looked around. "It's nice."
"Well, yeah, it's a modest place, but…" Izuku replied as he pulled out his keys. "It's home."
He inserted the key into the lock and turned slowly.
Click.
The door opened.
"I'm home!" he announced loudly as he walked in.
The living room light was on. The TV was playing the evening news at a low volume.
"Izuku!" Inko's voice came from the kitchen. "You're late! I was worried. Where were you?"
"Uh..." Izuku hesitated as he took off his shoes at the entrance. "I had to do some... shopping."
Himiko walked in behind him, gently closing the door. Her yellow eyes scanned the apartment with intense curiosity.
It's cozy, she thought as she took in the simple furniture and the family photos hanging on the walls beside curtains with floral patterns. It feels like a real home.
Inko came out of the kitchen drying her hands with a kitchen towel.
"What did you buy? If you needed something you could've asked me to..."
She stopped dead when she saw Himiko standing at the entrance.
There was a moment of absolute silence.
Inko blinked several times, looking at the blonde girl with yellow eyes who was wearing oversized clothes and holding a shopping bag.
Then she looked at her son.
"Izuku," she said slowly, "w-who is she?"
Izuku opened his mouth, getting ready to answer.
How the hell do I explain this?
"Mom," he began in a careful voice, "this is Himiko Toga. She's... uh... a new friend."
Technically not a lie, he justified mentally.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Midoriya!" Himiko greeted cheerfully with a deep bow. "Your house is so pretty! And your son is amazing! He saved my life today!"
Inko looked at Izuku with eyes full of questions.
"You saved... her life?"
"It's complicated," Izuku replied quickly. "But the important thing is that Toga-san needs help. And I... well... I offered to help her."
He paused.
"And maybe... possibly... she could stay with us for a while."
Inko slowly processed her son's words.
"You want a girl you just met to come live with us?"
"Yeah," Izuku replied with conviction. "I know it sounds crazy, Mom. But trust me. It has to do with my Quirk."
Inko's eyes softened slightly at the mention of his Quirk.
"Your Quirk?"
"I can help her," Izuku explained. "The same way I helped you with your training. Toga-san has... problems with her Quirk. And I can fix them."
He looked his mother straight in the eyes.
"Please, Mom. Trust me."
Inko watched her son for a long moment. Then she looked at Himiko, who was watching her with hope in her yellow eyes.
Finally, she sighed deeply.
"Alright," she said with resignation. "But I want the whole story. And I mean the WHOLE story, Izuku. No leaving out important details."
Great, Izuku thought in panic. How do I explain that this girl tried to kill me in an alley?
"Of course, Mom," he replied out loud with a smile. "I'll explain everything to you over dinner."
Himiko was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya! I promise I won't cause any trouble! Well, not much trouble! And I definitely won't stab anyone in their sleep!"
Inko's face went slightly pale.
"Stab?" she repeated weakly.
"It was a joke!" Himiko hurried to clarify with a laugh. "Totally a joke! Hehe!"
Izuku covered his face with both hands.
This is gonna be a disaster, he thought in despair.
*******
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