Inigo and Hoge Literally Just Talking About Nothing
Recommended Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNMfvWwDClg&t=1s
September 3 | 7:30 PM
The sun shone brightly overhead on the chilly September day, casting a warm golden glow upon the tranquil park. Inigo and Hoge strolled hand in hand, their fingers interlaced, as they made their way home from another eventful day at Shiketsu. The gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a soothing melody that echoed their steps.
As they reached a particularly inviting spot, Inigo flashed his signature grin and turned to Hoge, his eyes sparkling with affection. "Coru-chan, how about we take a little break here? The park looks so inviting. And I kinda have somethin' on my mind."
Hoge's eyes widened ever so slightly, a faint blush gracing her cheeks. She nodded softly. Inigo guided her towards a secluded grassy area, bathed in dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees. They settled together on the grass, their gazes locked in a dance of intimacy and fondness.
Gigan perched itself on a nearby branch, observing the young couple while sunbathing and grooming itself. The dragon's mewling sounds echoed softly as if giving its silent approval to the serene moment unfolding.
Inigo stole glances at her while laying on the grass. He laid back on his hands and felt the cool grass behind his head. She laid down on her front next to him so that they were facing each other, her knees bending to lift her leg up slightly. Due to the weather and her quirk that makes her retain heat, she had taken off as many layers as she could from her school uniform and had undone every button.
"Hey."
Hoge blinked twice and smiled.
"Hi."
She pulled out her phone. "Should we listen to our playlist?"
"Nah. Let's talk about something really boring."
"Why would we do that?"
"Cause! Everything's been happening so fast lately. I just want to slow things down a bit. Just enjoy this."
"Is it because of the tournament? Add in the exams, and all the villain attacks, Shiketsu's been more than hectic." She takes out her metal water bottle and takes a light sip. A small ice chip fell under her tongue.
She held up a finger. "The school's making us do extra training and the workload's nearly doubled. If you need help keeping up I could study with you and set up a lesson plan. Real studying, Ini," She said poking him in the nose. He scrunched up his nose and made a funny face. Hoge failed at stifling a giggle.
"No. I mean that's important to you. So they're important to me too, but I was just talking about everything in general. Things just kinda seem to happen, and we never get to talk. We're just reacting to things. Before you know it the years passed and we barely spoke." Inigo poked her cheek back.
Hoge tilted her head causing her hair to fall slightly to the side. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"I dunno. Something light and unimportant. If this was a VN, the reader would definitely just gloss over it. Maybe even skip the whole thing because there's nothing critical or plot-relevant here. Just two characters talking about some boring stuff."
"Why would it be included in the game then?"
"I guess it's for the more dedicated fans, or people who have nothing better to do," He pondered, "So let's talk about boring stuff. You wouldn't deny a dying man his last wish, would you?"
"You're not dying." She blinked twice.
"I am, and you're the air container thingy that keeps me alive."
"Patient is alive, but there's possible damage to his frontal cortex." She pressed the cold steel water bottle to his cheek.
He grinned. "How about toast? Do you put butter on the top or bottom?"
She shakes her head. "No butter. I eat the toast plain. I used to put anko or jam on it, but my budget doesn't have room to cover those anymore."
Inigo blinked. "Eh, I forgot about the lactose thing. I got a lot of butter at home, but other people keep using it up. Think there's a bottle of jam. Somewhere."
"What about you?"
"Well, now I feel like I'm bragging. I butter both sides and then I roll it around in cinnamon and sugar, and then I toast it. Then I like to put apple and banana slices on top of all of it. Gigan makes it for me."
"That's way too much sugar for breakfast. You'll rot your teeth."
Inigo flashed his set of white teeth. "I haven't had a cavity in my life, Ms. Plain Toast. My brother Satoru would say it's a legacy bloodline thing. Something about Dragons not needing dental care, but I think Gigan flosses my teeth at night."
"Wasuremono helps me with dental hygiene. I haven't had many issues."
"Look at us, two titans with perfect teeth then. Can I see them?"
