hi hi welcome to my first multichap for this fandom! i'm really excited for this to start!
warning: sloppy writing and uncountable otp moments. continue at your own risk.
there's no specific updating schedule for this fic! i'll just update whenever i get the chance to write. :)
please enjoy, and be sure to tell me what you think!
The fragrance of sweet hazelnut coffee wafted into her bedroom, her nose twitching uncomfortably as she ignored the sounds of her beeping alarm clock telling her she had slept in twenty minutes too late. Her eyelids slowly lifted, the entire world just a faint buzz of color till she willed herself to finally get out of bed, smacking the off button on the annoying alarm clock next to her and rubbing her temples in distress.
"Hey, Momo, did you forget about something?"
Groaning, Momo turned to look at her roommate and best friend, Kyouka Jirou. Kyouka was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. Momo looked down, her eyes landing on a plate of pancakes and a cup of coffee sitting on her bed.
"What?" she asked, confused. "What did I…" She trailed off, her head suddenly snapping up as she gasped and frantically stumbled around for her phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kyouka looking at her, trying to hold in her laughs. She frowned, staring at the date on her screen and instantly thrusting it out to show the giggling girl. "Kyo! Why couldn't you have woken me up sooner?!"
Momo scrambled out of bed, ignoring Kyouka's cackles of amusement and grabbing a random top from her closet and paired it with her favorite khaki shorts, tumbling into the bathroom and slipping the clothes on. Upon exiting, she saw the plate of breakfast sitting on the dining table, probably kept there by her roommate.
"I have a seven o'clock class that I need to get to," Kyouka said, waltzing into the room. "Damn counselor recommended this theory course. Said it would be helpful for musical composition or whatever shit that means."
Momo hummed in response, reaching over and taking the dairy treats into her bare hands, forcefully pushing them into her mouth. Then, she grabbed the mug of coffee, now slightly cooler than how it first was, and gulped it down much like she did with the pancakes.
"My first class is at seven thirty," she responded, chewing on a mouthful of breakfast, "though I kind of wanted to take a walk around campus first."
"With your sleeping habits?" Kyouka snorted, walking over to their front door and slipping on a pair of sneakers. "Doubt it."
Momo narrowed her eyes. "Thanks for believing in me, Kyo," she said, clearly not amused.
"I try," Kyouka replied, shooting her a wave and grabbing the door handle. "See you at five. Remember, your bus time is seven ten."
"Yeah yeah," Momo waved her off, not being able to help the large smile gracing her lips as she watched her best friend sling her purse over her shoulder and exit the room, closing the door behind her. "Bye Mom!" she quickly yelled after, giggling when she didn't get an answer.
After quickly picking up the dishes and throwing them into the sink, Momo went back into her bedroom to clean herself up. She straightened out her clothes, before releasing her hair tie and allowing her long black hair to spring out of its confinements. She took a hair brush, combing her way through the many knots and tangles, and then tying it back up into a loose ponytail. Once she was finished, she dabbed on a little makeup and went to the corner of her room where her bag was, picking it up and slinging it over her shoulder, checking her phone for the time.
It was nearly seven five.
Her eyes widened, realizing that she was going to be late, and quickly ran to the front door, grabbing her keys, and slipping on a pair of plain black sandals. She ran out of the door, banging face-first into a boy with spiky blonde hair, who was merely minding his own business.
She gasped when she fell a few steps back, instantly moving to apologize.
"S-sorry!" she cried, knowing she couldn't waste time on this. She watched as the boy's eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, she quickly made a break for it again.
"Watch where you're fucking going next time!" was all she managed to register him saying before she whirled down the stairs, ran through the lobby, and leapt out of the front glass doors of her apartment complex.
Now, where was the bus stop again?
Kyouka had said something about going left and she'll find it, so she did that.
Just to find the large bus with the words 'UAVERSITY' on the front, closing its doors and and starting its engine.
She gasped, immediately breaking into a run for the only way she had to get to school. Campus was almost twenty minutes away if she walked, but she was due at her first class in the same amount of time. The bus would only take about five minutes, so she needed to catch it.
