"This would look cute on you."
Ochaco nearly tripped over her own feet.
"W-what?!"
A nearby employee smiled knowingly.
Ochaco immediately wanted to evaporate.
"A-Aoyama, we're supposed to be buying your shirt!"
"We are."
He held the dress out toward her anyway.
"But first, this."
"I can't accept that!"
She waved her hands frantically.
"I'm the one who's supposed to be buying you something today!"
Aoyama tilted his head slightly.
"Then buy me the shirt."
"I will!"
"Good."
He gently pushed the hanger into her hands.
"And I'm buying you this."
"T-That's not how compensation works!"
"It is now."
Ochaco puffed out her cheeks.
"No!"
Aoyama stared at her for two quiet seconds.
Then smiled.
"Alright."
She relaxed instantly.
"Really?"
"Yep."
He placed the dress back onto the rack.
Ochaco let out a relieved breath.
Then he casually added:
"If you reject it, I won't let you buy me a replacement shirt either."
"..."
Ochaco froze mid-breath.
"...That's cheating."
"Mhm."
"You're absolutely cheating."
"I know."
He smiled shamelessly.
The employee near the fitting rooms failed miserably at hiding her laughter behind one hand.
Ochaco's face burned bright red.
—
Ten minutes later—
Ochaco stood inside the fitting room, staring at herself in the mirror.
"...Oh no."
It actually looked really good.
The dress fit her perfectly without feeling too flashy.
Light.
Comfortable.
And somehow exactly her style.
A dangerous combination.
Her fingers fidgeted nervously against the fabric before she slowly cracked open the fitting room door.
"A-Aoyama?"
"Hm?"
"...Can you look for a second?"
Aoyama glanced up from his phone.
Then paused completely.
Ochaco's heartbeat instantly sped up.
"...Well?"
She shifted awkwardly in place.
His eyes swept over the outfit once before he leaned back slightly.
"Cute."
Ochaco's stomach flipped instantly.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"But..."
Her heart skipped.
"B-But?"
He pointed toward another dress hanging nearby.
"I think that one would look even better on you."
"...Eh?"
—
Thirty minutes later—
Ochaco stepped out of the fitting room wearing yet another outfit.
"Aoyama?"
He looked up again.
This dress was softer in color, with long sleeves and a ribbon tied neatly at the waist.
Cute enough to make Ochaco want to hide behind a wall.
Aoyama blinked once.
Then smiled slowly.
"...Okay, yeah."
"W-What does that mean?!"
"It means you're making this difficult."
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Now I want to buy multiple."
Ochaco's brain immediately stopped functioning.
"W-WHAT?!"
—
Eventually, after several dresses, sweaters, skirts, and outfits later—
Aoyama casually gathered the entire pile into his arms and started walking toward the register.
Ochaco stared at him in horror.
"...Wait."
He kept walking.
"Aoyama."
Still walking.
"AOYAMA."
He finally glanced back.
"What?"
"WHY ARE YOU CARRYING ALL OF THOSE?!"
"Because I'm buying them."
She nearly tripped over nothing.
"ALL OF THEM?!"
"Mhm."
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST PICKING ONE!"
Aoyama looked genuinely confused.
"But you looked good in all of them."
That did not help.
At all.
Ochaco rushed after him in full panic mode.
"THERE ARE LIKE TWELVE!"
"Fourteen, actually."
"THAT'S WORSE!"
Several nearby shoppers glanced over curiously as Ochaco grabbed onto his sleeve desperately.
"You cannot buy me this many clothes!"
"Why not?"
"Because that's insane!"
Aoyama hummed thoughtfully.
"...Fair."
Ochaco sighed in relief far too early.
"Then narrow it down."
"..."
"...To five."
Aoyama shrugged easily.
"I can compromise."
Ochaco narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"...Really?"
"Really."
"...You swear?"
"Mhm."
She squinted harder.
"...Why do I feel like you're still winning somehow?"
"Because I am."
"AOYAMA."
—
An hour later, they finally found the exact baseball shirt.
Red sleeves.
