I hardly looked up from my phone as I wandered down the street. I received the name of the meeting place from Hizashi. It seemed to be a tea house. For it being so close to the hospital, I had never heard of it before. 

Take a left here, then a right three blocks down, then walk another two blocks. It’ll be somewhere on the left. With each step I watched the little circle move along on the map.

It was a small, quaint establishment that I would’ve surely overlooked had I not been given its name. The bell tied to the handle chimed as I pushed open the door. Instantly I was taken aback by the cozy atmosphere. The tea house was decorated with traditional art and antiques. In the center of the room was a large table with a pot of freshly brewed oolong tea, surrounded by comfortable chairs. The warm scent of tea filled the air, and I felt immediately at ease.

I stood at the front door, unsure if it was okay to enter on my own or if I should talk to a host first. My mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. Did I get here before Hizashi? I should probably tell the host that I’m looking for someone. What should I call him? Present Mic or Hizashi Yamada? Maybe I should text him before bothering an employee.

The dark blue curtain that separated the main room and a second room parted. Hizashi poked his head out and waved me to the back. With a warm smile, he beckoned me to follow and I stepped forward, feeling the slight nervousness quickly dissipate.

The back room was just as decorated as the main room. The interior was adorned with intricate paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and there was a small wooden table with a tea set on top. The walls were painted a deep blue and decorated with a few paintings of nature scenes. There was a small window that let in a warm stream of light, and the scent of freshly brewed tea filled the room. He guided me throughout the room, and I found myself transfixed by the intricate details of the decorations and the calming atmosphere.

Hizashi stood next to a table in the back corner, motioning to me with a hand to sit down. We sat across from each other. The moment I stared into his eyes, I found myself growing nervous, unsure what to do or say.

I was so overwhelmed by the moment that I couldn’t think straight. A rush of adrenaline rushed through me, and my palms sweated. I had no idea what he was thinking and I was worried about making the wrong move.

Hizashi spoke with a cheery tone in his voice. “Great timing Chickadee, I already ordered drinks and snacks, they should be ready soon.”

The few minutes between my arrival and the tea making it to our table felt awkward. Hizashi gave me a standard greeting and followed it up with a few basic questions. How are you? How is work? Takahashi isn’t in too much trouble, right?

I gave Hizashi short answers and I felt terrible about it. It felt like he was the only one putting in the effort to have a conversation. I was nervous and couldn’t think of anything to say. All I could do was fidget and sit there, hoping to make a good impression.

 My hands held onto the cup sitting in front of me. I felt the warmth of the tea through the ceramic. As I tried to think of something to say, I nervously sipped my tea, allowing myself a moment to compose my thoughts. The Sakura tea had a delicate yet fragrant aroma, with cherry blossom petals floating along the light pink surface. A pleasant hint of sweetness helped me calm my nerves before answering.

My throat tightened as I slowly placed the cup back on the table. Uncomfortable feelings aside, I also felt a new sense of determination to speak my mind and push the conversation to why I was here. “You wanted to talk about my song, right?”

“Right! I did. I had no idea you had entered the Music Showdown.” He raised a brow as he lifted his orange-hued glasses and looked directly into my eyes. Hizashi’s face perked up. He snapped his finger as he pointed at me. “I knew your name sounded familiar.”

I slumped into my seat, not sure if I should tell Hizashi that I hadn’t intended to enter. Takahashi did it without telling me and I still cringe just thinking about it. I cleared my throat. “Oh... well... you know.”

Hizashi cut me off, thankfully. “No need to explain yourself. A cool kitty with your skills doesn’t need to brag, I get it.”

“Skills?” I tried to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat and spoke in a small voice. “You really liked it?”

“Loved it,” he said. I could hardly believe it. That song, as far as I was concerned, was nothing special, just something to work on when a creative urge struck. Yet, here was Present Mic, of all people, telling me he thought it was actually good.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Again, thankfully, Hizashi made sure there wasn’t a single second of awkward silence. “I was wondering if you wanted to record the song at my station? We could pop in real quick and jam it out while the place is empty.”

My heart felt twisted and knotted. He was being so kind for no reason. “But, why? Shouldn’t you be offering something like that to the winner? Or the top three, maybe? Mine landed on the honorable mention list.”

“You could say I’m a fan.” Hizashi folded his arms along the table and leaned forward, speaking with a shrug. “It got knocked out of the competition only because of the audio quality—not my call, by the way. Originally, I wanted it to be higher on the list. So, I was thinking about it and thought maybe we could use the fancy recording equipment and give it the real, rockin’ debut that I thought it deserved.”

I did want to take his offer. Not because I thought my song truly deserved the special treatment, but only because Hizashi was sweet enough to offer. My gaze lowered to the tea as a sudden realization hit me. “Oh, I’d love to, but I can’t. It’s not finished yet. I sorta hit a writer’s block of sorts with it. Also, my quirk might be a problem.”

