Part 3
A female student... my classmate Fumiko, who's nearly a head taller than me.
She has the same, or very similar, enhancement-type 'Quirk' as me, and she was incredibly active in the fitness test with her combination of speed and power, so she left an impression. Her powerful movements, even as a female, even reminded me in some ways of All Might, whom I admire.
I was secretly observing her movements, wondering if I could use them as reference... but it was impossible.
Also, precisely because she's female, there were many moments where my eyes were drawn to slightly different places... I lacked concentration, my eyes went there, I'm sorry.
Wait a minute? Did I just bump into Fumiko?
And, given our height difference, that soft sensation just now couldn't possibly be...
"S, ssssorry Fumiko-san! I, it wasn't on purpose, um, I was thinking and not looking ahead, really that..."
Bad bad bad! My action just now, even though it wasn't intentional, was completely that kind of thing that would turn all women in the world against me! If Fumiko-san were to make a fuss here... I'd be looked at with cold eyes by all the girls in the class, no, the whole school, it would become a problem, I'd be called to the staff room, Aizawa-sensei would look at me with cold eyes while stamping me with a zero potential mark and expelling me, worst case straight to the police...
Even while thinking that, my gaze remains fixed on Fumiko-san's chest that suddenly appeared before my eyes and won't move! Damn it, move my body! At least shift my gaze! Please move! Withdraw, earthly desires
Hah, that's right, maybe if I just prostrated myself right here and now, I could both avoid eye contact and apologize at the same time, killing two birds with one stone... The moment I thought that, my head was suddenly pulled into Fumiko's embrace.
"Mmph!?"
"Hey, Midoriya, you're being loud. Don't struggle, don't make a fuss, just shut up for a second."
My face was pressed forcefully into the chest in front of me, buried in it... Whoa, it's soft!? And it smells really nice too...
Then, Fumiko lifted me up bodily and ran off at incredible speed, hiding us behind some cover. There, she released me.
Phew, I'd actually been having trouble breathing a little. I gasped for air. Th, the sensation was so blissful I hadn't even noticed I was suffocating...
Hah, b, but more importantly, I need to prostrate myself!
"Okay, okay, okay, calm down, Midoriya. You don't need to apologize, I'm not mad, really."
"Eh!? R, really!?"
Fumiko said this with a slightly exasperated laugh, even making a "calm down" gesture with her hand. Sh, she's not mad... Really? She's not going to make a big deal out of it? Not report me?
"No, no, if it were on purpose maybe, but I'm not going to get worked up over something like this... It's not like I'm losing anything. Besides, causing a scene in a public place like that and drawing people's attention is more of a nuisance."
Fumiko said something incredibly bold, or rather, big-hearted. It seems she really doesn't mind and has no intention of making it an issue.
Th, thank goodness... She's kind and broad-minded...
I'm really glad it didn't turn into something like that...!
If I got expelled on the first day of school over something like this, what would I even say to All Might...
Come to think of it, the reason she picked me up and hid us in the shadows was probably just because she didn't want to attract attention.
Well, I was the one who was surprised instead... Ah, I can still feel the sensation and the lingering scent on my face...
"But you know, if it were someone other than me... Well, whether it becomes an issue or not, you'd definitely get some disapproving looks, so be careful."
"Y, yeah... Thank you. I'm really sorry... I'll be careful, absolutely from now on."
"I told you, you don't need to apologize... Oh, that's right, in that case, Midoriya, you got a second?"
My face is still hot. I'm probably blushing.
But, called by Fumiko who seemed to have thought of or remembered something, I looked up wondering what it was... She was holding bottled drinks in her hand.
And... from the looks of it, two of the same kind. The contents... Cafe au lait?
Looking closely... One has condensation on it, the other doesn't.
"So about this, I messed up earlier, meant to buy the 'warm' one but bought the 'cold' one by mistake... I didn't want to compromise so I ended up buying again, so I have this extra. Wanna take it?"
"Eh!? S, sure... Actually, I'm thirsty so I'd be happy to have it. Are you sure?"
"Sure, sure. In that case, it works out perfectly."
"O, okay. Thank you. Ah, I'll pay for it..."
"Don't worry about that! Don't be so petty!"
And so I received a 500ml bottle of cafe au lait.
Fumiko lightly shook the cafe au lait bottle in front of me to mix the sediment, then opened the cap and chugged it down in one go. So bold.
I guess I'll have mine right away too.
With a satisfying crack, I opened the cap and took a gulp of the contents.
(...Ah, it's delicious.)
The sweetness and bitterness are just right, smooth on the palate, with a clean aftertaste.
This brand's cafe au lait is this delicious... I didn't know.
It's so tasty... Is it my imagination, or is energy returning to my body that was feeling sluggish until just now? I even feel like I could move briskly.
Nah, it must be my imagination. Even energy drinks don't work that fast.
...Wait, ah, I drank the whole thing in one go. Before I knew it, the 500ml was empty.
"So, was it good?"
"Yeah, really good. I might buy this brand from now on."
"Haha, that's great. Well, I'm heading home now."
"Okay... Ah, I'll throw away the bottles for you."
"Seriously? Ah, well, I'll count on you then."
Handing me the empty bottle, Fumiko left just like that.
Her profile looked cheerful and happy, smiling brightly.
...Was she happy because her favorite drink was praised?
But really, it was delicious... I think I'll really buy this cafe au lait from now on. I'll remember the brand name and product.
"It was delicious... Hehe, that's great... Ah, dangerous, I'm grinning a little..."
A few days later, I bought the same one at a convenience store and tried it... Strangely, it didn't taste as good as it did that time. I wonder why?
...Could it be because of what happened right before, making me so nervous my throat was parched, so it tasted better? Ugh, that's a little... if that's the case... it feels like my worldly desires gave it a boost.