The sunday before midterm week was cram time for the students of U.A. Everyone continued their studying in preparation for their first academic benchmark for the year. Class 1-A still had three days until their written exams but that didn't stop the usual study groups from forming around campus. Momo and the class 1-A girls were no exception as they grouped around a circular table in the U.A. library. Momo glanced over at Mina in the seat next to her. She looked back with a sly grin and then went back to fighting her arch nemesis: math.
The previous night had threatened the tight bond between Mina and her two closest friends but after a thorough explanation from Jiro, she saw things in a different light. Jiro took about an hour explaining how Momo had not meant to betray her and that the strange situation she was in required some confidentiality. Mina couldn't deny that she was a gossip guru but her feelings were still hurt that she hadn't been told. Finally Jiro offered a peace treaty with specific terms to get their pink alien friend to forgive them. Mina would have exclusive rights to tease Momo on anything to do regarding the ice prince of U.A. but only when it was just the three of them. After adding an amendment to the treaty which allowed for side glances and raised eyebrows in public, Mina was more than happy to forgive her friends.
Now that peace had been restored, Momo was happier than ever, but the threat of constant embarrassment from Mina's lewd comments was something she would have to get used to. At least in their study group she was safe, especially with Mina staring at numbers like they were about to murder her. Momo smiled at the contentness she felt among friends. Her studies were going perfectly and she could feel joy whenever she helped one of the girls with a problem. This was what she wanted out of her life as a student. The thoughts that kept her up late last night were not.
She'd quite literally run into an impasse on the U.A. Trail one night and now it threatened to derail her entirely. She was just barely hanging on with all the chaos surrounding her condition but coupled with her growing feelings… it was just too much. She had told herself over and over that these feelings could not interfere with goals. It was hard even for her to decipher her feelings towards Todoroki, but in the process she remembered something her mother told her after she was accepted to U.A.
One of the few times her mother spoke candidly to her about her personal life was about how she married into the Yaoyorozu family. Her mother had come from a respectable family and she herself had managed to attend U.A. for hero training. While in her third year, her parents came to see her with an exciting proposal. The prestigious Yaoyorozu family had a son who was five years older than her and was working as a pro hero. He was single and not interested in dating so his family had set up an arranged marriage with another elite family. Her mother had been completely against the idea and flat out refused her parents. Eventually she agreed to have a single meeting with the man in question just to be rid of him for good.
She listened to the man's story and felt little to nothing. Throughout her life, romance was of little importance compared to her future career as a hero. She explained her thoughts on their arrangement and told him that she respectfully declined. She recalled him smiling and laughing then. He said that he admired people like her who put hero work above all else, just like him. He offered her a job as a sidekick at his effluent hero agency on the spot. Momo thought about smile on her mother's face as she described the next two years she spent doing hero work and fighting beside the man whom she had once rejected.
When she became successful enough to start her own agency she had dinner with him to thank him for his mentorship. When she told him of her plans for the future he warmly congratulated her. She had worked hard to make her name known in the hero industry and it paid off greatly. Her career was progressing exactly as she had envisioned. Only one thing had changed. Her mother remembered the exact words she spoke boldly at the time.
"I still want to be the hero I've always dreamed of, but I know now that I want to do so with you by my side."
Her mother laughed as she described the embarrassment on her future husband's face after she spoke those words. Their love had grown slowly over time, even after an awkward first encounter. It had all started from there, and six months after her proposal, they were married. Together they took the family name Yaoyorozu to new heights and created one of the largest hero enterprises Japan had ever seen.
Her mother told her this story with the hope of sending her a message. She promised Momo that she would never be forced into an arranged marriage.
"I want the world for you my dear, and I just hope you will take the time to find what makes you happy. Just as I did."
Her words resonated in Momo that night. Maybe this is what her mother had meant for her to understand about life and love. That fleeting emotions can be misleading and that time was needed to understand one's true path to happiness. Momo would usually never let her emotions interfere with her life this much, but they were brought about by extraordinary circumstances beyond her control. Jiro told her the very night that she heard about her condition that she shouldn't let uncontrollable forces shape her feelings. Her mother was right in that time was what she needed was time to understand what she really felt.