She grinned widely awkwardly, flashing her teeth.
"Beautiful!"
She stopped and rubbed her jaw, blushing.
He paused to stare up at the clouds.
Hoge's eyes glanced at something moving to the right of them. "Anotogaster sieboldii."
Inigo turned his head and looked at a large dragonfly resting on a leaf.
"Are you trying to cast a spell on that bug?"
"No. That's what it's called. Its scientific name."
"Oh, yeah? They could've given it a cooler name though."
"One time, a large one entered our house and my parents couldn't get it out. I picked it up for them and moved it outside. They were happy I helped," She said as she wiped some light sweat off her brow.
"Ms. Class Rep coming in to save the day. I'd be cheering too." Inigo grinned. "Your first rescue?"
"Yes." She seemed thoughtful.
"You know, I bet that dragonfly had a ton of babies, and they're all out there passing on the story of the Great Maru(maru) who saved them that day."
"Anisoptera. Despite their impressive navigation and territorial awareness have relatively small brains." She played with her hair as she spoke. "They've been observed to exhibit complex flight patterns and migratory behaviors and can remember specific locations and landmarks, allowing them to navigate and return to favored spots such as breeding sites or feeding areas. Spatial memory is crucial for their survival and reproductive success."
She caught herself zoning out and got quieter, her outline blurred. "I don't, I'm sorry, I don't think they have room in there to remember me."
He watched her with a smile the entire time. "There's room in my head to remember you. Every night I make a copy of all my memories of you, and store them away in an enchanted chest in my heart. I treasure every day with you."
She was suddenly fuzzy pink, but only for a few seconds. "Where did you get that line from?"
"No line. I just wanted to say how I was feeling." He shook his head. "But we can move to our next topic."
"We could talk about gym shorts. The tennis club, they have nice ones." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.
"Weird choice, but okay. I think they're comfortable, and they fit you perfectly!" He winked.
"Do you even notice me in them? You're so busy during our PE classes."
"I only notice you. The way they hug your thighs is amazing, and I think it's fitting that your quirk blurs you. It keeps the rabble from seeing my Goddess."
"Baka. I like the way- the way you look in them too." She looked to the side. "You really should get new ones. You're getting tall and I don't think yours will fit the school's regulations soon."
"Eh? I was hoping to wear them until Ippon-sensei yells at me. Myoga, your buttcheeks are showing! Cover em' up!" He chuckled and grinned widely.
"No, that would be way too embarrassing. So terrible!"
"What? It's not embarrassing for me!"
"For me!"
"Is that cause we're connected?"
"In a way. Yes," She said with her face pink. He felt his own face warm up and he moved up to kiss her lightly.
Hoge blinked. "What was that for?"
"You looked so cute. I had to go for it."
"Ini, we're so close to the school. What if someone sees?"
"Let them look! Pretty sure anyone who sees us instantly recognizes us as lovebirds."
"Is it really that obvious?" She started to look anxiously around, her outline wavering.
"I hope so, I want em' to see how much you mean to me just from the way I'm looking at you." He noticed how concerned she was. "Hey, it's okay. Gigan will warn us if someone comes." He touched her face to calm her down.
She closed her eyes and her outline stabilized. She opens them again and they stare into each other's eyes for a moment.
"So what's our next topic?" Hoge asked.
"Okay. Tell me about your parents."
"We already talked about them before."
"Well, like what are their quirks? I'll go first if you want."
"Okay. You first," She said as she rested her chin on the top of his head.
"To start, I'm not sure about my mother. They didn't really tell me much since she vanished ten years ago. She had something called a Shield Dragon. I think it healed or protected people. I heard somewhere that she used to volunteer in war-torn countries for the Vermillion Cross organization. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to be a rescue hero."
"It's a good idea. You always give it your all when you protect others, Ini."
"That's cause I want you to be proud of me. If I don't give it my all, then how can I justify having such a perfect girl like you?" He beamed.
"Shu-shut up! You're awful, you can't say things like that!" He grinned. She looked away, her form blurry with a touch of red.