Her heels started aching as she sprinted, reminding her that the shoes she was wearing were not made for running. She waved madly to the bus driver, who didn't even spare a second glance at her and started rotating the wheel. That's it. She was doomed. She'd be late on her first day of school and build a horrible reputation to start with.
But then, something strange happened. Just as she was about to give up, the headlights of the bus flashed brightly, and it parked back into the bus stop.
'It noticed me!' Momo grinned wildly, instantly dashing over to the bus, watching in absolute glee as the driver opened the door, allowing her to climb on, her bag slightly hitting the window as she shot the driver, a middle aged man, a large smile.
"Thanks!" she said, panting for breath, her chest heaving.
The man didn't look at her. "Don't thank me, little lady. That fella over there stopped the bus for ya," he said, shooting her a shrug and then using his thumb to point somewhere behind him. Momo followed his gaze, stopping at a boy who looked about her age and who was currently staring at her with an unreadable expression. She gulped, knowing she had to talk to this stranger, thanking the driver once again before sauntering over to the boy.
His hair was what intrigued her the most. The left side was a bright red color, while the right was a brilliant frosty white. When she got closer to him, she could see that his eyes were mismatched too. While his left eye was a sea blue, his right was a deep shade of onyx. If there was one thing Momo could think of at that moment, it was that if she was drooling, she wouldn't blame herself. She quickly caught herself before he noticed that she was staring, moving to balance herself on her right foot and clasping her hands at her sides. She leaned over, bowing low in respect.
"Thank you for stopping the bus for me," she said politely, raising when she heard him clear his throat.
The boy nodded, averting his gaze and sticking his hands in his pockets. She took this as a sign of 'you're welcome', and then grabbed one of the poles sticking out of the floor to support herself as the vehicle started moving.
The silence that followed was deafeningly awkward, and Momo knew that she had to strike a proper conversation with him if she wanted the atmosphere to lift into a more comfortable feeling. Sighing, she realized that the boy wasn't going to say anything to her, so she opened her mouth to speak.
"What's your… your name?" she asked tentatively. She watched in surprise as the boy slightly jumped up, clearly startled by her sudden friendliness.
He coughed, before responding. "I'm Shouto Fukasu," he said. Fukasu. It was a pretty last name. "What's your name?
"Momo Kurieiti," she smiled. "Are you a freshman at UAversity?"
He nodded affirmatively. "I'm an art major."
Her eyes widened, happy to find something they had in common to talk about. "Really? I am too! I'm in 3D, you?"
"Two-dimensional," came his response. She furrowed his eyebrows at his obvious curt tone, and not wanting to be rude, she stepped back a little, giving him his space.
If they were in the same major, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he was in a class or two of hers.
She briefly wondered what minor he was taking, if any. Momo didn't want to ask him, though. She knew it wasn't her place. She had talked to him enough for him to know she was open as a friend if he so wanted.
As the bus entered the parking area of the university, Momo went ahead, jumping out of the bus and slipping her sunglasses onto her face. Something lightly bumped her shoulder, making her turn to see the boy again, walking in the same direction she was headed.
"I'll see you around, Kurieiti," he said in his low, smooth voice. Momo didn't expect that, that was for sure. She wouldn't have thought he would talk to her after their awkward conversation in the bus.
"Y-yeah," she gulped, nodding when he turned to look at her. "I'll see you, Fukasu-san."
He visibly stiffened when she said his name, which piqued her curiosity. His lower jaw- his fine, fine jaw- clenched painfully to the rest of his teeth. It seemed as if something she had said bothered him, but she couldn't quite place what it was.
"Just…" he started, "call me Shouto, okay?"
Momo blinked, but he was already gone, weaving through the crowd of students and most likely going to his first class. She staggered for a fraction of a second, but thankfully made a quick recovery, coughing into the elbow of her right hand and hoisting her bag up further onto her shoulder. It was a nervous habit, though her mind was too preoccupied to even care.
Sure, she guessed she'd have to go with that for now.
"Um… excuse me?" a new voice- a girl's- said, as she felt a finger lightly tap on her left shoulder blade. Momo turned around, coming face to face with a petite girl with a head of auburn hair. She was wearing a tentative smile, which Momo didn't hesitate returning. "My name is Ochako Uraraka," the girl introduced, bowing slightly. "I was wondering if you could help me with something?"
