Chapter IV

~ONE WEEK LATER~

     "Todoroki, help me please!" Midoryia whined. I sighed.

     It's been a week since school started and I was still getting used to the college life. I've already met people who I can stand to be around, which was Midoryia, Uraraka, Kirishima, Sero, Ojiro, Asui, Jirou, Yaoyorozu, Shoji, and Iida (sometimes). The other friends are cool, but they're too rowdy for my comfort. But I guess that's what makes them fun. Kaminari is a little bit too hyper and Ashido along with Hagakure are a little bit too into gossip. Bakugou is just.... too prideful and loud. I don't know how Kirishima can stand him.

     I was fixing my hair because I went for a jog and the wind messed it up. I'm very lucky that Midoryia wasn't in the room when I came back because he would've been (even more) suspicious if he saw me covering my eye with my hand.

     I walked out of the bathroom, just finished taking a shower and throwing on some sweats with wet hair dripping down my face.

     "What is it?" I ask. I see him ruffle his already messy hair furiously, clearly frustrated.

     "How can I transpose this music to bass and treble clef if I can't read alto clef in the first place?" he shouted angrily. I chuckle at his childlike attitude and slide the towel over my shoulders.

     "Let me see."

     I lean down placing my hand over the back of the leather sofa. We were fairly close, but I didn't mind it. I gazed at the scribbled pieces of paper. It was filled with scales of the alto clef and under it were lines with a bass symbol and above it was the same thing except with a treble symbol. I chuckle.

     "On the piano, what is three whole steps up from B natural in treble clef?" I ask.

     "Uh, E natural?"

     "Correct. So the in alto clef, it is a whole step upward, making it F to them."

     "So F in alto is E in treble?" he asked. I hummed as he smiled and wrote down the answer. "What about bass?"

     "Take another whole step upward in alto and that is the answer."

     "G natural! I get it now! Thank—!" Midoryia exclaimed and turned his head. I was still looking at the paper, accidentally transposing all the notes in my head on instinct. Midoryia didn't move his hand, nor did he say anything to me. I glanced at him. His face was fairly close to mine and really red. His mouth was smiling awkwardly and his eyes were wide. I furrowed my brows, confused.

     "What? Is there something on my face?" I ask. He started stuttering gibberish but one thing I understood.

     'Oh, I'm in his personal space.' I stood straight. Closing my eyes and inhaling deeply.  "Sorry."

     All noise stopped in the room until Midoryia started uttering apologies.

     "You don't need to be sorry because there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one that should be apologizing for making you worry-"

     "I'm sorry for intruding your personal space. I didn't realize how close I was and that made you uncomfortable," I deadpanned, a little harsher than I meant it to be, but he shrugged it off and smiled, a pink tint invading his freckled cheeks.

     "Oh it's fine! And thanks for helping me understand it." He showed me his adorable closed eyed smile, and I couldn't help but give him a small grin.

     "No worries. That's what friends are for," I say and then I flopped on the opposite end of the couch and scrolled through my phone.

     "Yeah..." I heard him whisper and he turned back around to finish his homework. I let a small smile escape my lips.

•-•-•-•-•

     I was bored and it was just around 7 in the evening. The sun started to set and Izuku was passed out in his room, papers scattered all over it.  I got up and unpacked my violin from it's case. I opened the sliding glass door to the balcony and closed it, letting a sliver of it stay open incase I need to go back inside quickly. I propped it under my chin and positioned my bow on it strings.

     I started out slow, thinking of what I wanted to play and then I remembered my sister's favorite song, and started to play that. She used to sing me that song whenever I was crying or having lost inspiration. She used to sing it so beautifully and that made me miss Fuyumi more, but I was glad that she was able to get out of that hellhole.

     I played every note with care, and I played it with honor. I played my violin with honor. I rested when I needed too, played when I needed too. I hummed the piano part of it and thought of my sister. I guess she is the reason I stayed with music.

I drew out the last note before whipping my bow away. I heard a slow clap and I turned my head to see Midoryia in the door way.

"You are... beyond what I expected..." he praised, eyes shining so brightly they looked like gems. I felt butterflies.

"Sorry if I woke you. I was just bored," I say and he shook his head.

"I wouldn't mind if that was my alarm clock," he chuckled. I smiled and remembered the question I was gonna ask him when I was on my phone and saw a request for a concert in Tokyo in a few months. It said solo or an if wanted duet. I decided to take it, just so I'd have money for the necessities.

"Would you be willing play the piano for an upcoming concert for me?" I ask out of the blue. His eyes go wide as he stutters out a 'what?'

"I—You haven't even heard me play yet ! Why—why would you want me to perf—form with you?" Midoryia stutters out, a little bit flustered as he scratched his cheek.

"It's not planned, I know, but since you got a full scholarship here playing, you must be good. And besides," I turn my whole body to face the stuttering mess, "I'd rather perform with a person I'm familiar with than a complete stranger."

     I stared at him nonchalant. I wasn't one to beg but I was pleading. I would rather pick a person of my own choice than my father's. My tension eased up when he sent me a big, dorky smile and I felt my heart melt. Why was I feeling like this?

     "Okay! I trust you!" Midoryia clasped his hands together.

     "Thank you," I say awkwardly since I've never been in this type of situation before. "I was planing on six to ten pieces. I know how tiring it can be when you have to play too much." A questioning expression shadowed his face.

     "What's the most songs you had to perform for a concert?" he asked and all I could was shrug.

     "I'm not sure. I know one time I had to learn 50 or more pieces of solo music," I inform and I thought I heard a crack from his jaw.

     "Why so many?!" Midoryia screeched, I didn't want anyone to know about my father.

     "I wanted a challenge," I lie with a bounce of my shoulders. He pinched the bridge of his freckled nose and a tight smile spread across his face.

"I-I see."

We stood in awkward silence, but I was still bored. I racked my brain for something to play. Nothing came to mind.

"Tell me, what's your favorite song?" I ask the green headed boy. He looked startled.

"I—Why?" Izuku asked back, a red tint invaded his face.

"I need something to play. So what would you like to hear?" He pondered for a moment, with a small grin.

"Can you play what... what you played before? That song you were doing before I interrupted you," he said shyly. I shrugged.

"Okay."

And so I played it again. I kept cutting my eyes over to him. He swayed to the steady beat of the violins sound. His eyelids fluttered closed and a relaxed yet happy expression was on display. I smile and focused on the sound of the wind carrying the vibration for the strings.

     It was refreshing to play for him. I'd play everything for him if I could.

     Maybe I will.

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Published June 21 2019Edited December 12 2022