Hizashi lowered his glasses and repeated me. “Your quirk?”

“Lullaby,” I replied. Immediately after my recording ended, I remembered how Hizashi yawned before announcing the next song. “It can put others to sleep, basically.”

“Oh really?” A wide grin spread across his face, and I heard a small chuckle come out of him before he spoke again. “A vocal quirk! We have similar quirks then.”

That didn’t sound right, not at all. His quirk was a huge reason why I’m such a fan of him. I’ve seen Hizashi use his quirk to help redirect civilians in danger on television. If anything, it was the exact opposite of mine. Hisashi continued with a chuckle. “Really! They are! My quirk can put villains to sleep real fast.”

Why is he so cute? I leaned back into my chair and giggled. Hizashi almost looked proud of his joke. Now that Takahashi had outed me as a huge Present Mic fangirl directly to him, I decided that it would be alright to talk about our quirks. “It’s always nice to see heroes with the same quirk type as me. I didn’t become a hero like I wanted to, so it’s cool to see someone who made it saving lives on tv.”

A hint of shock coated Hizashi’s voice. “You wanted to be a hero?”

I nodded. “I worked my butt off and applied to UA, actually. But I walked out in the middle of the written exam.”

Hizashi took off his glasses, revealing his wide, shock-filled eyes. “That was you? I heard all about that.”

“Yeah, that was me.” Completely embarrassed, I sank lower into my seat. I should have known he would have heard about that. I felt anxious as I waited for his response, not knowing how he would react. Hizashi rested his head in his hand, looking like he was thinking.

“That means you would have been a grade under me. Ah, it’s too bad you didn’t stick to it. In another timeline, you could have hung out with me and my buddies.” Hizashi paused and then his face lit up again. “That means you had to fill out the application for a hero costume, right? What was it supposed to look like?”

His reaction made me feel better in an odd sort of way. No one had asked me a question like that before. When I talk about it, I usually feel like I made a mistake by the end of the conversation.

“Well,” my voice faltered. It had been at least a decade since I last thought of that. “It was honestly flashier than it needed to be. If I had gotten accepted, it was going to be a bodysuit made of iridescent material. I think I also wanted a helmet with a built-in mic that was supposed to connect to an amp of sorts. It was a lot.”

“Ohhh, so your game plan was to drop in the middle of a group of villains and subdue them?” I nodded my head. That was exactly what I had in mind.

“Did you ever come up with a hero name?” Hisashi asked. I told him that I didn’t get that far. Again, he paused for a moment to think. His voice perked up. “Sleepy Time Hero: Lullabomb.”

“You came up with that fast,” I said. Hizashi wore a playful grin on his face and attributed it to being one of his special talents. He explained that he had given Aizawa his hero name back when the two of them were students. I listened closely to his story. I barely knew Aizawa, but it was interesting to hear about him too.

Hizashi suddenly changed the subject. “You work with villains, right? That was a surprise to hear. How does it work over there? Is it safe?”

“Oh, I probably have the easiest time.” I wasn’t sure if Hizashi was talking about my job in general or if he was worried about me. Regardless, it made me feel warm inside. “Since it’s better than drugging them up, I have special permission to use my quirk on the job, so most of the time the villains are zonked out while I work on them. On top of that, we have lots of safety precautions. Each room has a panic button that’ll alert security, the doors require a key card to unlock, things like that.”

Hizashi leaned back in his seat. “That’s great to hear. I get scared for my hero friends when they’re out, so when you told me what you do, I was downright terrified for you. That does put the bad vibes to the side though.”

Wait—he was actually worried about me? He’s too cute. I felt my face heat up, but I didn’t care. 

“How often do heroes stop by?” Hizashi asked.

“Well, you see...” I hesitated. That was, surprisingly, a tricky question to answer. “Aside from assisting when the villain first arrives and maybe when it’s time to pick them up, hardly ever.”

Hizashi’s carefree aura dissipated in an instant, and his face fell flat. I knew he wasn’t going to like that answer, but it was the truth. I continued, trying to explain, knowing that it wouldn’t make him feel any better. “We try to keep the villains as calm as possible throughout their stay. My quirk can only do so much. They get very upset when authority figures stop by. So... you know, they don’t step inside often.”

“Well, do me a favor and stay safe in there, Chickadee.” He folded his arms across his chest. Thanking Hizashi for his concern, I assured him that the villain ward was safe. A partial smile broke through the worry on his face. “That’s great to hear.”

I took the initiative to steer the conversation away from my work. I would have loved to ask about his work, but I settled on something else instead. We both love music, and it seemed like the perfect distraction. As if a switch had been flipped, the conversation felt much more light-hearted. We shared our favorite genres and traded recommendations.

Our tea had gotten ice cold by the time we had finished talking about music. Hizashi stretched out his arms before looking at his phone. “Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take up too much of your time.”

I could have said the same to him. I usually spend my days off huddled on the couch binge-watching TV shows until I pass out. This was by far the best use of my day, I could have ever asked for. I could listen to him talk for hours.