"Oh! Yes, sure, what is it?" Momo asked, raising a kind eyebrow as she surveyed the girl in front of her. Definitely a freshman. She wouldn't be surprised if the girl had mistaken her for someone in an older grade and wanted to ask something regarding the school.
"Do you happen to have a map on you?" Uraraka asked, playing with her fingers. "I'm trying to get to my first class, but I was on vacation with my family when the touring sessions were going on."
Momo stilled, before slowly nodding and pulling out her copy of the campus map out of her purse, handing it to the girl. "Here. I don't need it. I memorized everything right after I got it. It's really just a backup for those just-in-case moments."
Uraraka's face split into a beam as she profusely thanked the taller girl and gently took the map out of her hands. "Thank you so much…" she trailed off, and Momo knew she was looking for her name.
"Momo. Momo Kurieiti."
"Kurieiti, then." Uraraka smiled. "Where's your first class?"
"In the arts building," Momo replied, already growing a peculiar attachment to this girl. There was something about her that immediately drew her in. Was it her openness? Her friendliness? Or maybe it was just that after Fukasu- Shouto, she was relieved to see that there were actual normal people around here. It also seemed like her initial conclusion was wrong. Judging by how Uraraka was acting, she knew she was a freshman just like her.
Momo watched with budding curiosity as Uraraka seemed to study the map, frowning in a few places and furrowing her eyebrows in others. She flipped the map over a couple times, before finally finding something, her eyes lighting up in delight.
"I'm in the physics building. They're right next to each other!" she exclaimed, crumpling the map and shoving it into the pocket of her skirt. "We could walk together."
Momo, not able to help herself, returned her carefree smile with one of her own. "Sure. I'd like that."
And with that, they settled into a steady rhythm of their heels clacking against the concrete floor, their eyes trained towards in order to make sure they didn't bump into someone else.
"So, Uraraka-san," Momo started, eager to make more conversation.
But before she could, Uraraka waved her hand in her direction, smiling adorably. "No need for honorifics. I think we'll be great friends!"
That small little sentence in itself made Momo's heart burst out of its sockets. She had made a friend! Not even ten minutes into the first day of the semester, and she had made a friend! She almost laughed, thinking about how stupid she was being by getting so worked up over this, but decided she held the right. Momo was naturally a friendly person, but the people she talked to usually weren't. Minus Kyouka, of course. She was different.
"I'm glad," Momo grinned. "Anyway, what high school did you go to?"
Uraraka didn't hesitate to quickly return the gesture of happiness, before speaking. "I studied abroad, actually! I went to the sister school of Japan's U.A. Academy, along with a few others. I'll introduce you to them sometime."
Was this the possibility of making more friends? Momo's heartbeat quickened at the thought. There was nothing she liked more than being in a group that accepted her.
It was part of the reason she started dressing more conservatively, too. She didn't want artificial friends that simply fell for her looks, no matter how 'good' they might be. That was a fake, and she didn't want that.
"I'd like that," Momo said, "and I went to U.A, funny enough. I got recommended for its university, so I don't know many people. I can introduce you to the few I do know, though."
By few, she meant one. There was just Kyouka, after all. Everyone else she used to know didn't really classify as her friends.
"That's amazing," Uraraka breathed. "UAversity is the top choice of so many people! The fact that you were recommended to study here is incredible."
Momo laughed half-heartedly. "Well, you too! Even if you attended a similar school, UAversity's still classified as the best of the best."
"So, what are you majoring in?" she asked, switching the subject.
"I'm a three-dimensional arts major. I want to build objects, things, anything really," Momo explained, happy to talk about her biggest interest. "What about you?"
"Astrophysics," Uraraka grinned, curling her hands into a tight fist and grinning wildly. "The study of the universe has always fascinated me. It's really interesting, don't you think?"
So she wanted to be an astronomer? An astrophysicist? It was an admirable career path, definitely, which raised Momo's respect for the girl greatly. She was already kind hearted, but being focused was an entirely different feat.
"I have a classical physics minor, though," Uraraka continued.
