No matter how strong someone was, even the toughest warriors couldn’t fight forever.
Even warriors need rest.
After all, real warriors don’t live in Valhalla.
In that sense, the day of rest granted to Kirishima was as sweet as honey.
It had to be.
"So, Uraraka’s coming over? Then why are you telling me that?"
"You know she loves rice cakes. I was planning to try that tteokbokki recipe Eijiro once made for me, but it didn’t turn out so well…"
"And?"
"Hehe. I was hoping Eijiro would make it again. I’ll hang out with you in return!"
"For starters, I’m the one who got seriously hurt yesterday. Recovery Girl patched me up, sure, but..."
Kirishima couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation at how Ashido—who had burst into the infirmary just yesterday, clinging to him and crying—managed to completely change her demeanor in a single day.
It wasn’t his concern who Ashido got close with; after all, the rest of Class 1-A were all destined to be future colleagues, so it wasn’t a bad thing.
The real problem was that today, for once, he’d planned to clear his head and take a break—no training, no battle reviews.
Perhaps sensing his mood, Ashido looped her arm through his and grinned playfully.
"Aww, help me just this once. I promise I’ll make something really delicious next time!"
"Will I live long enough to taste that delicious dish…?"
Ashido’s cooking skills were nothing short of catastrophic.
She would mix up salt and sugar, either use too much of one or forget the other entirely—and never once had her cooking ever turned out well.
Kirishima sighed and nodded.
It had been her first real battle yesterday, too.
This was precisely the kind of moment that called for a little emotional care, and if that was the case, there was no reason for him—the older one—to refuse.
"So, do you have everything you need to make the tteokbokki?"
"Yep! I’ve got the rice cakes, green onions, fish cakes—everything!"
"What about gochujang?"
"Huh? Gochujang? Oh, we don’t have any!"
"Good thing you told me then…I’ve got some."
"Wow! Thank goodness!"
Kirishima sighed, went home, and returned with the gochujang.
Having learned Korean recipes from YouTube in a past life, he always kept a stash of gochujang at home.
When Ashido saw him come back carrying not only gochujang but also sausages, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh? Why’d you bring so much? Last time, didn’t you make it simpler?"
"Last time it was just the two of us. Today we’ve got guests, so I thought I’d add a bit more. It’ll still taste great. By the way, do you have any cheese at home?"
"Nope, none. You know I hardly cook."
"Right then. I’ll just run out and grab some."
"Oh? I’m coming with you."
"It won’t take long, so it isn’t really necessary—but do as you please."
After opening the door, Ashido fell in step beside Kirishima.
The two strolled along a route they had grown familiar with.
It wasn’t a huge supermarket, but they soon reached a small store stocked with just about everything they needed.
The owner—a friendly middle-aged lady who had grown quite fond of them in the past few days—greeted them warmly.
"Aren’t you supposed to be in school today?"
"It’s temporarily closed," Kirishima explained.
"Oh, right. I saw on the news this morning that U.A. was attacked. Is that why?"
"Yes. They called for a day off. I’m sure the school has a lot on its plate right now."
"I see... Still, neither of you looks hurt."
Ashido was quick to protest.
"Oh, no! He was really badly injured!"
"Really? Were you the ones attacked?"
While Kirishima responded with a quick, casual, "Yeah," he pulled Ashido a little closer.
"It wasn’t too serious—she’s exaggerating. Now, you and I need to talk," he added in a low voice so the lady wouldn’t overhear.
"Huh? Why?"
"If possible, don’t go around saying I was badly hurt."
"Why? It’ll come out eventually, won’t it?"
"There’s a big difference between an investigation revealing the truth and internal gossip running wild. We don’t need to hurt U.A.’s reputation. If you’ve got complaints about the school, fine, but if you’re going to vent, it’s better to report it properly upstairs."
"Hmm... I do have my complaints, especially since Eijiro nearly died. But I still like the school. Frankly, that attack was almost unavoidable—stopping someone with a Warp Quirk isn’t easy."
"So you won’t mention me?"
Ashido simply nodded.
Kirishima ruffled her soft hair gently before turning his attention back to the owner.
The woman, wearing an amused smile, observed them and said, "I’ve noticed you two get along so well—you even whisper to each other in front of everyone!"
"Well, we’re not on bad terms. Now, do you have any cheese, ma’am?"
Kirishima casually let her remark slide, though Ashido wasn’t so quick to do so. Her cheeks tinged with a blush as she again linked her arm with his.
The lady laughed and replied, "Of course we have cheese. Well, it just came in yesterday. It’s over there."
Kirishima picked up two packages of mozzarella from where she pointed and paid for them.
Walking home with a now-quiet Ashido, Kirishima’s mind sparked with a promising idea.
"Mina, should we call Midoriya too?"
"Midoriya? I think that’d be fine."
"Then ask Uraraka if it’s alright for Midoriya to come as well. We can’t just decide by ourselves."
"Okay."
In no time, she phoned Uraraka and got her approval.
Her cheerful tone at the news of another guest made Kirishima smile knowingly as he dialed Midoriya.