White stripes.
Same brand.
Same style.
Ochaco held it up triumphantly like she'd just defeated a final boss.
"Found it!"
Aoyama looked genuinely impressed.
"You were seriously locked in on finding this specific shirt."
"I told you I'd replace it properly!"
Before he could argue, she marched straight toward the register.
Aoyama watched with faint amusement as she paid for it.
When she handed him the shopping bag afterward, she looked oddly proud of herself.
"There."
He accepted it carefully.
"Hm."
"What?"
His expression softened slightly.
"You really meant it."
Ochaco blinked.
"...Of course I did."
For a moment, Aoyama simply looked at her quietly.
Then he smiled.
"...Thanks, Ochaco."
And somehow hearing her name said so gently hit harder than expected.
—
Rain began falling just as they reached the café.
Soft at first.
Before it started growing louder.
Droplets streaked down the large windows while warm lighting filled the cozy interior.
The smell of syrup, coffee, and fresh pancakes drifted through the air.
Ochaco sat across from Aoyama near the window while an absurdly large stack of pancakes rested between them.
"...This looks expensive."
"It is."
"W-Why are you saying that so proudly?!"
"Because I'm treating you."
"Still, this is too much. I'll pay for my share."
"You already bought my shirt," Aoyama reminded her casually. "And you didn't let me buy all the clothes I wanted to get you, so at least let me pay for lunch."
"That's different!"
"Come on, relax."
He gestured lightly toward the menu.
"Order whatever you want. I've got the bill."
Ochaco groaned softly as she cut into her pancakes.
"...You're impossible."
"And yet you're still here."
"..."
The teasing grin on his face softened slightly as he looked at her.
Not playful.
Not smug.
Just warm.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Rain tapped gently against the café windows beside them.
The atmosphere slowly settled into something quieter.
Softer.
Comfortable.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
They simply looked at each other across the table, letting the silence fill the space naturally.
And strangely enough—
Ochaco didn't look away.
That alone felt unusual.
How long had it been since someone treated her this kindly without expecting something in return?
Without making her feel guilty over money?
Sure, she'd spent some savings replacing Aoyama's shirt.
But even before they found it, he'd been ready to forget about the whole thing entirely.
No complaints.
No pressure.
No expectation.
Just… kindness.
And for the first time in a long while, Ochaco found herself thinking maybe it was okay to accept that kindness without worrying about how to repay it immediately.
At some point, she realized she'd stopped feeling nervous altogether.
She was just... enjoying herself.
Laughing.
Talking.
Being around him felt strangely natural.
And that realization scared her a little.
Because she'd only known him for a day.
Yet somehow—
being with him already felt easy
As the rain continued outside, Aoyama finally reached beside his chair and picked up the small gift bag he'd been carrying all day.
Ochaco straightened immediately.
"Oh—"
He slid it across the table toward her.
"Told you it was for later."
Her curiosity returned instantly.
Slowly, she opened the bag.
Inside sat a soft teddy bear wearing a tiny black hoodie.
Ochaco's expression melted almost immediately.
"...It's adorable."
Then she noticed something tucked beneath it.
A card.
Carefully, she pulled it out and opened it.
Her eyes widened.
Inside was a handdrawn sketch of two figures standing side-by-side atop a rooftop overlooking the city.
One wore a dark hooded suit lined with silver web patterns and sharp spider imagery woven into the design.
The other had a softer aesthetic:
pink accents,
sleeker webbing,
and a sakura-shaped spider emblem across the back.
At the bottom were two handwritten names.
Sakura Spider.
Multi-Venom.
Ochaco blinked slowly.
"...What is this?"
Aoyama rested his chin lightly against his hand.
"Our future costumes."
Her breath caught.
"W-what?"
This time, when he looked at her, there was no teasing in his expression.
No smug grin.
No playful sarcasm.
Just sincerity.
"I've been thinking about something."
He tapped the drawing lightly.
"We work pretty well together already."
Ochaco stared at him silently.
"So..."
Aoyama smiled softly.
"Would you want to be my hero partner?"