A sudden kick to her leg ripped her from her thoughts. She looked over and saw Mina getting a bit of revenge with a suggestive glance as a group of boys from their class took a table nearby. Lida, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki all sat down and began taking out studying materials. Momo was surprised to see Todoroki with a group considering his aloof personality but then she remembered how the people in that group had all been caught up in their connection. She was glad that the boys had understood Todoroki didn't have control when he attacked Bakugo. It looked like the group was getting along well and Momo couldn't help but smile.
"Uraraka what's up with you? *Ribbit* You were doing just fine."
The girls looked towards a flustered gravity girl who was struggling to hold her pencil.
"N-N-N-Nothing! I'm j-just excited we're almost done with m-m-midterms"
"Uraraka chan, it's okay *ribbit*. We all know it's because Midoriya's right over there."
"AH! ...n-no way…"
The girls all giggled at her cute blushing face. The air changed from quiet focused studying to bubbly gossip in an instant. Jiro could feel a pair of knowing alien eyes on her.
Great.
Momo knew Mina wouldn't say anything directly about Todoroki but she felt an internal alarm warning her to do something. She would prefer to excuse herself from the group for a bit but it didn't look like there would an opportunity anytime soon-
*buzz *buzz
She felt a vibration from her school bag against her leg. She leaned down to quickly check the message and saw that it was from… she really needed to change that contact info for protection against gossip.
Shoto: Could you do me a favor and come over to our table for a moment?
As strange as it was to receive a text like this from Todoroki, it was her chance to slip from the group for a moment. She looked towards jiro and whispered that she'd be back soon. While the girls were busy teasing Uraraka she quietly headed towards the boys table. As she approached, she noticed Lida and Midoriya were watching her with flustered expressions. When she grew near they each quickly avoided her gaze by looking at their notes. Momo sighed internally knowing that she was relying on these boys to keep her secret. She stood next to Todoroki who remained seated.
"Sorry to bother you Yaoyorozu but I wanted you to confirm that our connection is indeed real. Bakugo wouldn't have any of it unless he heard it from you."
She looked to the explosion hero and was met with an icy cold gaze. She should have figured that he of all people would question something that sounded so propsposterous. While she didn't particularly like Bakugo, she wanted to make sure he understood that what happened between him and Todoroki was an uncontrollable mishap.
"Bakugo, I can assure you that Todoroki is telling the truth. This connection we have is an anomaly that allows me to experience things from his point of view. Because of that I say for sure that he lost control of himself when you provoked him."
The group of boys stared at her as if expecting a final statement.
"...and yes we have to kiss because of it but it's not like what you're thinking."
Midoriya and Lida could barely contain their embarrassment as they hid their faces in their notebooks. Bakugo's expression didn't even budge as he looked at Todoroki.
"Since it seems like you're telling the truth I'll agree to keep your condition a secret, on one condition. We're gonna be sparing a lot more from now on. All I have to do is keep my mouth shut and you won't go berserk right? Things won't go the same as last time I can promise you that- Oi!"
Todoroki turned unbothered towards Momo before Bakugo even finished which angered him even more.
"Sorry about this M- Yaoyorozu, I'll make sure they keep this secret.
Momo nodded and then looked at her male classmates. The embarrassed looks hadn't disappeared one bit and Bakugo kept glaring at Todoroki to no end. It didn't look like any of them could hold themselves to secrecy even if they tried. She suddenly got an idea.
"Lida, as your Vice President, I hold you to a higher moral echelon than the rest of the class. I'm sure I can count on your discretion."
She knew by appealing to she could win him over. His expression turned serious as he assumed the role of class president and firmly nodded. She ignored Bakugo who would most definitely be satisfied with sparring with Todoroki.
"Midoriya, is there anything we can do to make it easier for you to keep this secret?"