"I'm minoring in atomic physics," Momo responded. She had taken the course since she wanted to learn about the properties of the objects she was going to make. It was a hard career path, but she knew she was up for the challenge.
"Oh! We might see each other in a class or two, then!" she exclaimed. "They're both connected to the laws of physics. I heard that a few classes go hand in hand. Do you have your schedule on you?"
Momo knew she was running a bit late, but couldn't help nodding and pulling out her phone, swiping to her camera roll and locating the screenshot she had taken from the email sent to all the students with their timetables earlier. She showed it to her newest friend, watching as she took the phone and zoomed in on the current day, Thursday.
"Hm… let's see," Uraraka chided, scrolling down and looking through Momo's variety of classes. "Oh! Our third class! We both have general physics!"
Momo told herself not to wonder why this girl had her schedule memorized, but not the campus. She waved it off, not wanting to question her about it.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes popping at the revelation. "That's great!"
Suddenly, someone came in between them, lightly flicking both girls' shoulders. Both Uraraka and Momo turned to see a boy slightly taller than them standing there, hosting a head of bright blonde hair with a single black streak in it- probably dyed- and wearing a plain white t-shirt with black pants and black-and-white overcoat.
"Morning, ladies," he greeted them, offering them both a wave. "Couldn't help but overhear that your third block classes are general physics?"
"Uh…" seemed to be both Uraraka and Momo's response to his sudden appearance.
The boy laughed, waving them off. He then stuck out his hand, crossing them so each girl got a dominant one. His left went to Momo, while his right went to Uraraka.
"The name's Denki Kaminari," he introduced as both girls tentatively shook his hand. "I have the same physics class as you."
To this, Momo instantly relaxed. She'd be lying if she said she didn't think he was trying to hit on her, but upon closer inspection, this guy, Kaminari, didn't really seem like that type. He seemed goofy, if anything. His tactics came off a little less roughly than he surely thought.
"Oh," Momo said, "well, my name's Momo Kurieiti."
"Ochako Uraraka," Uraraka chimed in.
"Pleasure," Kaminari responded, before checking his watch and widening his eyes. "Oh crap! We're gonna be late!" He turned back to the two, shooting them both eager waves. "I'm an electromagnetism physics major, by the way. I'll probably be seeing you two around. You're both physics?"
"Minoring," Momo said.
"Majoring," Uraraka said right after.
"Cool. See you two around," Kaminari said, shooting them both finger guns before walking off in the direction of the physics building. Uraraka smiled at Momo, giving her one last wave before following him.
"I should get going too. It was nice to meet you, Kurieti!"
Momo laughed. "Just Momo's fine!"
Uraraka seemed a little taken aback, but nodded happily in return. "Then you can call me Ochako, too!"
"Alright! Bye!" Momos called, waving to her new friend before turning and entering the arts building, navigating her way through the many floors and hallways before finally stepping in front of the one she was looking for.
General Anatomy and Figure Drawing. Class A.
Her teacher was a lad named Higari Maijima. She had heard flitting rumors about him, and apparently he was really short and was a generally positive and happy man.
She only could hope the rumors did him justice.
She took a deep breath, grabbing the door handle and stepping into the classroom, the light reflecting the windowsills flooding her eyes, making her hand quickly jump up and cover the upper part of her face. When she got used to the heavy sunlight, she faced, indeed, an extremely short man with quite large hands staring up at her, wearing the most blinding grin she'd ever seen.
Maybe the light wasn't from the sun. Maybe it was just from his teeth.
"Ah, Kurieiti-san, right?" he nodded at her, flipping through the notebook sitting on his desk. "Just made it in time! Good job!"
He was a chirpy one.
Maijima-sensei handed her an empty black leather-bound folder, before pointing to a seat on the far left side of the classroom. Momo nodded, bowing, before gathering her things and walking over to the seat, slipping onto the chair and letting her bag fall to the floor besides her.
She didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, instead organizing the many sheets of paper in the folder, filing them by class criteria to assignments and placing them all in their own little place. She smiled at her handiwork, taking out a freshly sharpened pencil and titling the first page in a sketchbook she bought before school started with the words, Day One.
