Koto's POV
(Friday the 26th)

Friday eventually comes around, bringing with it the giant party. Throughout the past few days, I've been practicing my speech. Kati's been a big help, instructing me on how to say the more difficult words. I remember some aspects of how to speak, but words are still a little difficult to get out sometimes. 

Macy comes over around noon so we can attempt straightening my hair and turning me into a different person. Both girls work on my hair as I sit on a stool, trying to stay still so they don't burn me. 

"Your hair is so thick!" Kati exclaims, flat ironing my left side. 

Macy takes the hair product from in front of Kati and adds some to the right side of my head, following up with her own flat iron. "Yeah, this'll take a while. You wanna open a window or something? It's gonna get hot."

Kati runs over to the bathroom window and it screeches open with some effort on her part. She returns to my side, but doesn't pick up the iron, instead, she opens the cabinet under her sink and pulls out a small box. "Here's your contacts," she says. "A surprise, just like you wanted."

"Thanks!" I say, opening a cardboard flap and pulling out the case. "I've n-n-never d-done this before, though."

"We'll wait till after," Macy says. "Then we can do your makeup and you'll be truly unrecognizable!"

•°•°•°•

Sure enough, the process of straightening my hair took a long time, followed by the infuriating process of putting in contacts, and a while of me with my eyes closed while they paint it with more makeup than I'm used to. 

"And...open!" Macy exclaims. 

I open my eyes to see someone who looks so different from myself, it must be a dream, but sure enough, when I stand from the stool, the platinum blonde beauty in the mirror does as well. 

"How's that, Elsa?" Kati asks with a smirk, using our codename. 

I let out a small laugh in disbelief, looking at myself in awe. I really do look like Elsa. Except for the eyes of course.

My straight blonde hair cascades most of the way down my torso like an icy waterfall, hit by the light of a sunrise. Dark green eyes, speckled with brown and gold take in every detail. My fair skin glows with the natural looking makeup to smooth my complexion and highlight my bone structure. Glancing down at my neck, I can see they've done the best they can to hide my scar. Of course I can see it because I know that it's there, but if you didn't know where to look, it's not obvious. And especially at night, when it'll be darker, nobody should be able to see it.

I smile wide and pull them both into a hug. "Th-thanks, you guys!"

They both hug me back and then start getting themselves ready. I had changed before we did my hair into one of my favorite loose blue t-shirts with white stars and a pair of cutoff jean shorts. Kati let me borrow a pair of black sandals with ribbons tied up the ankles. 

As they work on their makeup, Kati gets a devilish smirk. "So Koto...anybody special?"

My face heats up before I can even reply. The two girls share a smug grin. "Ah so a crush," Macy says, brushing bronzer onto her face. 

"N-no!" I exclaim, but they both just snicker at me. 

"So...who is it?" Kati asks. 

I groan. "T-tod-doroki," I manage to stammer out. The moment I say it, I'm surprised at the weight lifted from my shoulders. Of course Eijiro knows and I'm pretty sure Reina and Ochaco do too, but maybe I can get an outsider's opinion on him. "I like Todorok-ki."

"Ooh, mister second place?" Kati taunts, wiggling her eyebrows. "He's pretty cute!"

"Very intense," Macy adds. 

"Yeah, he g-gets that way when he's p-p-passionate about something," I say, shrugging. 

"What's he like other than that?" Macy asks. 

"Oh, y-you know," I mumble, trying to think of something. "He loves Frozen."

"And?" Kati probes. 

"He says the funniest th-things s-so-sometimes," I gush. "Like h-he doesn't even t-try to, it j-just hap-pens."

"Like what?"

I think for a little bit before saying, "he m-made th-this joke about m-mixing sodas." They're silent for a second, so I add, "it w-w-was funny in th-the moment. J-just the w-way he said it."

"Ah," Macy says simply. 

"He's j-just really mysterious," I say. "He doesn't r-really t-t-talk that much."

Kati glances over to Macy on my other side. "Well I'd take that over the feral pomeranian."

"Oh yeah," Macy agrees. "Any day."

"Ba-bakugo isn't that b-bad," I protest. "You j-just caught him at a bad t-time."

"Really?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. "From what I heard about him from you, it seems like he's like that all the time."

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I mean w-when we're with fr-friends, he's s-sorta like that, but he's j-just competitive. I didn't t-tell you ab-bout when he got m-me food. He always m-makes sure I eat. He learned s-sign language w-with the other guys ev-even when we didn't th-think he w-would. He even d-d-danced with us, playing this g-game and then again when we w-went to I-Island with the class. He's also r-really t-ticklish and has a really honest sm-sm-smile when he's t-tickled…"

I trail off to see them both staring at me in the mirror, hands stilled. I blink at both of them before they exchange a look. 

