MHA Tales of the Gentle Palm

"Here, get in the shower and make it quick, please. We have a train to catch."

Ibara tossed a towel to the boy, deliberately avoiding looking in his direction, knowing that her best friend was only in his boxers.

With a swift motion, she used her vine to tidy his bed, straightening the room while Ai groggily walked out the door, murmuring incoherent words.

Ignoring his complaints, Ibara continued fixing the bed while also using her vine to gather the scattered items across his bedroom. As she picked up one of the objects her vine had retrieved, she quickly glanced at the door, confirming Ai was already out of sight.

"You're not bringing this game today, Ai! I want you to focus on the exam, understand!?"

The only response she received was an incomprehensible grunt. Not entirely sure if Ai understood her, she decided to hide the game anyway, slipping it into the bedside drawer.

Ai had a habit of carrying his handheld console everywhere, playing whenever he felt like it. But that wasn't going to fly today. Ibara had to make sure his attention was solely on the exam.

And, if she was being honest, she also wanted to prevent him from getting expelled from UA if the faculty ever discovered the questionable nature of the games he played.

She sighed, already resigned to the fact that she'd never be able to change his odd hobbies. Still, she tried to see the silver lining. Sure, he plays some of the most lecherous, sinful, and borderline illegal games I've ever seen in my life… but hey, at least they're just games. It's not real. He's not a bad guy, nor a villain. He's just a guy who wants to enjoy his youth.

Besides, Ai had always been respectful of her beliefs and interests. The least she could do was extend the same courtesy to him. He even let himself be dragged into some of her activities, despite clearly not enjoying them. And yet, he never once complained. He simply supported her. That, above all, was something she deeply appreciated.

Shaking the thoughts away, Ibara refocused on the day ahead. She had no time to dwell on Ai's sinful hobbies she needed to focus on the entrance exam.

After finishing her cleaning, she followed Ai downstairs, making sure he hadn't collapsed onto the sofa and fallen back asleep. Thankfully, he hadn't.

She watched as the lilac-haired boy sluggishly made his way to the washroom, rubbing his left cheek now marked red, courtesy of her vine.

It might have seemed cruel to wake him up with a slap, but both of them had long agreed it was the most effective method. Ibara had tried gentler approaches in the past, but none of them worked. Worse, they sometimes led to humiliating situations.

Her cheeks suddenly flushed as a particularly embarrassing memory resurfaced.

Back in middle school, their teachers often tasked her with making sure Ai wasn't late especially on important days like exams or school trips. Being the diligent student she was, she took the job seriously. She would wake up early and try every method she could think of to drag him out of bed.

But Ai was a notorious heavy sleeper. And considering his habit of staying up late, waking him was nearly impossible.

One morning, she had attempted a more delicate approach. Leaning close, she whispered into his ear while gently shaking him, hoping he'd hear her voice and wake up peacefully.

But things did not go as planned.

Instead of groggily opening his eyes, Ai still half-asleep grabbed her and pulled her into the bed*. Before she could even process what had happened, she found herself trapped in his embrace.

The cuddle lasted several minutes, mostly because she was too stunned to react. Her mind had completely frozen. I'm in Ai's bed. He's hugging me. I'm in Ai's bed. He's hugging me.

Then she felt something pressing against her backside.

Please be a phone…

A second later, realization struck.

Panic mode: activated.

Her vines lashed out viciously at the unaware culprit, effectively ending the incident in the most painful way possible.

But at least, thanks to that accident, they had discovered the most effective way to wake him up.

Shaking off the nostalgic memory, Ibara turned her attention back to Ai's belongings on the sofa. She grabbed his bag and double-checked its contents. She had already prepared everything the night before, but it never hurt to be thorough.

Once she confirmed nothing was missing, she picked up Ai's phone from the side table, ensuring it was fully charged something he always forgot to do. Satisfied, she placed both items on the chair for easy access later.

As she set the phone down, her eyes landed on a picture frame beside it.

It was a photo of her and Ai at seven years old, smiling and hugging.

Ai didn't have many photos in his home, but the few he did were mostly of the two of them. Ibara had always loved capturing memories, and Ai despite his usual indifference never stopped her from taking pictures.

With a small smile, she carried the bag to the kitchen and reheated the bento she had brought with her. Opening the fridge, she checked for any fruit to add to Ai's breakfast, but her shoulders slumped at the sight.

All the fresh fruit and ready-to-eat food were gone. The only things left were ingredients that needed proper cooking.

She sighed, making a mental note to deal with it tomorrow. She couldn't really blame Ai for this. I was the one who forced him to stock up on real food after I caught him eating canned beans and a cucumber for a meal. His diet had horrified her.

She hated the thought of wasting food especially when so many people struggled to afford proper meals. Cooking everything before it spoiled would at least ensure Ai had decent food for a few days.

The sound of footsteps approaching snapped her out of her thoughts. Quickly, she finished preparing breakfast and set it on the table just as Ai entered the kitchen.

"Hey… yawn… morning, Eve," he greeted sleepily, plopping down in front of the meal. Clasping his hands together, he muttered, "Thanks for the food," before digging in.

"Be careful. Don't burn your tongue I just heated some of that," she warned while washing the cookware.

A few minutes later, Ai finished his meal and washed his dishes before drying his hands with a towel.

"Here's your coat. And please wear a necktie this time," Ibara said, handing him his things.

Ai hummed in response and took his belongings, allowing Ibara to help straighten his shirt. When he tried to assist with his tie, she lightly slapped his hand away. She knew he was terrible at tying it.

Once satisfied with his appearance, she gave him a quick once-over and nodded.

"Your phone is in your bag pocket. Let's get going we don't want to be late for our exam."

As she turned to leave, Ai called out.

"Wait, Eve."

She paused, watching as he held something out to her.

"Here."

She blinked at the small charm in his hand. A lucky charm for exam-takers.

"I know this isn't from your church, but I wanted to give it to you anyway. I know you'll pass without it but, you know… double tap."

Ibara tilted her head. Double tap. It was a reference to his favorite pre-Quirk-era zombie movie a term meaning make sure the zombie is truly dead.

Ai chuckled. "You're already 100% guaranteed to pass, but I just wanted to add 20% luck."

Her cheeks warmed at the unexpected compliment. But before she could react, Ai had already walked past her.

Silently, she tucked the charm into her pocket and followed him, smiling softly.

"You better pass this exam, Ai. Don't mess around."

"Heh. Of course I will. I promised you, didn't I? We're gonna be heroes."

Ibara looked at her best friend and nodded.

"Right."

Ai was a lot of things both good and bad. Sure, there were some questionable characteristics he had that she wished he would change or drop. Something she often prayed for a miracle to fix.

But if there was one thing she admired most about her best friend, it was this:

Ai always kept his promises.

Eight Years Ago

"Here, this is your doll, right?"

Ibara stared at the young boy she had been avoiding in class. She couldn't stand his antics or his foul mouth.

But right now, the boy standing in front of her looked like he had just crawled through the mud covered in dirt, scratches marking his face.

And yet, in his hands was her doll. The one her mother had gifted her. The one those mean kids had stolen.

Ibara looked at him this boy who, despite looking like he was about to collapse, still smiled at her kindly.

Oh... and he's missing a front tooth.

"See? I told you I was gonna get it back. I promised you that, right!? Hehehe."

At that moment, Ibara thought to herself

This boy...

"He's like a hero."

End of Chapter 2