As she boxed the words and went over them in a bright pink highlighter, she felt someone's eyes on her. Frowning, she looked up, glancing in front of her and behind her, before finally looking to her right, where a certain familiar boy was staring at her intensely.
She nearly jumped up when she saw Shouto Fukasu sitting next to her, drumming his ballpoint pen on the desk and aimlessly tapping his foot on the floor. He too had a notebook out in front of him, but unlike her, his was blank. They connected in brief eye contact, with Momo the first to look away.
"Hello, Kurieiti," he greeted, finally looking back up to Maijima-sensei, who was currently drawing a sphere on the whiteboard.
She gulped, knowing it was her turn to respond. "H-hi, Fuk- Shouto," she said, remembering to call him by his first name at the last second.
Thankfully, he didn't seem to tense up like he did the last time she addressed him, making her wonder if it was because of the name she used. He didn't like being called by his last name? Maybe, but she couldn't be too sure just yet.
He furrowed his eyebrows, finally scribbling something down in his book. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was the very same sphere Maijima-sensei was lecturing them to draw. Momo quickly positioned her pencil in her hand, drawing a rough sketch of the figure.
"Why are you using a pencil?" Shouto's voice came again. Momo glanced towards him, surprised at his sudden curiosity in her. She then looked around the room, and sure enough, not a single other person was using a pencil.
"What?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean? I always sketch in pencil."
"By using a pencil, you're putting yourself in a position where you're more prone to making mistakes," Shouto replied, his voice low and unwavering. "When you're using a pencil, there's the possibility of erasing anything you're not satisfied with. With a pen, it's different. There's no such thing as going back."
Momo bit her lip, obviously not expecting his little lecture. "Well, what if I feel more comfortable using a pencil?"
Shouto shook his head. "It isn't for you to decide. Using a pen is better for sketching, since you're more focused on making what you're drawing clear and accenuated, rather than worrying if the line you drew came from the right direction or was straight enough. That's just one example."
She was quickly learning that this guy was a lot more talkative than he initially let on. It might just have been nerves, sure, but this was downright unbelievable.
"I… I see," Momo nodded, not wanting to argue. She had to admit, though, he did have a good point. All of her old art teachers said the same thing to her, but for some reason, hearing it from Shouto made her want to comply. She reached into her bag, fumbling around for a pen she could use, groaning when she realized she hadn't brought any. "I don't have any," she muttered, setting her bag back down. "I'll have to ask Maijima-sensei if I can borrow one."
"No need," was all Shouto said, before he reached into his own haversack and tossed her a black ballpoint. Her eyes widened, quickly reaching her hands out to catch the writing utensil with the cup-like shape her hands had taken up. She shot him a look, only to see that he was smirking deeply at her, watching in amusement as she huffed and slipped the cap off of the pen.
"Just so you know, I prefer my pens blue," she said, crossing her legs and going over her previous pencil sketch in the refined black ink. She gulped, not liking how playful she sounded. She had meant for it to be rough, and curt, just like he had been upon their first meeting. What she got, though, was something entirely different.
"I have a blue one too," he replied, his smirk deepening in a painfully annoying fashion. Of course he did. She wouldn't have expected him not to.
"I'll stick with the black," she said, clicking her tongue and picking up her pink highlighter, going over some of the labels and keywords Maijima-sensei was going on about.
"See, this is a general figure drawing class," was what he was currently saying. "We have a large variety of different majors and minors in here. Is anyone here majoring in traditional art?"
A few people raised their hand, including Shouto. Momo made a mental note to remember this.
Maijima-sensei nodded. "Okay, how about digital art?"
About four other people raised their hand.
"Figure creating out of three-dimensional properties?"
A few others raised their hands, this time with Momo. She nodded around to the others who lightly tipped their heads in her direction out of respect for their peer.
"Excellent," Maijima-sensei said, clapping his hands. "Is anyone here doing any form of art as a minor?"
Everyone who hadn't already raised their hand did so now, and the familiar comfortable nods in their direction was enough for them to settle back down.
"Alright. Then you're majoring in something adequate enough? Something that suits your artistic talent?"
There was a faint murmur of 'yes' and 'I think so' sweeping through the room as Maijima-sensei took back his seat and leaned back in it, taking up a pen and a pencil.
