"See this." Ochaco inspects a bag of potato chips, a red-colored label plastered all over it. "It's 'buy two get two free'! Wanna get these? Or do you want to get the chocolate crackers you found on the previous shelf instead?"
Huh, so people normally use discounts to attract customers... Interesting.
"No, we can get four potato chips for the price of two crackers, so I'd rather get these chips." Arata casts her gaze on the chips' price tag on the row. "Are you buying anything else?"
"Not for myself, but Deku-kun asked me to get him one of the seaweed snacks." Grinning sheepishly, Ochaco scratches the back of her own head. "My budget for this kind of thing isn't exactly large."
Arata consciously strokes a couple of bills in her pocket—her monthly allowance from Aizawa—and pastes a reassuring smile. "Same here. Are you okay, though?"
"Ah, don't worry. It's just that money has always been a problem for my family. We have enough to get by, but there isn't much left for anything else. What about you?"
"I intend to avoid asking Aizawa-san for more money. I don't want him to set aside more than necessary to take care of me."
"I understand. I also feel the same way with my father... Like there's something like responsibility weighing on my shoulders to help. I can't bring money to the table yet, but I hope the burden on his shoulders will be lighter if I continue spending less."
"So, it seems we're on the same boat."
"Yup, welcome to the club, Arata-chan." Ochaco clasps both Arata's hands between hers, save for her pinky fingers, practically bouncing. "I will teach you the ways of frugality! Together, we can save money, down to the last penny!"
"I will make sure to keep up with your lessons." Arata giggles and helps her put the snacks in the shopping bag. "Who else is in?"
"None, hence my previous excitement," Ochaco pouts and crosses her arms, leaning on the freezer behind her. "Sometimes, it feels a bit sad to do it alone."
"I'd gladly be your partner in frugality from now on, Ochaco-chan."
"Sweet! Let me grab that seaweed snack from the next row real quick, then we can bring all of these to the cashier."
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After passing through a couple of blocks, suddenly Ochaco stops short at her track and slaps her own round cheeks, rising blushes on them. "Damn it! Hey Arata-chan, what date is today?"
"I forgot the exact date, but it's the middle of July." Arata quirks an eyebrow in confusion. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Can you check if my pants, uh... have a stain on them? I think my period came early."
"Oh... Wait a minute, Ochaco-chan... There's a red blotch, not too big, but..."
"Very visible?"
"Your pants are light brown, so... sort of. I have an extra pad, but it's in my bag in Deku-kun's room..."
"Nope, I'm not going back until this is solved! There are two boys in that room, and it will be too awkward to let them know. Uh, what should I do? Should I just go home? But then, I don't want to take the train with blood-stained pants..."
"How about we get back to the convenience store?" Arata suggests as Ochaco continues to chew her own lips. "I saw that they sell feminine hygiene products and disposable undergarments. Also detergent if you want to wash your pants."
"I think that's the better option out of the two. Damn, just my luck."
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So, here they are again at the convenience store. Upon hearing the predicament Ochaco is in, the cashier allows her to use the staff restroom. After helping Ochaco get the required products, Arata is about to follow her inside the toilet when Ochaco hands their shopping bag to her.
"You don't have to wait here with me, Arata-chan." Ochaco sends a sheepish smile her way, one hand holding the door, the other clasping a black plastic bag. "There's a hand dryer too, so I can dry my clothes. I'm fine, it won't take long."
"Sure, take your time," Arata says to Ochaco's retreating back and waves. "I'm sure Shoto-san and Deku-kun don't mind a small delay."
Having nothing to do, Arata exits the store and leans back on a lamp pole nearby, enjoying the warm sensation the sunlight traces on her skin. Sky spreads above her like a light blue canopy with tiny clumps of white here and there, providing minimum cover for the people below.
The streets ahead are pretty much empty, probably the nearby residents choose to stay in their houses due to the hot weather. It's very peaceful, Arata closes her eyes, humming along to the song of cicadas that is teeming in the air.
"Keep that up and I will blow up your damned head, Extra."
Snapping her eyes open at the brash words, she comes face to face with a pair of piercing red eyes. The owner is glowering at her, his ash blond hair framing the plain hostility etched on his face.
"Oh, I'm sorry, um..." Isn't he one of the 1-A students? He had left the class before we got acquainted properly, though. Ugh, I don't think I remember his name... I'm sure someone has told me about it, though. What was it that Kaminari-kun said? "I'm sorry, Bakagou-san."
