As Aizawa and Midnight leave the classroom, I find myself staring at a stack of internship offers that dwarfs everyone else's. Almost 6,000 agencies want me, Izuku Midoriya, the winner of the U.A. Sports Festival.
I'm not surprised by the number. I did win the festival, and with my growing social media presence, I'm practically a celebrity. Any agency that snags me is guaranteed a boost in coverage.
"Damn, Midoriya," Kaminari says, peeking over my shoulder. "You're gonna need a forklift for all those offers!"
"Our boy's in high demand!" Kirishima grins, giving me a thumbs up.
I shrug, playing it cool. "Guess I made an impression at the festival."
I start sorting through the offers, pulling out the most promising ones. Best Jeanist, Endeavor, Nighteye, Miruko, Ryukyu... wait, Miruko?
"Holy shit, is that Miruko?" Sero leans over, his eyes wide. "The Miruko? I thought she never took sidekicks!"
"Looks like she's made an exception for Midoriya," Tokoyami comments.
I glance over at Momo, trying to gauge her reaction. She's staring at her own stack of offers, her brow furrowed. When she catches me looking, she quickly looks away.
There's a tension between us, an unspoken weight from the conversation we had in the park. I want to talk to her, to clear the air, but now's not the time.
As the class starts to disperse, I notice Iida's already gone. That's unusual for him. I make a mental note to check on him later.
I gather up my offers and head out into the hallway. As I walk, my mind drifts to Momo and Nejire. I need to find a way to get them on friendly terms. Nejire's already fine with the idea of me seeing both of them, but Momo... I'm not so sure.
An idea starts to form. I pull out my phone and dial Nejire's number.
"Hey, hero!" she answers, her voice bright. "What's up?"
"Remember that favor you owe me for winning the festival?" I ask, cutting straight to the chase.
"Oh? Calling it in already?" I can practically hear her grin through the phone.
"I need you to ask Ryukyu to send an internship offer to Momo Yaoyorozu."
There's a pause. "Momo? The girl you're also seeing?"
I wince. "Yeah. Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but... it's important to me. I want her to have this opportunity."
Nejire's quiet for a moment. Then, "Alright, I'll see what I can do. But Izuku... you know this doesn't solve the underlying issue, right?"
I sigh. "I know. But it's a start. I just... I don't want her to feel left out, you know?"
"I get it. You're a good guy, Izuku. Sometimes too good for your own good." She laughs. "Alright, I'll talk to Ryukyu. But you owe me one!"
"Deal. Thanks, Nejire. You're the best."
"And don't you forget it!" she teases before hanging up.
I pocket my phone just as Momo rounds the corner. "Oh! Midoriya, I was just looking for you."
"Hey, Yaoyorozu. What's up?"
She fidgets with the strap of her bag. "I was just wondering... have you had a chance to talk to Nejire? About... you know."
I rub the back of my neck. "Ah, yeah. We talked."
She looks at me expectantly, waiting for more. I scramble for something to say that's not a lie but also not the full truth.
"It was... good. We're on the same page." That much is true, at least.
Momo nods, but there's a tightness around her eyes. "That's good. I'm glad."
She doesn't sound glad.
An awkward silence stretches between us. I'm about to say something, anything, to break it when my phone rings.
I glance at the screen. It's Nejire.
"Sorry, I should take this," I say, giving Momo an apologetic look. She nods, stepping back.
I answer the call. "Hey, what's up?"
"Ryukyu's in!" Nejire says, her voice triumphant. "She'll send Momo an offer. But she has one condition."
I brace myself. "What's that?"
"You have to intern with Miruko."
I blink. "Miruko? Why?"
"Something about wanting to foster inter-agency cooperation. I think she just wants an excuse to work with the Sports Festival winner." Nejire laughs. "So, what do you say? Ready to team up with the Rabbit Hero?"
I glance at Momo, who's trying very hard to look like she's not eavesdropping. "Yeah, I'm in. Tell her I accept."
"Excellent! I'll let her know. And Izuku... good luck. With everything."
"Thanks."
I hang up and turn back to Momo. She's looking at me with a mix of curiosity and something else I can't quite place.
"Everything okay?" she asks.
"Yeah, just... internship stuff." I shrug, trying to play it off.
She nods, but I can tell she's not entirely convinced. "Izuku... what were you doing last night?"
The question catches me off guard. "Watching movies? Why do you ask?"
Momo bites her lip. "It's just... Jiro and I came by your room last night. To see if you wanted to study with us. But... the volume was pretty loud."
"Oh, yeah. Must have had the sound up too high. My bad."
It's a weak excuse, and we both know it. But what else can I say? That Nejire was in my room? That we were... definitely not watching documentaries?
Momo opens her mouth to say something, but she's interrupted by her phone ringing. She frowns, pulling it out of her pocket.
"It's... An unknown number. Weird."
I feign surprise. "Really? You should answer it."
Momo hesitates, then nods. She takes a deep breath and answers the call. "Hello? Yes, this is Momo Yaoyorozu."
I watch as her expression shifts from confusion to shock to pure, unbridled excitement. "Yes, of course! I would be honored to intern with you!"
She catches my eye, and I give her a grin and a thumbs up. She beams back at me.