"Now, tell me what this is," he said, holding up the pencil and showing to to the students. There were a few snorts, but some brave soul decided to say, "A wooden piece of crap."
Was this class just filled with immature people? Or was that just her mind playing obvious tricks on her?
Maijima-sensei, though, didn't lose his smile as he responded. "Well, yes, it's made out of wood, which makes it a pencil. Now, tell me what this is," he said, holding up the pen.
Again, the same person from before said a simple "A plastic piece of crap."
"Right, but this pen is actually made of high pristine glass and crystal," Maijima-sensei replied. "I got it for my eighteenth birthday so many years ago. I'll give you it for a nice try, though."
Momo snorted at that, happy that her teacher set the annoying student in place.
"He's awfully hyper," Shouto muttered from besides her. "I wonder if he'll simmer down as the semester goes forward."
"And you're awfully aggravating," Momo shot back. "Honestly, lighten up. It's the first day. He's bound to be a little cheery."
"Hm," Shouto replied, seemingly deep in thought. "Then I take it you've heard the rumors about him."
"What? Him being nice and friendly?"
"Him being overly nice and friendly. There's a fine line."
There was a ghost of a smile on his lips, which Momo didn't fail to notice.
"Ah, well, maybe you can grow up to become an art teacher and show him up. The children will be bowing around you, right? Fukasu-sensei! Fukasu-sensei! Please teach us your ways!" She giggled, finding humor in her words.
Shouto shot her a less-than-amused look. "I didn't come here to be insulted."
"No, you didn't. But then you stopped the bus for me. I consider you a friend." She did, and she could only hope he would accept it. All Momo wanted was more friends. More genuine friends. This guy may be a little top-notch, but she'd take it if it meant she'd have someone to talk to during class.
"I consider you my acquaintance. Practically a stranger." He was still looking straight ahead, and had not met her gaze for a few minutes now. No mind.
"Strangers don't stop buses for each other. Strangers don't tell strangers to call them by their first name. Strangers don't greet strangers like friends upon arriving into a class."
She'd cornered him, and the felt a small victory at that. She obviously knew nothing about this guy, of course, but that didn't matter. She felt a strange swelling in her chest when she saw him considering this, his cheeks beginning to move as he spoke.
"I don't like my last name," he finally said, his eyes narrowing as he finally turned to look at her. "That's why I don't like people calling me that. It isn't just you."
She instantly cowered back, recognizing his powerful voice as one that was supposed to evoke fear. She knew then that she had gone too far. She had no right to speak to him like that, especially when she knew next to nothing about him. She had messed up. She didn't know what to do, now.
So, she decided to just go with it. It couldn't get any worse than this, after all.
"S-strangers don't tell strangers about that either," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
He grunted, clenching his fist around his pencil and averted his gaze back to the front of the room. "Hey," she started, this time sounding a little more confident. If he had been able to confess that to her, she felt like she had a duty to do the same. "I don't really like my last name either, if it makes any difference."
Shouto's head snapped back in her direction, and she could tell he was regretting talking to her about this. There was… something in those eyes that told her she didn't have any business in this personal matter of his. Something in his eyes that told her she didn't have to tell him about her own insecurities.
But he had done so for her, and she wanted to do the same for him.
"Your last name is beautiful, though," he said, looking at her with such heat and fire coming out of his eyes. "I don't… I don't understand why you wouldn't like it."
"The same reason you don't like yours," Momo shot back immediately. Of course, she didn't know his reasons, and he didn't know hers. But she didn't think she had to know them. This was enough.
Little did she know how much truth those last words held.
…
After a disaster of a figure drawing class, Momo went straight for her second class, her minor in atomic physics, which, surprisingly, went a lot better than she would have hoped.
Her third class, General Physics, wouldn't be for another half hour, so she had time to chill and wait around. She remembered that both Ochako and Kaminari were with her for this class, so hopefully it would go smoothly.
"Momo!" someone called for her, making her turn around. Walking up to her was Kyouka, followed by Ochako and then Kaminari. The person who had called out to her was obviously Kyouka, judging by the voice.
"Oh, hey Kyo," she said as the three of them approached.
