"Hmm?"
Sensing a gaze from the doorway, Konata turned her head and immediately spotted Midoriya Izuku standing there.
"Umm…"
As her eyes met his, Midoriya instinctively looked away, strangely flustered for some reason.
Before he could even get a word out, her conflicted-sounding voice reached his ears.
"Ugh… You want some too?"
Looking at the apple she had finally managed to grab after a lot of effort, Konata hesitated for a moment, then held it up with a complicated expression and asked Midoriya. She had noticed that his eyes were practically glued to the apple in her hand...
Midoriya: "..."
Of course, he picked up on her hesitation, but what struck him more wasn't her logic—which bizarrely assumed he'd come all this way just to get an apple—but the fact that, in her eyes, he seemed to weigh no more than… a single apple?
"Thanks. You really helped me out, you know~"
Taking the apple he had peeled, Konata generously handed him one that was slightly bigger than the one she was eating.
"Don't worry, there's no way I can finish all this fruit by myself."
So she really thinks I came back just to eat an apple…
Feeling a bit weird about it, Midoriya took the fruit and sat on the chair by her bed, silently peeling his own apple.
For a while, the room grew quiet, filled only with the soft sound of the fruit knife scraping and the golden evening sunlight filtering through the window, bathing the two in a warm hue.
"I really admire you, Konata."
Midoriya finally broke the silence, still focused on peeling the apple.
"At first, you were someone I thought I needed to protect. But in the blink of an eye, you've become someone I now look up to—someone who's left me far behind… I'm really sorry about everything that happened. If I hadn't rushed in so recklessly, maybe you wouldn't have gotten so badly hurt. If you hadn't tried to protect me—"
"With great power comes great responsibility, right? And besides, I don't blame you at all. At most, I've just got a little resentment because you interrupted my skills a few times... You've saved me three times, and I've only saved you once. So technically, I still owe you two."
She tossed the apple core on the nightstand and mumbled through a mouthful of fruit while wiping her hands.
"And I believe you're absolutely going to become an amazing hero!!"
"Thanks…"
Midoriya whispered, quietly wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.
She was the second person—after All Might—to say that to him.
No one knew how much emotional turmoil he had gone through during the three days Konata was unconscious. If he hadn't been so rash... if she hadn't had to protect him, she wouldn't have been so seriously hurt.
Especially the thought that, while unconscious, she almost got taken away on his watch—that guilt was something he couldn't forgive himself for.
Now, hearing those words directly from her, the heavy emotions that had been weighing down his heart were finally lifted.
"How can I become as strong as you?"
With his mind finally clear, Midoriya asked Konata directly. This was, after all, one of the main reasons he had come back.
He remembered very well how she, just like him, couldn't control her Quirk at first—how she used to get hurt just by using it, much like his own situation.
He wanted to know how she managed to improve so fast.
"Uhh…"
Scratching her cheek with a finger, Konata glanced around the room, clearly avoiding eye contact.
…Because honestly, what she really wanted to say was: "I'm kind of a cheat player, you see."
"Oh, right—are you preparing for the Sports Festival?"
As if something just clicked, she turned to him with a spark in her eyes.
"Yeah, but I still can't control my Quirk properly. I need to get stronger as fast as I can. It's the only way I'll be able to protect others... and become a real hero."
Looking down at his clenched fists, Midoriya's expression was filled with determination.
"Hmm, the Sports Festival's in less than two weeks, right? I'll see if I can put together a training plan that suits your situation."
Thinking for a bit, Konata answered with a hint of uncertainty.
"Your main issue right now is that you've got the power, but no control. You just need to focus on mastering it—and I think I might be able to help with that."
"Really…? Won't that take up your time…?"
Midoriya couldn't believe she'd actually say something like that. He lifted his head in surprise.
"It's no big deal. I'll just use the opportunity to train alongside you. I need to build up my own physical strength anyway. Mutual benefit, you know?"
She waved it off like it was nothing. Konata didn't really think much of his reaction.
"No need to be formal. We're friends, right?"
Friends…?
Midoriya suddenly felt a weird headache.
"You want more fruit? I've still got dragon fruit, durian, pears... But if you want the durian, go eat it outside."
"…I'll just take a mandarin, thanks."
"Gotcha. And peel a pear for me while you're at it, okay?"
"...Sure…"
The atmosphere in the room had turned inexplicably warm and peaceful.
Neither of them noticed the two people who had originally planned to walk in—now quietly stepping away after seeing the harmony inside.
"Looks like Young Midoriya's inner turmoil has finally been resolved."
Walking down the hallway beside Recovery Girl, All Might sounded almost emotional.
"They're both good kids," Recovery Girl smiled as she glanced over at him.
"He's your successor. What are you going to do about this?"
"Young people's problems should be handled by young people. Us old folks don't need to meddle—that's what youth is for."
All Might winked at her.
"Besides, don't you think the two of them make a great pair?"