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Lani POV:

The HPSC Times
Up & Coming Hero To Watch Out For? Meet Shouto Todoroki!
Article by: Kehlani Hidaka.

I drummed my fingers against the desk, still staring at the practically empty page of my laptop.

The writer's block is reaaal.

With a groan of defeat, I leaned back in my chair and threw my gaze towards the ceiling, hearing my best friend's voice chime from the bed.

"Did you finish your article?" Kai asked, not even looking up at me as she typed away on her own laptop.

I sneered at her in light jealousy as the sound of her keyboard clacked rapidly. I swear, no matter what time of day or what topic, Kai can always whip out the world's best masterpiece in under an hour—and she could probably do it blindfolded and drunk, too.

Gifted people. I swear...

She's an amazing writer. It's no wonder she's already been promoted to a real journalist.

"Noooo..." I moped out towards my ceiling fan. "And my first deadline is tomorrow. Yuna will have my head if I don't send it in..."

The late summer breeze filtered in through my open window, ruffling the pages of my countless notebooks sprawled messily atop my desk.

Kai continued to type away on her laptop, melting back more comfortably atop my pillows with a unsympathetic hum, "Then you better get started. It's not gonna write itself, you know."

I pressed my lips together, slowly rotating my chair towards her with a proposition I already knew she'd refuse.

"But, maybe if you just start it for me, Kai-"

"No, Lani-"

"Or give me an idea-"

"Nope!-"

"How about a single word?"

"Stop. being. a. lazy. bitch." She enunciated clearly, smirking at me over the screen of her computer. "There you go—that was five words."

I opened my mouth to retort, quickly closing it in pondering (desperate) contemplation.

"....I actually might be able to work with that-"

"Jesus." She reprimanded lightly, thumping her laptop closed with a huff. "I know you are not this pathetic."

Who said I'm not this pathetic? I'm moping around in my underwear about Shouto Todoroki. That's about as pathetic as it gets.

"At least one of us thinks that..." I grumbled, playing with the frayed hem of my old shirt.

Kai hummed and stretched her arms over her head, lazily lugging herself off the bed, "I couldn't write it for you anyways. I don't know the guy."

With a defeated groan, I face palmed into my desk, feeling the cool wood soothing my headache.

I've always hated summertime. It's hot, and sweaty, and extra full of people crowding the sidewalks. Bleh.

"But, I don't know him either." My voice came out muffled atop my notebook sheets—containing all my failed outlines and brainstorming ideas for this damn article:

Idea one: Shouto Todoroki - he has cool hair, I guess-

Idea two: Shouto Todoroki is mean af, but you swooning teenagers like that stuff nowadays, right-

Idea three: Who is Shouto Todoroki? Your guess is as good as mine-

Kai had no empathy for my complaints as she grabbed a glass from my cupboard, opening the refrigerator for the water pitcher.

"You've had an entire week to get to know him—and you've spent every waking minute with him since, might I add. Surely, there must be something." She eyed me, filling my last clean cup to the brim.

With a sigh, I lifted my head from the desk, blowing the messy pieces of hair out of my face before turning towards her.

"You don't understand. He's not like other heroes."

Kai snorted into her glass at my words, fogging up the cup and causing condensation to prickle the sides.

"Did you just call him a pick-me boy, but in hero form?"

My lips barely tugged into a smirk, pulling my knee into my chest as I lazily spun around in the chair.

"Agh. He can't even be called a pick-me because he's too unpredictable." I grumbled, seeing the world lightly spin in my vision with each turn. "It's been an entire week and all I've learned is that he likes cold soba."

Kai raised her brows as she finished the last of her water, resting her elbows atop my cluttered counter.

"Really? You're usually pretty good at opening them up from the beginning." She murmured in slight surprise, turning her attention to the stack of envelopes in my kitchen.

She pursed her lips in disdain as she flipped through them, seeing bill after bill pop up in the mess.

"It's hard to open him up." I said, hugging my other knee into my chest now. "Shouto doesn't like talking about himself."

"Damn." Kai chuckled distantly as she read through my bills with concern. "He really isn't like other heroes, huh...."

I remained spinning in my computer chair, with the speed having slowed since both my feet were off the floor.