Midoriya must have been awake because he answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"Yeah, it’s Kirishima."
"Oh, hey, Kirishima. You okay? Didn’t you get hurt?"
"You and I both got treated by Recovery Girl and left the infirmary, didn’t we? I’m completely healed. Until last night, I still felt some discomfort from undrained blood in my lungs, but I’m fine now. More importantly, how about coming over to Mina’s for lunch?"
"Lunch? All of a sudden?"
"Yeah. If left alone, you’d just end up locked in your room watching All Might videos and beating yourself up for not doing anything yesterday."
"Ugh, I wasn’t planning on digging myself into a hole."
"So you admit you were watching All Might. And you were feeling guilty too, right?"
"I can’t deny that. Alright, I’ll come. Lunch, then?"
Maybe it was Kirishima’s knack for detecting even the smallest fibs that convinced Midoriya not to protest his grumbling mood.
Despite the truth that he’d done almost nothing yesterday and had been leaning on Kirishima and All Might, the feeling of helplessness was hard to shake off.
As Midoriya set down the dumbbells he’d been holding, Kirishima’s voice came in over the phone once more.
"Just so you know, the menu is tteokbokki—so don’t expect anything fancy. Oh, and Uraraka’s coming too."
"Eh? Ur—Uraraka? Why?"
"Ask Mina. She invited her. I don’t really know. Just be at Mina’s by noon."
"Got it."
After hanging up, Kirishima returned home with Ashido and began the preparations.
It was 9:30 when Ashido first barged into his place, and now, at 10:00, with the cheese in hand, there was plenty of time.
The two fumbled their way through gathering the ingredients, with Ashido mostly the one bumping into things.
Meanwhile, Uraraka left her house in high spirits.
For someone who usually skipped meals or barely ate on her days off, Ashido’s invitation was a treat.
Her typical holiday routine was simple:
Skip meals to save money.
Sleep, because staying awake was a waste.
Clear the mind, and even the heat felt refreshing—so, endure the summer.
It was the kind of lifestyle a reclusive master might follow, but when no alternatives existed, what could she do?
In that sense, today’s invitation was something to look forward to.
Plus, the menu featured her favorite rice cake dish—perfect.
"Now that I think about it, Midoriya said he’d come too... I guess he’s all healed up,"
At the thought of Midoriya, Uraraka let out a relieved sigh.
The boy with the kind face and a slightly awkward first impression was far stronger than he appeared.
She remembered him saving her during the practical exam, and how she’d witnessed his remarkable strength up close.
But that was the catch.
Every time he used his power, it came with the price of damaging parts of his own body.
An ability that demanded his arms, fingers, and legs might have felt like a curse to someone else.
Yet Midoriya was different.
He appreciated his power, despite its heavy toll, and strove to master its use in any way he could.
Thanks to that determination, he even managed to land a solid hit on Bakugo during training.
That fierce resolve struck a chord with Uraraka.
It was remarkable—an unwavering will that belied his gentle looks.
And it was a little heartbreaking to see him repeatedly injured.
Lost in thought, she cupped her cheeks and murmured,
"What am I saying? Midoriya would be mad if he heard that."
It wasn’t right to pity someone’s proud choice.
"Still, he does seem a bit pitiful..."
"Pitiful? You?"
"Hyaaaah!"
Startled by Midoriya’s sudden voice beside her, Uraraka jumped up.
Her hands came together in a clumsy attempt to steady herself, but Midoriya instinctively grabbed one and pulled it down.
Then his face flushed bright red as he stammered,
"I—I wasn’t thinking anything weird; I was just trying to catch you..."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re on your way to Ashido’s too, right? I heard on the phone."
"Yeah. Kirishima called me..."
The two, red-faced and stumbling over their words, lowered their heads together.
After a brief silence, they started toward Ashido’s apartment.
A heavy quiet lingered between them for a moment, but it soon faded away—thanks in large part to the many lunches they’d shared over the past few days.
Chatting about yesterday’s events, they quickly reached the apartment where Ashido and Kirishima lived.
"I think it’s room 402..."
"It’s right next door to Kirishima’s. I haven’t been to Ashido’s place, but I’ve visited Kirishima’s once."
"Really? They live so close?"
"Oh, you don’t know? They’re childhood friends. Since both got into U.A. at the same time, their parents arranged for them to live near trustworthy people."
"I see."
"I even told Kirishima that if he had nowhere to stay he could crash at our place, but he ended up getting his own apartment. Still, nothing beats having your own space."
"That’s true. I didn’t really know anyone here either, but an apartment seems more comfortable than boarding, so I live alone too."
After a brief chat, they hopped on the elevator and soon arrived at Ashido’s place.
When they rang the doorbell, it swung open immediately to reveal Ashido.
"Oh! Hi! Uraraka, Midoriya! Come on in!"
"Hi, thanks for inviting us."
"This is your first time here since I moved, right? Is Kirishima inside?"
Their warm greetings were met with Ashido’s energetic smile.
At Midoriya’s inquiry, she winked and said, "Eijiro’s busy cooking right now! You haven’t had his cooking before, have you? You’re in for a treat—it’s delicious!"