Inigo continued. "As for my Pops, he's the legendary third-generation head of the clan. So lo and behold. His dragon, Ouroboros controls the weather in a big circle. He can't move though. If he moves away too much, the aura takes a few days to reach its full power again. Imagine having a father who can summon thunderstorms when he gets angry, that's what my brothers and I had to deal with. No blue skies when he's around. Gotta be ready to throw a lightning bolt at an enemy. I'm almost glad he hadn't talked to me in eight years. He's been running the clan this whole time so I guess he doesn't need me."
"That's potentially very dangerous, especially to local weather patterns."
"Right? Maybe that's why he's stepping down. They got tired of him making it rain all the time 'cause he's such a grouch."
"What would you do then?"
"I guess, I'm hoping my eldest brother wouldn't be so bad. He talks to me. So he has that going for him, and then his sons would take over, and they can do whatever they want with the bloodline."
"And you haven't seen your Father at all?"
"There was this one time. When I was eleven, I crashed one of his gatherings. It was an anniversary thing. I burst through the door of this place and there he was sitting on his wooden throne painted red! The same scarred angry face. He didn't even acknowledge me. I shouted hoping he'd spare me a glance or say a word, but he just waited for the bodyguards to drag me away.... I bet he didn't even skip a damn beat and just carried on after.... Fuck him.." He felt her hand on his cheek and he closed his eyes for a moment. "Sorry, babe. I'll get over it one day. Tell me about your folks?"
"Mhm. Father has a quirk that lets him make the room silent. In a similar way that Wasuremono mutes my sounds. He uses it for his office and meetings."
Inigo's eyes got slightly wider as he mused. "I can imagine that, but wouldn't it drive you crazy not hearing any sound?"
She shrugged. "According to him, it's been proven to improve concentration and worker efficiency."
"I guess they learn to deal with it. It'd wear me down though. I can't even imagine sitting in an office all day. I'd just have Gigan do all the work."
"Are you sure he's your construct and not a slave?" She narrowed her eyes at him and holds up her phone. "I could report you to a worker's union."
"Eh, hey! It does what it wants! At the soup kitchen, we get the job of three people together." He grins. "Before you send me to jail, tell me about your mom's quirk?"
"Mother has a quirk that changes the colors of things. She mostly uses it to change the color of her clothes and outfits."
"That's a neat power to have. I'd change every tie to red, and make every villain wear yellow polka dots."
"She's a housewife but one time, I caught her color-coding items in the house. She didn't know I was in the room. It's this entire other side to her that she doesn't show anyone. Everything was nicely arranged, but then she changed everything back. I think it's because Father liked things the way they were, and she didn't want to cause a stir. But I liked how she grouped everything and I tried to tell her- I don't think she understood my notes. "
He patted her head lightly. "Is that why your notes are so meticulous, with all those colored ends?"
He heard a sigh come from her like it was echoing out of another room.
"Do you miss them?"
She shrugged and kept quiet.
"Do you think our parents fucked us up? Like mine sucks big time, but your parents could've tried harder. The sticky notes, the cards, the emails.. It doesn't seem fair to me. How could anyone do that to their kid?"
"Don't misunderstand. I've had too many nights thinking it over. But step by step, I kept going whether they wanted me or not." She looked down and wiped clean the lens on her glasses. "They have a son now. He needs all their attention. And at the end of the day, there are worse situations than mine."
He stared at the clouds thoughtfully before responding. "Still, we should visit them later."
She put on her glasses and blinked. "Don't make jokes like that."
"I'm not kidding!"
"It's not a good idea."
"Do you not want to meet your little brother?"
"I saw his picture in an e-mail they sent me three months ago. I get an email from every month. Sometimes."
He shakes his head. "I have a brother actively trying to kill me and I see him more times than you. There's no chance we're not going to your parent's place and sharing a big group hug together! You and your brother too! You know I can win over anyone, right? I'll charm em' and we'll be a big happy family."
"They'll be too busy, and they wouldn't want to see me." She was quiet.
