CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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"SO, YOU'RE SAYING THAT... YOU told Shoto?" No wonder why he knew where you were. There was no way that would be too good of a coincidence. Why would he go back to the classroom at the same time as you would?

And now, here you were, eating lunch with Mina.

"Well... kind of, that's it. Aha," Mina avoids your gaze, looking elsewhere. "Look, I know I'm guilty! But all's well that ends well, is it not?" 

"I haven't said anything. Do you feel guilty? You shouldn't be." After all, because of Mina, you were able to see how adorable Shoto can be. "Mina, can I tell you something?"

"Mhm, go ahead." She replied, chewing on her food.

"But, can you please pinky promise me that you won't laugh at me or anything? Please?" You beg Mina, looking at her with doe eyes.

"What? Of course! Why would I laugh, you idiot?" She quickly intertwines her pinky with yours.

"Well... it's stupid to hear, but..." 

"I think I might be in love with Shoto, actually," You admitted hastily, your cheeks heating up at what you said. It felt different when you actually have to say it.

When you heard no reply from Mina, you look at her. There were no reactions, no anything that could be assumed based from her face. She was just looking at you.

"What? You're creeping me out, weirdo. Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"Is that not normal for people who are in a relationship? To be in love with them?" Mina says in an obvious tone.

Ah, right.

You almost forgot that you were in a fake relationship with Shoto. 

"About that..." You laugh sarcastically. "It's a long story, but... long story short, me and Shoto are actually in a fake relationship, I think..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"So, um, long story short, you know that my ex is bothering me, right?" Mina nods at your question. "Well, basically, Shoto and I somehow got into a fake relationship so my ex would stop bothering me. And I think it's working? Since Kai isn't bothering me anymore."

"So... you're saying, you actually both have mutual feelings. And it's real." Mina concluded, making your cheeks heat up yet again.

"What? How did you come up with that conclusion?!" You denied quickly.

"Well... I see no reason why Todoroki would want to help you since he wouldn't benefit from fake dating you at all unless he actually wants to date you. Hasn't that crossed your mind, stupid?" Mina says, as if she was stating the obvious.

"But that's too good to be true, but..." She was right. She was making a good point. But still...

To have him be in love with you, or even holding feelings for you? That's like a dream you never thought you'd actually reach. It was too far. You could never, in your whole life, assume that.

But still, you want to hope.

"Maybe you're right..." You sigh. "Maybe I shouldn't have dragged Todoroki into this mess with me, Mina. If I didn't, all these feelings wouldn't even resurface, at all..."

"Resurface? So you held feelings for him back then, too?"

"Well..." How couldn't you? You remember it just like it was yesterday.

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea..."  You talked to yourself, biting on your nail as you look at the board. Students were pushing left and right because of how crowded it was. And you, a student, was trying to find your name and section.

"Excuse me..."  You try to push through despite how crowded it was, and as expected, you were having a hard time. 

You let out a small shriek when you got pushed, and had someone not been behind to hold you, would you have fallen.

"Careful."

That was your very first encounter with him. It's cliché, but that single gesture was what got you interested in him.

You didn't know when, where, and why you'd always try to find him when an opportunity rises.

That was your very first time to have a crush on someone.

Still, that silly little crush had been long forgotten when another person came into your life, or so you thought.

"Yeah, you're definitely in love with him, you idiot." She laughed. "You should talk to him about it."

"I don't--"

"I'm not listening to you any further. It's definitely a great idea to tell him how you feel, unless you just want your relationship to be nothing more than fake. And who knows? He might feel the same way." 

"But what if he doesn't, Mina? And I get rejected? It'd be your fault."

She laughs even harder. "I think I should put a spoiler warning, but he's definitely as in love with you as you are, (Name). Maybe even more."