Hizashi motioned to the door. “How about we get outta here?”

I didn’t want this to end, but it wasn’t like I could say no. We both got up and I followed Hizashi to the front counter. I offered to cover some of the bill, to hide how nervous I felt, I had drunk at least twice as much tea as him. He shook his head and insisted, saying he was the one who invited me out. Hizashi held the door open for me on the way out with a smile.

***

I didn’t fully understand what Hizashi meant about taking up too much of my time until I had stepped outside and saw the city’s neon signs fully lit up. I realized I had been so wrapped up in the moment that I hadn’t noticed the sun had set. He glanced at me and asked if I had gotten a ride here, and I told him I had taken the train. Hizashi rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. “It’s pretty dark out. Maybe I should walk you to the train station, then?”

“Oh, I don’t want you to go out of your way for me,” I replied.

Hizashi paused and he chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds fine with me. I’ll just head out then.”

We said our goodbyes and began walking to the train station. I looked to the hero walking beside me and he gave me a grin. “It looks like we just so happen to be going the same direction. What a coincidence.”

I giggled under my breath, catching on to what he was up to. “I guess we are.”

I didn’t mind Hizashi walking with me. Normally, I try to stay inside at night, but having him around made me feel safe. It was like having my own personal hero.

The night sky was dark, with only a few stars twinkling in the sky. The city lights illuminated the night, casting a soft glow over us. The sound of cars and music filled the air as we walked together, talking and laughing. I felt so happy and content, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the city.

The crisp night air brushed against my skin, and a shiver ran down my spine. I wrapped my arms around myself. A sudden warmth draped over my shoulders. “Here, you can have this for a little bit.”

My fingers wrapped around his jacket, pulling it closer to my body. I blushed and giggled shyly, feeling embarrassed but happy at the same time. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, Chickadee. You look good in leather.” Hizashi’s gaze was gentle. He smiled at me warmly, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

“Why did you start calling me Chickadee?” I asked.

“Your voice reminds me of a songbird.” Hizashi grinned as he continued. “And now that I know I’ve heard you sing, I think it’s pretty accurate.”

A surge of warmth filled my heart, and I couldn’t help but appreciate the kind words. Hizashi’s compliment made me feel special, and I couldn’t help but smile. 

As we walked, I noticed stray gazes drifting our way. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that they were looking at Hizashi. I wondered if he ever thought it was annoying. Had I carried through with my plans and become a hero, I doubt I would have liked the constant attention very much.

My heart sank as we arrived at the train station. It felt selfish, but I was enjoying my time with Hizashi. With each step, I found myself becoming more and more disappointed that it was coming to an end. Hizashi shoved his hands in his pocket and shrugged. “Since I’m here, I might as well wait for the train with you.”

Unlike his offer to walk me to the train station, I didn’t bother pretending like I didn’t want him with me. I smiled at him. “Thank you. I’d like that.”

“Hey, gimme a call when you finish writing your song. Even if you don’t wanna record it. I’d totally listen to it.” Again, I thanked him and reminded him of my quirk. Hizashi shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind a small nap after.”

Between being a hero and working at the radio station, I was sure he probably needed a nap or two. Although he was energetic, I could see the weariness in his eyes. “Yeah. I’ll let you know if I ever finish it.”

A loud hiss filled the station as my train came to a stop. Hizashi waved as he watched me leave. I felt my heart squeeze in my chest as I watched him through the window. 

The train jerked as it began to move. Using the pole by my side, I kept myself steady. The person beside me lightly bumped into me. He nodded his head as if to apologize, but I didn’t care. My mind was too preoccupied with other thngs. He’s too cute. I don’t even care that it wasn’t a date. He was too adorable.

My gaze traveled to the pole and all the warmth in my skin drained away as I looked at my warped reflection. His jacket. I’m still wearing it.

I quickly pulled out my phone to apologize, offering to meet up with him somewhere and drop it off. My screen lit up and I read his reply. “Don’t stress about it, Chickadee. I teach at UA, you can drop it off there if you want.”

He hadn’t mentioned being a teacher in any of our conversations. Somehow, Hizashi was still finding more ways to impress me. I replied to his text, agreeing to stop by tomorrow morning before work.

Again, my phone lit up. “By any chance, would you be interested in going to the Sports Festival? Tickets aren’t for sale yet, so I can get you the best seat in the house.”

A quiet voice in the back of my head told me not to take his offer. Although I had no reason to feel this way, I was starting to feel like I was taking advantage of his kindness. Some people set alarms for when tickets go on sale just for a chance to buy one. It felt off that with one word I could grab a seat before they went live online.

Hizashi sent me another text. “If you do, you can just hang on to the jacket and give it to me then.”

I put the negative thoughts to the side and asked him if it was really alright. He immediately promised it was okay, and I accepted his offer. Yet another text came back. “Cool! I’ll see you at the Sport Festival.”