"What did you just say?" His scowl darkens as he bares his teeth. He can't believe the nerve of this lowlife to call him stupid. Ever since her first appearance, she has rubbed him the wrong way with the way she is. "Are you fucking ridiculing me? I'll make you regret it!"
Did I get that wrong?
"I— I don't mean to! I just didn't happen to catch your name!" Arata unconsciously takes a step back, clutching the paper bag even closer to her chest as if it would defend her from a pissed-off classmate.
Not even a slight motion like that escapes Bakugou's sharp vision. A person's reaction tells a lot about someone, and out of all the responses she can exhibit, she chooses to give in right away. So submissive, so unlike... a hero.
"Unbelievable," he sneers, his smirk stretched a little broader. "There you go again, acting like a scared mouse. What can you even do? Fucking cower in front of the villains?"
Despite his menacing intimidation towards his other classmates and their aversion to it, they don't back down. It is either they fight back or they stand their ground. Heroes don't give up, especially not for the sake of merely getting out of a situation unscathed or saving their own skin.
"Yeah," Arata replies in a small voice, slowly retreating.
Bakugou's accusation hurts, because she knows she will do what is required of her if the situation calls for it. But, affirmation is the quickest way to diffuse a confrontation that she knows, and she isn't keen on jumping into conflicts. She just wants to return to Deku's house as soon as possible.
"Shithead, I know you don't mean it!"
Ignoring the furious blond, Arata shrugs. "I, um, will get out of your hair. Once again, I'm sor—"
"Don't fuck with me."
Arata is just about to turn around and search for Ochaco when an explosion sets off in front of her. A couple of centimeters nearer, and it would be a direct blast to her face. A wave of heat emanates from his hand in front of her head, blowing past her skin.
She blinks, probably due to the burning sensation in her eyes, but makes no move to put some distance between them or avoid a follow-up attack.
"Hah, I didn't want to believe it, but you really can't do anything!" Bakugou roars crudely, noting that Arata doesn't get to react to his explosion. "Not even a single attempt to defend yourself. You fucking froze, you moron. With a reflex that slow, even my toddler self could blow you out of the water!"
"..."
Having an aspiring hero who buckles under pressure like this extra is a disgrace to the heroics. A disgrace to the heroics that U.A. has tried to teach them. A disgrace to the heroics that All Might has shown over and over. A disgrace to the heroics that Bakugou believes in.
"What a goddamn joke of a hero you will make. Forget protecting civilians, you can't even protect yourself!"
"..."
And, even after he has provoked and insulted her, this extra barely says anything. She only stares at him for a while, then shifts her focus back on the paper bag in her grasp again, apparently checking over the contents. He doesn't know which one infuriates him more, her effortless submission or her incapability of being a hero.
"Stop ignoring me, damn it!" Irritated by her lack of response, Bakugou seizes two bags of chips from her hand. "An extra like you—"
Before he knows it, Arata swiftly snatches one of them back. "You can take mine, but this one is Ochaco-chan's. Sorry."
Bakugou can't say that he is at a loss of words, because he isn't. But, for a moment there, her arm whizzes past his defenses so quickly that his reflex couldn't keep up.
Impossible, he clenches his jaw. If Extra was really that fast, she should've moved to dodge my explosion. Was I just surprised?
"You think I need your permission to have some chips!?"
"Um, no, but—"
"Shut up! I'll kill you, you extra!"
"Bakugou-kun! Arata-chan!" Ochaco yells from the entrance of the convenience store, her hands on her hips. The cashier is peeking behind her shoulders, afraid to break their little scuffle. "What is going on here?"
Finally! Arata almost jumps in joy at the sight of her friend, who looks slightly more annoyed than her normal self. "Ochaco-chan, I was just—"
"Mind your own business, Roundface!" Bakugou barks and flashes her a middle finger. "This is between me and this good-for-nothing right here!"
Ochaco's mood has gone downhill following the unexpected coming of her period. And as if the cramps and the bloody mess aren't bad enough, now she also has to deal with Bakugou's short-fused temper. Not to mention the pile of unfinished homework she left in Deku's room.
Suppressing the growing exasperation in her stomach, she takes a deep sigh and marches towards her friends.
Today is definitely not my lucky day.