Resting my chin atop my knees, I hugged them tighter into my chest, feeling my thoughts starting to drift to the half and half guy, "I know, but....I dunno. He's kinda refreshing at the same time."

I pressed my lips together as my mind traveled back to last night at the bar. It was really the first time I got to see past his stubborn exterior.

He surprised me. With how sweet he actually was.

"He's....actually pretty shy, too. I wouldn't have guessed." I mused, feeling my spinning chair finally come to a halt. "Heh, and he rarely smiles. Oh, but when he does, it's so soft, you know? You might not even see it if you don't look closely."

Kai slowly peered up at me as I spoke, watching the way I curled even tighter into a ball atop my chair.

Thinking about him makes me feel small somehow—like, it makes me want to cover my face and hide away for the rest of my life so he'll never look at me again. Because his gaze is too much. It's too intense, and my brain can't take so much of his attention on me.

Pretty gross, right? What's that about anyway? God, he's annoying...

"Sounds like you've picked up a few more details than you might've realized." She raised a brow, causing me to hum lazily.

"I guess so...." I murmured distractedly, feeling my hand still radiating warmth from his touch last night.

When we touched hands—when we created our own little personalized greeting right there in the middle of the bar.

'That can be our thing,' I'd told him, internally cringing after it had been spoken.

I've never been one to care about cutesy stuff like that. Especially not with him—with a hero, of all people.

But, the words just slipped from my mouth. And for some reason, I wasn't even embarrassed about them, because I knew Shouto wouldn't judge me. Probably because he didn't even understand.

And he didn't until I explained it to him. But, even then, he didn't judge me.

He actually seemed to like it—the way we touched each other, I mean.

His hand was so warm. Rough and calloused on the upper part of his palms. Probably from his job, no doubt. He had the hand of a hard working hero, one who could kill all those awful villains with a single touch.

And, yet his touch was so gentle towards me. Soft and just...sweet. And...

I dunno...

I'm just surprise because I thought he wasn't charming. Guess he can be sometimes—and he doesn't even realize it.

But—see? See? This is what I need the ladies to see. Yeah, duh. This is what everyone needs to see. That's the whole purpose of this after all. Not creating cheesy handshakes...

"I need more." The words slipped from my mouth in zoned out thought, lightly twitching my fingers closed around the imaginary warmth within my grasp.

The imaginary presence of dual colored eyes hovered closer within my vision, making my hand reach out further until the voice from the kitchen instantly made my daydreaming fog vanish.

"Hm?" Kai uttered in confusion, before I blinked my eyes back to reality.

"I need more—I mean—I need to learn more..." I quickly clarified, uncoiling my tangled legs back onto my black, fluffy rug. "This first article I write is gonna be Shouto's introduction to the public eye. I want it to be good. I want it to be a total hit."

I really want to paint him in a good light. I want people to like him—because that's my job obviously.

My tongue toggled with my lip ring as I quickly reached for my phone, navigating the screen to Shouto's number. "I need inspiration from the source himself."

Text Message To: Shouto Todoroki.
What are you doing rn?
12:47pm.

I set my phone back on the desk, not expecting him to reply so quickly. Or even at all. He doesn't seem like the type who's a super avid texter-

Ding!

Kai and I both looked up at my phone in surprise, before my best friend's lips tugged into a small smirk.

"Funny. He doesn't seem that shy to me." She snickered, propping her chin in her hand atop the counter to watch this whole thing play out.

I waved her off dismissively and picked up my phone, kicking my bare legs up on the desk as I read the curt message.

Text Message From: Shouto Todoroki
Working.
12:47pm.

I clicked my tongue in disappointment for his schedule before remembering the new tool I had at my disposal, swiping my phone along the screen with purpose.

With a sly grin, I pulled up the email from Shota Aizawa regarding his schedule. You better believe I starred that thing the moment I received it.

Text Message To: Shouto Todoroki
Sure you are. But, I'm looking at your schedule right now and it says you get off in ten min for a long lunch.
12:49pm.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I hit send, already imagining the roll of his eyes. He's fun to annoy.

Text Message From: Shouto Todoroki
Stop stalking me
12:50pm.

Text Message To: Shouto Todoroki
Never
12:50pm.

Text Message From: Shouto Todoroki
Why are you texting me? Are we supposed to practice today?
12:52pm.