Kyouka slapped Momo's back, giving her a playful glare as Ochako and Kaminari came up to her as well.
"So, you made a new gal pal-"
"Do I just suddenly not exist anymore?" Kaminari cut in.
"-and you didn't tell me about her?" Kyouka continued, ignoring the blonde.
Ah. They had all already met. Well, that definitely saved introduction time.
"I did!" Momo said, walking up to Ochako and draping an arm around her. The three girls looked back at Kaminari, who was sputtering, and laughed at his misery.
"I don't like you guys," he huffed, crossing his arms and pouting, looking away.
Ochako grinned, looking up to Momo as she let go of her. "Are you ready for our class together, Momo-chan?"
"Ooh," Kyouka said, wiggling her eyebrows, "first name basis already?"
"Hey!" Momo said, her eyes narrowing but in a completely playful manner. "And yeah! Do you know who the teacher is?"
"We don't have one," Kaminari spoke up, waltzing into their little circle.
Momo furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, we technically have a teacher, but I heard from a few people that he barely ever shows up to class. It's like, an entirely free period."
"What?!" both Momo and Ochako exclaimed in surprise.
"But I took that class for minor credits!" Momo wailed. "I'd at least like to learn something out of it!"
Kaminari waved his hand. "I mean, the class has textbooks if you want to learn stuff. But c'mon, it's a general class. It's required. They're never good."
Momo wanted to point out that her general anatomy class was plenty good, but even she knew that was a lie. Especially with the annoying boy who sat on her right side.
"You seem frazzled," Kyouka said pointedly, studying Momo's face. "Something wrong?"
Momo shrugged. "Just a stupid class I had in the morning. It's okay, though. I'm fine, and definitely not frazzled."
Thankfully, her roommate left it at that.
Ochako glanced at the giant clock on the top of one of the towers on campus, her eyes widening when she saw the time. "Oh! We should get going if we want to make a good impression on the-"
"There isn't a teacher, remember?" Kaminari said, flicking Ochako's forehead as he began to walk to the physics building.
Kyouka laughed, waving out to the three of them and backing away. "I should get to my improvisational music class, too."
"Ew!" Kaminari yelled back at her, sticking out his tongue.
"Shut up, physics major!" Kyouka shot back.
"Music major!" Kaminari replied, before grabbing both Momo and Ochako and sprinting to the physics building with them right on his tails.
When they entered the air conditioned building, Momo shot Kaminari a pointed smirk. "You seem awfully close with her."
Kaminari sputtered.
"Relax," she waved it off. "It's all in good fun."
…
Sweat reeked from her body as her last class of the day ended. Cup of iced hazelnut coffee that she had gotten from the on-campus coffee shop in her left hand and her bag slung over her right. Momo strutted of campus, ready to go home and make a nice dinner for herself. Or, better yet, Kyouka could do it.
Taking a sip from her cold coffee, she walked to the bus stop that would take her back to her apartment. It was almost five o'clock, meaning for once in her life, she wasn't late. Kyouka was already home, since her last class ended about an hour ago.
Momo dipped her head as she crossed the street, reaching the stop and looking around to see if she knew anyone. Most people lived in the campus dorms, like Ochako, while others had their own places, like herself, Kyouka, and Kaminari. Kaminari went to a different stop, though. His was on the opposite side of campus.
"Kurieiti," someone greeted. Momo's eyes shot up to see Shouto leaning comfortably against the railing of the board with the bus times on it.
Oh, right. He took the same bus as her.
"Shouto," she acknowledged, nodding.
Shouto took a sip out of his steel red water bottle, before looking back at her.
"Good first day?" he asked.
"It was fine," Momo answered vaguely.
He hummed, slipping out his phone and typing something. She watched as he furrowed his eyebrows at the screen, meaning he was probably texting someone.
Momo didn't want to look stupid, so she too opened her mobile device, going to her texts to shoot something to Kyouka.
Momo Kurieiti: heyy did you make dinner? hungry as hell
The reply she got was almost instant.
Kyouka Jirou: haha u rlly think imma make u food? u already got it this morn. enjoy starving hon.
Momo Kurieiti: you're so cruel, kyo!
