Alright, let's get into it. Everyone talks about the big, obvious ones with Uraraka, but I'm always drawn to the smaller, more flustered reactions he has around other people too. Like in the early seasons when Mt. Lady would tease him—he'd go completely red and start stammering, and it felt so genuine because it wasn't just about attraction, it was this pure, overwhelmed hero-worship crashing into her being a very confident, physically imposing woman. It highlights how socially inexperienced he is in every kind of interaction, not just the romantic ones.
My absolute favorite might be the cultural festival arc, when Jirou is adjusting his earpiece and he just short-circuits. It's not framed as romantic at all, just a sudden, close physical contact from a classmate he respects, and his reaction is so violently awkward it's hilarious. That, to me, speaks volumes about his character—he's so unused to casual intimacy or touch from peers that even the most mundane gesture sends him into a tailspin. It builds that foundation of 'this kid has no game' which makes his later, more intentional blushes around Uraraka feel earned.
Honestly, the moments that highlight the tension best aren't even the direct confessions. It's the layered stuff, like when he's trying to thank Uraraka after the fight with Todoroki and completely fails to form a coherent sentence, blushing the entire time. The tension isn't just 'do they like each other'—it's the sheer, palpable anxiety of someone trying to express a profound gratitude that's tangled up with other feelings he doesn't know how to name.