"Oh, so Kirishima is cooking?"
"Hehe. I was going to try it myself, but I wasn’t feeling confident. I practiced hard until yesterday to make it edible, but then barely got any practice in, so I had to call on Eijiro’s help!"
Midoriya could almost picture Kirishima, mild irritation mixed with resignation, yet going along with the plan.
Ever since they were little, Kirishima had always been nonchalant about small favors—though he’d never agree to things like cutting back on training.
Lost in thought, Midoriya was abruptly snapped back when Ashido playfully batted his fist at his head.
"You spaced out again! If you’re going to daydream, do it inside. We can’t just stand here forever!"
"Oh? Right, sorry. Let’s go, Uraraka."
"Okay."
Once inside, the aroma of sizzling oil and spicy gochujang hit them like a wall.
At that moment, Kirishima emerged from the kitchen with a tray of food and announced, "You’re here? It’s almost ready—just wait a little longer."
"It smells amazing! Right?"
"Why are you answering on behalf of Midoriya and Uraraka?"
Watching Kirishima and Ashido volley playful banter, Uraraka felt the tension she’d been carrying ease away.
This was just a friend’s home she was visiting.
Realizing that, she relaxed, took a seat at the table, and asked, "You and Kirishima are childhood friends, right?"
"Yep. Eijiro and I have been friends since we were three."
"Wow, that’s a long time. No wonder you two are so natural together."
"Hehe. It’s almost like family."
"Exactly—like a little sibling who never listens and always causes trouble, right?"
Kirishima, carrying a large round plate piled high with tteokbokki, caught Ashido’s comment.
Ashido grumbled while accepting the plate, "Since when do I cause trouble? Eijiro can be so cold to me sometimes!"
"If I were that cold, wouldn’t there be some twisted hellish dish with rice cakes in place of this tteokbokki?"
Kirishima smoothly retorted and sat down.
On the table lay several fried items, rice balls, and, of course, the main dish: tteokbokki.
He addressed them, "We don’t have much, but enjoy what’s here. Though technically, it should be Mina saying that, not me."
"Anyone can say it!"
"You invited us, and if we’re being precise, I’m the guest here."
"Aw, don’t nitpick! Next time, I’ll cook for you."
"No, thanks. I’d like to live a long life."
Their banter set off bursts of laughter from Uraraka and Midoriya.
With laughter as the spark, a cheerful meal commenced.
The food was delicious, and everyone at the table was a genuinely good person.
Still, the vivid memories of yesterday’s incident eventually seeped into the conversation—even if they didn’t quite match the merry scene.
It all began with Ashido.
"But seriously, is Aizawa-sensei going to be okay?"
"With both arms shattered and his face broken, there’s no way he’s okay."
Kirishima responded coolly.
The silver lining was that, unlike the original story, there was no orbital floor fracture—so no permanent damage was expected.
For Kirishima, who had intervened as a superhuman asset, it was a disappointing outcome.
Seeing Kirishima’s expression harden, Midoriya cautiously remarked, "I thought I’d gotten stronger, but I barely did anything."
"Same here."
"Me too..."
Kirishima clicked his tongue at their self-reproach, "Losing is still losing. No matter how much you pat yourselves on the back for fighting well, a defeat doesn’t magically become a victory. I might not like it, but I can honestly say I did everything I could yesterday."
The three listened in silence.
In moments like these, he exuded a wisdom and gravitas far beyond his years.
"That applies to you too. You all did what you could in your own ways. Sure, each of you has different strengths—that’s just life. The world has always been unfair, and you haven’t yet learned how to overcome that unfairness. You seem to have forgotten that you haven’t even been at this school for a month."
"Ah, yeah, that’s true..."
Kirishima tapped the plate with his chopsticks before continuing, "So don’t beat yourselves up over yesterday. At that moment, you gave it your all, and that’s enough. Now, you need to work even harder and get stronger—so you aren’t helpless next time. And in that spirit, what you should do right now is—"
The deliberate pause made the others swallow hard.
Then, with a grin, he said, "Eat the food I worked so hard to prepare. We just fought yesterday, so today, relax and recharge. A wise warrior never misses a chance to recover."
With that, Kirishima picked up a portion of tteokbokki and gently fed it to Ashido.
Surprised, she accepted it half-heartedly before exclaiming in her bright, natural tone, "Mmm, it’s so good! Hey, who brought up yesterday anyhow?"
"That was you," Kirishima replied teasingly.
Ashido laughed and scratched the back of her head in amusement.
Watching them, Midoriya steeled himself and murmured, "Yeah. I just need to get stronger. Definitely."
Kirishima could read Midoriya’s thoughts all too well—he was determined to grow stronger, no doubt.
Deciding he’d need to keep a close eye on him to prevent overexertion, Kirishima then turned his attention toward Uraraka.
The round-faced girl was mirroring a similar look to Midoriya’s—even if it seemed out of character for her.
It suited her unexpectedly well.
Kirishima thought they were both adorable as he continued eating.
The food was, as always, delicious.
And so, the warrior’s day off passed by.
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