For the first week after Momo's transfer, Ryoma had a passing interest in getting acquainted with her. "Befriending" wasn't the right word—he was mentally an adult, after all, and the idea of making friends with children felt weird and not right to him. But Momo's special Quirk intrigued him.
A Quirk like Creation had gigantic potential, given the right knowledge, even rivals against his Magnetism . If she understood the principles of chemistry, physics, and engineering, she could manufacture tools and equipment that even professional scientists would struggle to replicate. In short, she had the potential to be a walking factory. And while others saw her wealth and beauty, Ryoma saw possibility.
Before he could make any move, a group of classmates—mostly girls but a few boys—swarmed her like flies to honey. They acted friendly, welcoming her warmly and praising her intelligence. To anyone else, it looked like a wholesome case of classmates embracing a new student. But Ryoma had seen enough human behavior in his previous life to recognize something else.
'Damn….those smiles and praises are more fake than Chinese face filters on social media.', Ryoma commented mentally.
It wasn't genuine friendship. It was manipulation.
They weren't welcoming Momo because they liked her. They were drawing her in to use her.
At first, Momo was oblivious. She had been raised in a privileged environment, where people treated her with respect due to her family's status. She was naturally kind and wanted to believe the best in people. So, when her "friends" asked her to use her Quirk to create things for them—fancy stationery, expensive-looking accessories, even small gadgets—she happily complied, seeing it as a way to be helpful.
Ryoma, from his usual corner of the classroom, simply observed.
He could already tell where this was going.
These kids weren't even subtle about it. The moment Momo was out of earshot, the same "friends" would whisper behind her back.
"She's so annoying, acting all perfect."
"She just thinks she's better than us because she's rich."
"I bet she's just trying to show off."
"If I had that Quirk, I'd already be making money."
'Jesus Christ, it's actually like going back to highschool all over again.', Ryoma laughed off in his mind.
He had seen this exact pattern in his previous life—people pretending to be close, only to exploit someone's kindness. And Momo, for all her intelligence, was socially naive. She hadn't yet learned that her generosity wouldn't earn her real friends—only parasites.
Her "friends" had taken and taken, but the moment she hesitated to use her Quirk for them, their attitude had changed. The smiles became less warm. The whispers became louder. And when she confronted them about it, they had brushed her off with half-hearted excuses.
Ryoma had no intention of getting involved.
He wasn't a hero. He wasn't Momo's guardian. If she couldn't see what was happening, then that was her problem to deal with.
That was the plan, anyway—until things escalated.
It was lunch break. Ryoma had finished eating early and stayed in the classroom, enjoying the rare moment of quiet. That's when he heard it.
A group of 4 girls and 2 boys surrounding Momo in the hallway outside the classroom.
"I'm sick of it. Why are you becoming so self-fish all of a sudden?!"
"Come on, Yaoyorozu, don't be stingy."
"Yeah, you made us stuff before. What's the problem now?"
"You're rich anyway, it's not like it costs you anything."
Momo hesitated. "I… I just don't think it's right to keep using my Quirk like this."
One of the girls scoffed. "Wow. So now you're too good for us?"
Another sneered. "Figures. Guess that rich-girl act was fake all along."
Ryoma sighed.
'Called it!'
Ryoma decided to step in.
The bullies barely noticed him at first—until he stopped right beside them.
"Hey."
The bullies turned, their expressions flickering with surprise at his sudden appearance.
Ryoma met their gazes with an unimpressed look. " Knock it off."
One of them scoffed. "And who the hell are you?"
"A guy telling you to stop your "inappropriate actions" towards your classmate." he replied flatly and sarcastically.
"Ooooh, it's the quiet weirdo in the class never talks to anyone. Are you trying to be a hero dumbass?"
"Haha, what are you gonna do about it?" one sneered.
"Yeah, fuck off. None of your business, moron!"
"It's kinda my business when a bunch of dogs barking in the hallway disrupted my rest time, which turned out to be you lot."
"Oh? This bastard got a big mouth, huh?" The boy with a physical-strengthening Quirk cracked his knuckles. "Wanna see if you can still talk big when I shove your head in the toilet until you've eaten all the shit inside it??"
"Thanks for the invitation but I have no taste for the favorite delicacy of your species. Better yet, the only thing I'm planning to eat tonight is your mother's juicy meat hole."
The rudeness of his response made them pause. Momo, standing quietly to the side, blinked in surprise.
The boy's face reddened in anger, clearly triggered by Ryoma's taunt: "You little—"
Ryoma arched his brow. "You want to fight? Right in the school?"
The boy hesitated for a split second, but another student, emboldened, added, "Yeah, what are you gonna do? Bitching about it?
Ryoma let out a sigh.
"Nah," he said, voice dripping with amusement. "I'll just walk straight to our homeroom teacher and tell her everything." He tilted his head. "You do know that's an automatic referral to the principal, right? Or you smooth brain animals don't know anything about the rules here?"
The bullies stiffened.
"Not to mention," Ryoma continued, casually tapping his chin, "if word gets around that you all tried to use your Quirks to gang up on a single student, what do you think happens to your chances of getting into a good high school?"
He smiled—not a friendly one, but the kind that made it clear he was thoroughly enjoying watching them squirm.
The air shifted. The lead boy's hand twitched, and for a moment, it seemed like he might actually be stupid enough to swing. But then, reality set in.
If he did, it wouldn't just be a school punishment. His chances at a decent future could take a serious hit.
One of the girls muttered something under her breath before tugging on her friend's sleeve. "Let's just go."
The others hesitated, but under Ryoma's unwavering stare, they backed off, muttering curses as they left.
As soon as they were gone, Momo let out a quiet breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
Ryoma turned to leave, but—
"Wait."
He paused, glancing at her.
Momo straightened herself, then gave him a small, polite nod. "Thank you… for that."
Ryoma whispered : "It's not over yet."
Momo with a surprised face.
"W-what do you mean?"
"I saw one girl muttering something to her friend. Even if I can't hear it, I know it's not going to be a good thing for either you or me….or maybe for both of us.", Ryoma explained.
Momo frowned. "Are you saying they're going to retaliate after school?"
"Just a guess," Ryoma said with a shrug. "I don't have super hearing. But you'd better be ready for your own sake.".
Momo nodded slowly. "I see… Either way, thank you again." She hesitated, then added, "Sorry if this is sudden, but—may I ask your name?"
"Ryoma Kurogane," he replied bluntly.
Momo offered a small smile. "I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. Nice to meet you. I've seen you in class before, but… I don't think I've ever heard you speak to anyone. Sorry if that–"
"No offenses taken. It's normal for me. The only people in the class know my name are our teacher and class representative. I'm basically an invisible guy without an invisible quirk.", Ryoma made a dry joke before turning his head back to the class.
"Wait," Momo called out before he could leave. "Can we talk a bit more? You helped me, so… I'd like to return the favor somehow."
Ryoma raised a brow. "Return the favor?"
She nodded. "Yes. If there's anything I can do to help you, just ask."
He considered that for a moment before shrugging. "Well… I do have a few questions about your Quirk. Not in the way those idiots wanted to take advantage of you, but more out of curiosity. Maybe next time, though. Right now, I'd rather get some rest."
Momo smiled. "Of course. Ask me anything when you're ready."
He glanced at her, noting her eagerness. "You're surprisingly enthusiastic about this."
Momo hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Because you helped me when no one else did. And… I want to get to know you better."
Ryoma let out a shrug. "Alright."
She took that as permission.