"Sounds like it's not Todoroki you have a crush on," Kati says matter-of-factly while they both smirk at me. 

"No!" I exclaim. "It's n-not like that!"

"She's in denial," Macy says, going back to doing her eyeshadow. "Honestly, do you even hear yourself? You're GUSHING over this dude."

I look at myself long and hard in the mirror, trying to figure out exactly what I'm feeling. 

I was so certain I liked Todoroki. Now they're saying I don't. But I do! I like… I struggle to think of how to finish that, but I can't manage it. 

They messed with my head! Of course I like Todoroki. He's really passionate about becoming a hero. That's admirable. He's so cute. He's also…

I can't even think of another way to describe him. The realization hits me like a truck. 

I don't like him like that.

Just when I was finally ready to admit that I liked him, it feels like my world is pulled out from under my feet. 

It was just a meaningless crush. I can't think about anything I really liked him for that wasn't superficial. We don't fit.

But do they really think Bakugo and I fit? I mean so many things have happened. He probably hates me. But…

The image of him visiting my hospital room with unclenched hands and watery eyes surfaces, as does his look of pain when I fully used my quirk on him. I see his crinkled nose when he was laughing and the fragile, scared look when I used sound to fix his muscles. I see the intense concentration in his eyes when he danced with me and the spark in his eyes when we were playing games. I can't help but remember how warm I felt when he caught me. 

I hear the girls' muffled voices on either side of me. Someone waves their hand in front of my face which brings me back to them. 

"I think we broke her," Macy snickers. 

"Koto!" Kati shouts in my ear. I jump, almost falling off the stool. 

"Wha--?"

"You were in your head for a while," Macy remarks.

"Look, we were just poking fun," Kati exclaims, laughing. "I'm sure it's just indescribable to be in his presence."

They're trying to save my thoughts from drowning me, but it's not really helping. I've already come to my own shocking realization. 

"Speaking of crushes…" Macy singsongs. Kati looks at her, excitement flickering in her eyes, but it's quickly quenched when she sees the smirk on the tall girl's face. She shrinks into herself a little as Macy fixes her with an intense stare. "Do you think Jupey will be there?"

Macy flutters her eyelashes innocently as Kati's face heats up. 

"Who?" I ask, looking back and forth between the two of them like a tennis match. 

"Jupiter!" Kati exclaims, hiding her red face. "He moved here a couple years after you left."

"He's a senior," Macy adds. "And Kati's completely in love."

"Well, who isn't! Have you seen him?" She all of a sudden begins pouting. "It's not like I can do anything about it anyway. Not with Annie hanging all over him."

I look between them, still lost. Macy takes the opportunity to explain, "Annie's in the grade above us. Both of them are in the hero program and are like the only ones from our school that have a good chance at being pros. Everyone wants to be with Jupiter, but he just doesn't show interest in anyone. He doesn't seem to mind all the girls hanging around him, but as far as I know, he's never been with any of them."

"Everybody knows Annie claimed Jupiter!" Kati cries, head in her hands. "Anybody who says differently is just kidding themselves. They even look perfect together."

"Has anyone asked w-wh-what he wants?" I question, but they just shrug. "Have you t-talked with him?"

Kati looks up, fixing an invisible imperfection in her makeup on the mirror. "A couple times, yeah, but Annie's never far behind, stealing him away."

"Wh-what makes her think she de-deserves him?"

Kati shrugs, so Macy says, "I guess she's related to some hero or something. Somebody famous? I don't know; I never actually pay attention when she opens her mouth, but I guess she thinks she's a big-shot."

"She is, though!" Kati whines. "She's gonna be a pro! Her and Jupiter are the only ones from our school who've gotten national recognition in, what? A century?"

"All I c-can tell is th-that he needs to be able t-to make his own d-d-decisions," I say, trying to make her feel better. "If she's been hanging around him and h-he still hasn't gone for her, d-doesn't that mean he doesn't l-l-like her?"

"I don't know, maybe?" Kati mumbles. "You don't have to give me hope, it's okay. I've already accepted it."

They continue to apply their makeup silently. Kati's parents have pizza delivered, so we sit in the kitchen, eating it with them. Kati officially introduces me as Elsa. I try to keep up with the ruse as best I can and they seem to be buying it. As far as they know, I'm one of Kati's friends from middle school who goes to a boarding school on the East Coast. 

Technically not a lie. They just don't have to know the East Coast of which country.

I tell them I'm just in general studies; no need to have them look me up. 

After dinner, they tell us to be safe and we head out to the party.