She sighed, not expecting any less. Thankfully, she remembered seeing a few slices of bread on the counter his morning, so she could probably get by with a sandwich or something.
The bus screeched to a stop in front of them, and it was then when she realized that there was no one else there. She squeaked in surprise as they loaded the bus, making Shouto turn to look at her weirdly.
"What?" he asked, curious.
"Where's everyone else?" Momo asked him as they took they took seats across from each other.
Shouto raised an eyebrow. "Probably out partying or something. It's the first day. No one goes home so early."
To this, she snorted. "Then are we what people consider 'lame'?"
He shrugged. "I suppose so."
She didn't say anything to that, looking back at the window and leaning on the back of her seat. She watched as the landmarks she had learned to memorize passed by as the bus got closer and closer to the stop near her place.
The ride was a silent one, with Shouto still texting whoever he was texting, and Momo silently looking out the window. They were in their own worlds now, and Momo doubted they'd speak again for the rest of the bus ride. Besides, her stop was the next one.
When the bus finally pulled into her stop, she got up, pulling her bag back up onto her shoulder. To her surprise, Shouto got up as well, and the two walked in silence to the front of the bus, where they slipped out after thanking the driver, and started walking in the same direction with Momo a few feet in front of him.
Was he following her?
No, that couldn't be it. He was still too invested in his phone and she was sure he had barely even noticed her in front of him.
Then, that blasted phone of his began ringing. He picked up.
"Bakugou, you need to just-" He paused. "Don't swear at me. Don't call me that." He paused again. "It's in the closet. No, the closet in your room; why would I have it? Katsuki, calm down. I'll be home soon. Yes, I can make dinner." Pause again. "My cooking is plenty good. Okay, you know what? One more complaint and I'm leaving you hungry tonight. When I get home I'll help you." Pause. "Alright. Bye." He took the phone away from his ear and clicked it shut. Momo faintly heard him sigh, followed by a sharp intake of breath. Ah, yes. It seemed as if Mister Fukasu finally realized she was there.
She didn't say anything, though. She wanted him to know she had no interest in whatever he was up to. That was probably his roommate on the phone.
Just how close did they live to each other?!
Momo took the turn into her apartment complex, grateful to finally get away from him. But just as she looked back, she spotted him still behind her. Her eyes widened when their gazes met, but neither of them made any effort to speak.
Okay. He lived in the same building she did. She'd have to endure it.
So, without a word, she went to the elevator, pushing the button and angrily realizing he was there too. Though when he noticed this, he turned away from her and started walking to the staircase. Breathing a sigh of relief, Momo entered the lift, pushing the number '7' and waiting patiently for the doors to close.
Now all she had to do was go home, rant to Kyouka, force her to make dinner, flop on her bed, and go to sleep.
When the elevator doors opened for her, she stepped out, a big smile on her face.
That smile quickly subsided when she saw who was standing right in front of her. Honestly, she was more surprised at how quickly he climbed those stairs.
Stupid Shouto Fukasu lived on the same floor as her.
Both of them quickly averted their gazes, but Momo knew that now enough was enough.
"You, uh, live here?" she asked as they began walking. In the same direction, might she add.
"I do," Shouto nodded. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
"Dunno. You might just be some weird stalker," Momo shrugged.
"Funny," he said.
She shrugged in response. "What number are you?"
"I'm the one at the very end. Fifteen."
She breathed a sigh of relief at that. They were close, but there was still a fair distance between them.
"I'm number nine," she replied. Six apartments between them. That was good.
"Well, then," Shouto started just as they reached her door. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon."
She shrugged again, ignoring the clammy feeling in her throat. Inaudibly gulping, she nodded and took out her keys, slipping them into the doorknob.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess we will," was the last thing she said before opening the door wide and slipping inside before he could respond.
And as she kicked off her shoes, threw her bag onto the kitchen counter, and ignored Kyouka's greetings, she trudged to her room, shoving herself onto the bed and curling up into a tiny ball.
She had made two new friends today. Ochako Uraraka and Denki Kaminari.
Shouto… well, she'd get to him soon enough.
next chapter: shouto has an angry roommate and midoriya izuku is a cutie pie