"Thank you so much for this opportunity. I won't let you down." Momo ends the call, staring at her phone like she can't quite believe what just happened.
"Ryukyu offered me an internship," she says, her voice awed.
"You deserve it, Yaoyorozu," I say, grinning. "You finished third in the Sports Festival, after all. That's no small feat."
Momo's cheeks flush with pride, but there's a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "Thank you, Midoriya. It's just... Ryukyu also has Hado as an intern, right?"
I nod, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Yeah, she does. Nejire's been working with her for a while now."
"Oh." Momo's smile falters for a moment. "I see."
I can practically see the gears turning in her head. She's smart - too smart. I need to redirect this conversation before she starts connecting dots I'm not ready for her to connect.
"Hey, this is great news!" I say, injecting enthusiasm into my voice. "You'll get to work with one of the top ten heroes. That's huge for your career."
Momo nods, her smile returning. "You're right. It's an amazing opportunity. I just hope I can live up to her expectations."
"You will," I assure her. "You're one of the smartest people I know, Yaoyorozu. Ryukyu's lucky to have you."
"What about you?" Momo asks. "Have you decided on an internship yet?"
I rub the back of my neck, feigning sheepishness. "Actually, yeah. Looks like I'll be interning with Miruko."
"Miruko? The Rabbit Hero?" Her voice takes on a slightly higher pitch. "Isn't she... didn't you say she was your hero crush?"
Damn. I'd forgotten about that little detail from our game night. "Well, yeah. She's an incredible hero. But this is a professional opportunity, Yaoyorozu. It's not about crushes or anything like that." I run a hand through my hair. "Miruko doesn't have any sidekicks or agency members, so it'll be just her and me. It's a chance to see if the independent hero life is for me."
Momo's brow furrows slightly. "Just the two of you? That's... quite intimate."
"Hey, don't worry about it," I say, my voice softening. "Besides, Miruko and Ryukyu team up a lot. We'll probably see each other during our internships."
Momo nods, but I can tell she's not entirely convinced. Her eyes drop to the floor, and she starts fidgeting with the hem of her uniform. "Right, of course. That makes sense."
She's spiraling, letting her insecurities get the better of her. I can't let that happen.
I step closer and reach out, gently tilting her chin up with my hand so she's looking me in the eyes. Her breath catches, and I can feel the slight tremble in her jaw.
"Momo," I say, my voice low. "I meant what I said before. About my feelings for you. That hasn't changed."
Her eyes search mine, looking for any sign of deception. "And Nejire too, right?" she mutters, her voice barely above a whisper.
Okay, words aren't enough right now. I lean in, closing the distance between us. My lips meet hers, soft and hesitant at first. She tenses for a split second, then melts into the kiss.
I pull back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. They're wide, a mix of surprise and something else - desire, maybe? I don't give her time to overthink it. I kiss her again, more firmly this time. And again. And again.
Each kiss is like a promise, a reassurance. I'm telling her without words that she matters to me, that my feelings for her are real.
Momo's hands find their way to my chest, gripping my shirt. She's kissing me back now, matching my intensity. I can feel her heartbeat racing, or maybe it's mine. It's hard to tell where I end and she begins.
I break away from her lips, trailing kisses along her jaw. When I reach her ear, I whisper, "Yes, Nejire too. But that doesn't make what I feel for you any less real."
I step back, giving her space to breathe. Momo's cheeks are flushed. She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again, seemingly at a loss for words.
"I-Izuku," she finally manages, her voice breathy. "We're in the hallway."
I glance around, suddenly remembering where we are. Luckily, the corridor is empty. I grab Momo's hand and pull her into a nearby empty classroom.
Once inside, I turn to face her again. "Sorry about that. I just... I needed you to understand."
Momo nods slowly, her composure returning bit by bit. "I think I'm starting to, but Izuku, this is... complicated. You know that, right?"
I sigh, leaning against a desk. "Yeah, I know. But life's complicated, isn't it? Being a hero is complicated. I figure, if we can handle villains and life-or-death situations, we can handle this too."
Momo laughs softly, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "You make it sound so simple."
"Maybe it can be," I say, shrugging. "If we want it to."
She studies me for a moment, her dark eyes thoughtful. "And Nejire? She's okay with... this?"
I nod. "She is. We've talked about it. She understands."
"And you're sure about this? About... us?"
I reach out, taking her hand in mine. "I'm sure about you, Momo. About how I feel when I'm with you. The rest... we'll figure out as we go."
Momo squeezes my hand. "Okay," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "Okay, let's figure it out together."
I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her waist. She leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder. We stay like that for a moment, just holding each other.
"So," Momo says eventually, pulling back slightly to look at me. "Miruko, huh? You're in for quite the internship."
I grin. "Yeah, it's going to be intense. But I'm ready for it. What about you? Excited to work with Ryukyu?"
Momo's eyes light up. "Absolutely! Her marketability is fascinating, and her combat skills are top-notch. I can't wait to learn from her."
The bell rings, signaling the end of our break. Momo sighs, reluctantly stepping out of my embrace. "We should get back to class."
I nod, following her to the door. Before she can open it, I catch her hand. "Hey, Momo?"
She turns back to me, eyebrow raised in question.
"I'm really glad you got that internship with Ryukyu. You deserve it."
"Thank you, Izuku."