Chapter 34 – Rescue
The entire teaching staff is satisfied with the festival's progress. Spectators and students are having fun, and the latter are doing their best to win the games and get noticed by the Professional Heroes. Midnight is no exception and is enjoying her role as referee of the main matches, which took place this morning.
Izuku Midoriya again proved to be a surprise. Midnight had already seen him wearing armour the first time he appeared at the USJ, but seeing him in armour again, she couldn't help but admire the union of man and metal. When she first saw him, the blood-stained armor gave him an aura of lethal and bloody elegance; now that it is clean, it is very similar to that of the knights and princes who usually appear in fairy tales, but with a powerful aura of charisma, nobility, and honor, born from years of bearing and training, to the point of seeming natural. His green eyes also came to mind, which continued to express a range of emotions, especially surprise and doubt, during the competitions. It was a refreshing sight… seeing his expressive eyes also hint at seriousness and weariness, which made her want to tease him as she usually does, especially after he attempted that unfunny joke.
«The encouraging smile of a beautiful woman like you, sensei, is already a victory for a joke-blocker like me.»
That statement Izuku had made to her that morning suddenly came back to her, stopping her in her footsteps for a moment. His tone and amused smile expressed seriousness, as if he were laying out facts. Her mind knows this as well as her conscience does, since she has had many admirers and suitors, but, having never been interested in men her age or older, she has always rejected them. Instead, she rejected younger suitors because she wanted to focus initially on her career as a Professional Heroine and later as a teacher, putting aside feelings such as attraction or love, while maintaining a flirtatious nature that, to her amusement, elicited different reactions.
Yet, although her reason had noticed, she had felt embarrassed, happy, and, strangely, fulfilled after Izuku called her a "beautiful woman."
When those two words echoed in her head, a loving, affectionate smile appeared on her face, as her hand went to arrange a tuft of hair behind her ear.
It's not a bad feeling...?! She recovered by tapping her cheeks Nonono! Get a grip, Nemuri! It has no deep meaning!
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Midnight continued towards the entrance to the stadium pitch when she heard numerous voices, not far away.
The paparazzi are as pushy as ever. She clicked her tongue, annoyed.
When she arrived at the entrance to the arena for the attendants, she saw that there was indeed a group of journalists, but the people trying to interview were Izuku and a young woman with voluminous, cream blonde hair.
Ugh! That-?!! She was about to curse in her head, recognising Mt. Lady. But when she saw the woman clinging to Izuku's arm and smiling at the cameras, her body was paralysed; her heart and stomach ached, as if she had been… stabbed. But, looking at Izuku's expression, that feeling immediately turned into pity and… relief?
However, Izuku's gaze was serious and sharp, marked by revulsion, annoyance and… a clear murderous intent. Not surprisingly, Izuku answered journalists' questions with the typical two words of someone who wants nothing to do with the press.
«No comment.»
It was his polite and civilised way of solving quickly, also because he tried in vain to free himself from Mt. Lady's grip: as soon as he freed himself, she would immediately re-engage. Better if I give him a hand.
«That's where you were, Midoriya-san!» she spoke, attracting everyone's attention «The break ends soon. We have to go back inside.»
«Tsk!» clicked her tongue, Mt. Lady.
«Ah! Midnight-sensei. Thank you for warning me.» he stated, freeing himself from Mt. Lady's grip for the umpteenth time «As you have heard, duty calls. I wish you a good day.»
«But you didn't answer any-»
«If you want answers to those questions...» Izuku interrupted the reporter «I think Principal Nezu will be more than happy to respond. As long as you want to be blacklisted. Isn't that right, Midnight-sensei?»
«Very likely.» she stated seriously «After all, in UA, we care about the privacy and well-being of our students.»
Quoting the chimerical principle of UA, followed by Midnight's confirmation, all the journalists fell silent and, little by little, began to retreat. As Izuku crossed the threshold to reach Midnight.
«Ah, dear! Do you have to leave already?» asked Mt. Lady in a sorry tone.
She doesn't know why, but to Midnight it sounded like she heard a noise, as if something was breaking, coming from Izuku. Without giving an immediate response, he increased his pace until he was in front of her.
«Midnight-sensei, please play along.» he said with a whisper.
At the statement, Midnight was surprised, not knowing what he meant, but what happened next took her completely off guard.
Izuku had moved alongside her so that Mt. Lady could see both clearly. He lowered himself, leaning on one knee, gently took her right hand and performed the act of kissing it, but without doing so.
«Midnight, will you grant me the honour of accompanying you?» he asked.
The tone of the question was full of respect, but with notes of affection… almost as if Midnight was a princess, his princess, freezing her in surprise.
Exactly three seconds passed, and Midnight's face turned bright red, while a mushroom-shaped smoke formed above her head. She was embarrassed; her heart was pounding, but she was also incredibly happy about Izuku's act. Midnight turned her head to hide her face when she noticed that Mt. Lady had been left speechless.
Ah! Yes! Play along! Play along! This is just a dre- AN ACT! THIS IS JUST AN ACT!!!
«I-I would be ha-happy… Izuku.» she stated, pronouncing his name in a low tone, full of happy embarrassment.
That seemed to be the last straw for Mt. Lady, who, after hearing the grinding noise of her teeth, walked away from the entrance with heavy steps.
To make sure to keep some scene, so that Mt. Lady had no doubts in case she returned, Izuku stood up, gently holding the hand he had "kissed", and walked her towards the entrance to the pitch. Once they were far enough apart, Izuku let go of her hand.
«Thank you for holding the play, Midnight-sensei.» Izuku said gratefully «And most of all, thank you for coming to save me.»
«Huh? Ah, it's not a problem. After all, you are one of our students.» she stated as if she had just woken up from a dream «But you shouldn't take certain liberties. Especially with one of your teachers.»
«I am sincerely sorry.» he said, lowering his head «But Mt. Lady was trying in every way to force me into a relationship with her.»
«You know, it would have been enough to reject her.»
«Do you think I didn't try?» Izuku asked in an exhausted tone «I've rejected her several times, but that woman is hungry for attention and money.»
Midnight, couldn't deny it. Mt. Lady is not a terrible Professional Heroine per se, but in an interview where she was a guest with her, where they talked about the heroes' costumes and why certain clothing choices are made, she was accused by Mt. Lady that she chose her type of costume to attract attention, even bringing up the issue of her age, and the argument broke out during the live broadcast. Ugh. Looking back, I don't mind his reaction just now.
«Anyway, thank you again for your help, Midnight-sensei. I owe you.»
«In debt for so little.» she said amusedly «Be careful what you say, because one day I might actually come and redeem that debt.»
«Hou. I'm really curious to know how.» Izuku stated with amused interest
Hearing that note of curiosity, Midnight felt her flirting side kick in and, consequently, the need to tease him, almost as if to get revenge for the act just now. Let's see how he reacts~
«Maybe~» began sensually «with a romantic date for a whole day?» she asked, licking her lips lasciviously.
As she asked that question, she looked at Izuku with longing eyes, but underneath it could be felt the joking side of the sentence, a sign of her spite for the earlier performance. Izuku looked surprised, and Midnight, who was ready to reveal that it was just a joke.
«If you are ok with someone like me, sensei, then I'll do my best.»