"What if we just run into them? Oh, Mrs. and Mr. Nyoro! I'm Myoga Inigo, and I'm dating your daughter. It's funny we've stumbled into the same E-Zee P-Zee Mart. I know a guy here, he'll give us a discount."
"They wouldn't want to see me..." Her voice was even quieter.
Concerned, he drops the joke and takes her hand and lightly presses his lips on her ring finger before his lips curled into a smile. He stared up at her.
"Why wouldn't they want to see their amazing daughter? The soon-to-be-top-hero, Maru(maru). I think you've done enough that they should be going to you. We could even show them our hero licenses. They'd be so proud."
She didn't respond and kept still. Her hand felt tense.
"I get it. I'll wait until you're ready then. Don't worry, I'm not gonna spring it on you. This is your thing, and I just want to be there to support you."
"Thank you," She said softly. "It's not that I haven't thought of it. There's a lot to unpack there and I have other things I want to do first."
"I understand. I think I have hell freezing over happening first before I confront my parents."
An awkward silence passed between them. He made an effort to inch closer to her, in an attempt to share her unseen burden.
His phone buzzed twice and Inigo raised his eyebrows. "Hey, I think my jokes are working!"
"What was it?"
"Before we left the school I threw a bunch of random jokes in the class group chat. Either people are replying to me to yell at me, or they find it actually funny."
"It could be the first one. But why do you do that?"
"Because! Things are too serious. We need more smiles sometimes. I'd rather people call me stupid or lame than sit quietly being worried or afraid. Besides, the best reaction to my jokes is when people think I'm funny but they don't visibly laugh or react. They just kinda move on, but they think "Ha, that Inigo fella, he's slightly amusing." And that's how I get ya!"
She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I like you in spite of your jokes, not because of them."
"But- but you laugh at me sometimes! You really don't think I'm funny?"
His class rep shook her head vigorously, turning slightly blurry as she takes in more ice chips from her metal water bottle.
"This is worse than the time you said Kaylee was hotter than me! -eh, are you just teasing me 'cause you know it'd get to me?"
She shakes her head even more with her mouthful of ice chips. She shrugs and lets off an incomprehensible "mhfff-tpp," feeling satisfied from the cooling relief.
He grabs both her cheeks to keep her head from shaking. "Hey, swallow those and tell me I'm funny! That's like all I got now that I've dropped the playboy thing for you!"
She opened her mouth, showing him there were no more chips inside before leaning forward and rubbing her nose slightly against his. "You're amusing and I like to tease you."
Inigo's eyes lit up. "I'll take it! I like to tease you too, Coru-chan. By the way, you'll never find the video. Don't think I didn't notice you going through my phones."
"Do you have a third phone?"
"Nope, just my main one and a cheap burner." He opened up his LINE app and started typing. "Hey give me a joke to post."
She shrugs. "No. It's dumb. You're gonna make fun of me."
"No, I won't! C'mon. I promise I won't."
"You promise?"
"Pinky swear." He curled his pinky with hers and smiled.
"Okay." She had a look of concentration like she was about to give a report in front of the class. "A journalist asked a bassist why he chose the bass instead of the guitar." She adjusted her glasses.
"Why? There's 6 strings on a guitar and I only have 5 fingers." She held up five fingers to emphasize the punchline.
He burst out laughing and rolled to his side. "HOOOOo-GE-CHAN! That's so lame! HAHAHA!"
"You promised!"
"No no! Lame jokes are- GOOD! I'm definitely posting that one. You deserve full credit!" He started typing on his phone, while still laughing.
"Tell them it's from you."
"What? But I don't play bass, I play sax and the guitar. They'll instantly know!"
"The class representative should not be telling jokes in the class group chat." She pouts.
"Why not? You're improving morale and bringing joy to the lives of the miserable people."
"I'm not comfortable. I'll never be the type to say things like you do."
Inigo's phone buzzed multiple times and he grinned up at her. "See, it's a big success? I think you know being uncomfortable is part of improving. You've been putting yourself out there more, and I'm proud of you, Hoge." He patted her on the head. "Out of everyone, your transformation has been incredible and I'm lucky to be part of it." He hands her the phone to show her the joke's reception.