My fingers hovered over the text, pursing my lips in contemplation for the idea.

I didn't really have a specific intention in mind when I texted him, I guess. But...

Text Message To: Shouto Todoroki
Yes we are. Remember that cafe I work at? Head there on your lunch. I'll buy you something.
12:53pm.

Meet me in ten minutes.
12:53pm.

I closed my phone and quickly hopped off my chair now, humming to myself as I threw open my dresser.

Kai groaned as I was back on my feet already. She knows I can't sit in one place for very long. I definitely have undiagnosed ADHD.

"What're you doing now?" She muttered exasperatedly, letting the side of her face plop down on the counter as she sensed I was leaving.

"I need pants." I said matter of factly, tossing a clean bra out of the way.

My best friend grunted in annoyance as it plopped atop her head, not even moving as she glared at me lightly.

I heard her 'hmph' in annoyance as I wrestled my legs into my go-to pair of pants, pulling herself from the counter with dramatized effort.

"Um. Excuse me, ma'am. Don't you have an article to write?" Her voice nagged, giving her head a small shake so the bra slid to the floor.

"Can't write it without inspo." I justified, quickly grabbing my bag from the bed. "I'll be back in two hours. If you leave before then, don't forget to lock up."

With that, I made my way towards the door, about to brush past the kitchen before something atop the counter caught my eye.

I stopped in my tracks at the rolled stack of money neatly placed atop the bills, slumping my shoulders before slowly peering at Kai.

She rolled her eyes and smiled as she knew she was caught, quickly waving me off like it was no big deal.

"Look, if you wait any longer to pay some of those, you're not gonna have any running water—and you won't get laid if you smell like ass, so really I'm doing everyone a favor." She justified, before I quickly shook my head.

"Kai, I can't accept that-"

"Yes, you can-"

"It's-

"It's barely anything." She quickly finished my sentence, trying to reassure me in the way she knew how to. "Look, I just bought myself a new Porsche last week, okay? Clearly, I have the funds. Besides, it's daddy's money, right?"

I looked at her sheepishly, knowing she said her last words as a sarcastic slam on herself.

In terms of society and what the public thinks about her, I guess Kai could be considered a nepo baby. Her parents do more than alright for themselves, and Kai has faced some public accusations for using 'daddy's money' to buy her way to the position of youngest junior writer.

And it's not true. I know my best friend, and she'd never do that.

She's been trying to give me her money ever since we became friends. But, it's never something I've been okay with.

I rubbed the back of my neck in pure guilt, looking down at the ground in growing shame. "It's not about that though. Our friendship....I don't....I don't want it to be....like that."

"What, where help each other?" She said knowingly, raising a brow. "You'd do it for me in a heartbeat-"

"If I could. But, I can't." I explained quieter, tugging on the strap of my bag anxiously. "I...I don't even know when I'll be able to pay you back..."

Kai's face softened as she sensed my worries, slowly coming over to me now.

Pressing her lips together empathetically, she placed her hands on my shoulders.

"I know you don't like handouts. That's not what this is, okay?" She reassured, giving me a light shake. "I know everything you have...is going towards Raiga."

My mind drifted back to my sick brother, sighing at the stress of it all.

"You can pay me back by finishing that article tonight. Okay?" She murmured, causing me to nod softly.

Her light chuckle sounded through the room as she knew I'd gotten too flustered about the whole thing to speak, pulling me in for a hug and kissing the side of my head.

"Listen. We all do what we have to, alright?" She said soothingly. "I know that, and I hope you do, too."

Tiredly, I wrapped my arms around her back, feeling all her toned, perfect muscles under her thin shirt.

She really is amazing. I don't even know why she chose me to be her best friend most of the time.

That day in grade school, she could have picked anyone. She was the most popular girl in school, and I was just...

I...

...would rather not relive such a traumatic time.

"Thank you." I muttered into her hair, slowly releasing her with a small nod. "I'll...I promise I'll-"

"You've already paid it back." She dismissed, nodding towards the door. "Now, go. He's probably waiting."

*****

There's a sneak peek of semi spice Shouto and Lani art on my Patreon if you guys wanna see it! ✨ you can also read 15 chaps ahead on there <3

See you next time!