Hoge gazed at the screen and saw all the likes and replies she got from her classmates.
"That's better than I've ever gotten with my jokes, maybe I should branch out from shopping carts and eggs," He pondered.
She smiled and handed him back the phone. "I take it back. You are funny."
"Wha- so you've come to terms that the jokes are part of my complete package?"
"I've come to terms with it until you grow out of them."
"Hoho- You know it's only gonna get worse as we grow older right? I haven't even started on my Dad Jokes yet!"
"You mean, the kind where you ignore your kids for eight years and then go ha, I got you."
"OOooo- That's too personal and cruel, Rep-chan! You got me right here." He holds his hands over his heart.
She sits still with an amused look and then looks up at the clouds. "Thank you."
"Huh? For what?"
"It's a nice day."
"Yeah, it is right? Look at that funky cloud, it almost looks like a train."
"That's stratocumulus."
"Eh- Clouds have names now? They're not bugs!"
"Baka." She laid back on the grass and their fingers intertwined.
Both teenagers just stare at the clouds overhead for a few minutes.
Inigo yawned. "I couldn't sleep last night."
"How come? Did you eat spicy food again? I warned you about compounds such as capsaicin."
"No- It's not that. I couldn't stop thinking about you. About us. About this whole thing. Did you know I liked you from the very start?"
She raised her head and looked at him. "No. You asked me for a date towards the end of April."
"Well, I noticed you weeks before that. I think from day one. I was drawn to you. You remember the reports we did for Rosethorn about why we want to be heroes and random questions like that."
"I do. I gathered them as class representative, and we shared some of them around for peer review. Each one is marked in my notes."
He smiled. "I don't think anyone noticed but I kinda tried really hard to fit in at the start. I wanted people to like me. The new me. I was a lot different in Middle School. So I'd write these long reports and pour my heart out, but no one really noticed them, except you. Sure I'd get the occasional word from my buds, but you were the only one who wrote detailed things about what I did wrong. Typos, run-on sentences, stuff like that, and you complimented my work. Every time you did that I wanted to get better. I wanted to get better for you."
She tilted her head to the side, causing her hair to fall over her eye. "I wanted the whole class to shine, and it was my duty as class representative to help."
He reached up with a gentle touch, his fingers delicately tucking the strands of her hair behind one ear. His touch was tender, filled with affection. As he spoke, his voice carried a hint of uncertainty. "I know, but to tell you the truth, I've almost given up countless times. It feels like I don't belong here like I can't truly succeed at hero school. My last four reports were complete disasters. But every time I hit rock bottom, you were there, quietly supporting me. While everyone else was busy, you took notice. There you were with your purple marker on my work. Encouraging me. "
He sighed with a smile. "Back then, I was so lost in my own world that I couldn't even discern whether you were a boy or a girl. But it didn't matter to me. What mattered was the fact that you saw me, truly saw me. And that's why I made every effort to see you too. Yes, you. Even with your unique quirk, I could recognize your presence the moment you stepped into the classroom. The way you moved, the way you spoke, the way you wrote. Even when you had your outbursts and got angry at others, I found it endearing. I would purposely write silly questions on the board, just to see if you'd answer them. Everything you did, no matter how trivial, stirred a warm, fuzzy feeling inside me. It's what kept me going."
Her form wavered, a rosy hue tinged her cheeks, and her voice carried a hint of vulnerability. "Why are you telling me all this now? You could have told me from the beginning." She puffed her cheeks.
"I guess I'm rambling because I'm nervous. When it comes to matters of the heart, I'm really a big coward. I apologize for not being more direct. I just wanted to express, in some way, how consumed I am by you. How you fill my days with joy and meaning. I wouldn't trade what we have for anything in the world." His eyes shifted upward, looking onto the sky with a hopeful gleam.
"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I definitely don't want to lose you. I want us to continue this journey together, to see where it leads as partners."
She glanced at him, her voice emerging, like a distant echo. "I'm glad you told me, Ini... I'm not going anywhere."
He released a relieved breath, a playful smile gracing his lips. "Do you promise?"
"Hmh?"
He raised his hand, extending his pinky finger toward her. "Pinky promise me right now that we'll never be apart from each other. That we'll always remain a vital part of each other's lives, no matter what challenges we face. Promise me we'll never keep secrets from one another and that we'll strive to understand and make each other happy. Let's pledge to be together until death do us part, and even beyond—plus ultra."
"Ini..." Her quirk had consumed her in a large blur.
He holds up his pinky. "It's okay if you feel uncomfortable. Take your time. Just don't leave me hanging. Think about it, then get back to me." He lowered his hand and grinned.
After a brief pause, he sensed her ethereal form drawing near. Her misty presence enveloped his own, and he felt a surge of joy course through his veins. A smile graced his face as he subtly felt her pinky finger curling around his own. He stared into the pencil eraser smudge next to him, feeling his heartbeat quicken in a dangerous rhythm that had become all too familiar.
He was becoming a master at figuring out where to place his hands to reach her even with her quirk in full blast. He focused extra hard to keep his eyes from wandering away and reached into the eraser smudge. His fingertips felt wet. He closed his eyes and leaned forward. Surrendering himself to the peculiar absence of sensations like those brief seconds when you enter the water. His accuracy was uncanny. His lips parted slightly, taking hers in. It felt familiar now. He wouldn't be able to describe it to someone if he tried his hardest, but her intense combination of scentlessness and tasteless touch had become intoxicating to him. It drove every nerve in his body crazy. He felt her hesitate, and he snapped his fingers. His quirk materialized around them, forming a protective dome that blocked them from view. Within that sheltered space, the outside world faded away. They lost themselves in each other.
Twenty minutes went by. Unfortunately, the kiss had gone on for so long, that he never noticed his lungs begging for precious air. They parted reluctantly, their lips producing a soft ‘pop’ as they separated. Or did he imagine the sound? They sat together breathless. She buried her face in his chest as Gigan unwrapped around them.
Inigo's arms wrapped around her, drawing her close as they settled backwards onto the grass.
"It's getting late; we should go," he murmured as he watched the sun start to set across the horizon.
Her voice carried like a whisper in the wind as she replied, "Stay. I like it like this."
Leaning his head against hers, he whispered, "Do you ever wonder what lies beyond this moment? What the future has in store for us?"
She nestled closer. "Sometimes. But right now, I want to cherish this. Just the two of us, watching the sun bid farewell to the day."
"You're right, it's not exactly a boring conversation either. We'll leave that out for another time. You know what is boring though? Oysters."
"What do you have against oysters?"
"They're slimy and gross, and hard to open. I cut my hand in one before."
"Sounds like you just need to be more careful."
"I was careful! It bit me!"
"Hmm. Crassostrea gigas. While oysters cannot technically bite someone, they possess a unique defense mechanism. They have strong adductor muscles that allow them to close their shells tightly when they sense a threat or disturbance."
"See! That's exactly it! The crosso-something! Even science agrees with me. I need to take you to my brothers, they didn't believe me."
"You'd take me there just to win an argument? How horrible! It's a dangerous place, Ini."
"Nah, I'd have to take over first. When everyone sees things my way, then it'll be a better place. The village I grew up in wasn't bad. I'll introduce you to all the cows."
"Why the cows?"
"They were my only friends growing up, but they're not so bad. Not as bad as... oysters."
Hoge started to laugh. Higher pitched and full of cheer. Inigo was surprised, but listening to her made him feel like his heart was singing. "Hey, I wasn't even joking that time!"
Her laughter eventually settled down and she took his hand in hers. "So these cows, do they have names?"
"Of course they do!"
They glanced up at the sun, slowly descending on the horizon. The future remained uncertain, and their world would only get more dangerous from here, but for that fleeting moment, they managed to slow down time with a dumb conversation about nothing.