"... well I kind of have a secret of my own so I understand what you're going through. I'll definitely keep your secret Yaoyorozu-San!"
"Secret?... No offense but I think everyone in the class can see your giant crush on Uraraka."
The color of Midoriyama's face began to resemble a ripe tomato.
"N-N-NO NO T-T-THATS NO NO AHHH!"
He was clearly at a loss and had managed to draw the attention of the girls table with his loud panicking. Momo decided on a quick solution to both problems.
"Since I know I can count on you now, how bout you boys all join the girls for some studying? I think we can all benefit from sharing notes and the girls are a bit distracted at the moment. I'll go ask them."
The boys nodded to Momo and she headed back to the girls table where everyone was eyeing her. Clearly the topic of gossip hadn't been dropped. Before Mina could make any suggestive comments she spoke up.
"Girls would it be all right if the boys group joined us? They can definitely help with studying."
The girls, minus Jiro and Uraraka, all looked at each other before erupting into a fit of giggles. Jiro couldn't be bothered but Uraraka' face matched the shade of Midoriya's from earlier. They all agreed it would be "interesting" so Momo waved to the boys to come over. She took her seat in front of their wide circular table wondering if any studying would actually be done.
Before the boys reached the table Mina converted the last of her studying brain power into a cheeky comment that was just within the bounds of her peace treaty with Momo.
"Hey girls, wouldn't you agree Todoroki is the most handsome boy in our class? I wonder if he's interested in anyone?"
Momo and Jiro shot her a disapproving look that was met with a dazzling smile of feigned innocence. Mina being the social butterfly she was made sure to greet Midoriya as he approached and led him to sit right next to Uraraka which got some more laughs from the girls. Lida and Bakugo sat in between Midoriya and Toru while Todoroki was-
"Yaoyorozu, do you mind if I sit here?"
Momo was caught off guard as she hadn't even seen him approach. He was gesturing towards the spot in between Jiro and her. Momo's words caught in her throat as she started overthinking his question. Thankfully, Jiro was able to play it cool.
"That'd be fine Todoroki. Grab a chair."
She smiled a bit too warmly at the boy who failed to notice her hidden aura of over protection. While the now mixed study group was busy with "studying", Todoroki sat beside the girl with whom his quirk had connected him too. Momo took a moment to breathe and remember her mother's words. She had a lot of time to figure out what made her happy, and big goals to reach. She planned to make the most of that time.
"So Todoroki, what are you focusing on for the written exam?"
He looked at his notes and pointed to a section on the ethics of hero work. Momo nodded.
"The laws around hero work are a bit confusing and with the wording of the questions on our tests it's even more so. The trick is to remember the fundamentals of the first quirk related amendment that was added to our constitution. Let me show you."
Momo drew a detailed diagram on Todoroki's paper showing how almost all the ethics problems they had in class could be traced back to that specific amendment. The answer then became much clearer after applying the amendment to the situation in question.
"This makes it so much easier to work out subjective problems about ethics. Use that amendment in your response and you're sure to do well."
Todoroki was clearly impressed by the diagram and by Momo's impressive teaching skills.
"Yaoyorozu… I would help you with something but I feel like you already have all the answers."
Momo glanced up at the profile of his face staring intently at the notes she had drawn for him.
Smooth white hair partially covered his face and the piercing red eye on his right side. She quickly avoided staring any longer.
"... I wish I did. But everyone has things they find hard to understand. If you want you could show me how you solve this trajectory equation."
"Don't you have the answer in your head already?"
"I might, but this will help us both for the test won't it?
Todoroki met her gaze with a small smile. He nodded and began to work out the equation. 20 minutes of problem solving went by in a flash. The connected pair turned studying into a relay race of exchanging notes and strategies. Everyone else in the group had been distracted by random gossip (thanks to Mina) but as everyone began to quiet down, they couldn't help but admire the efficiency of the pair. Even Jiro was captivated by how good of a team they made. Mina was practically foaming at the mouth but knew she had to hold herself back for her friend's sake. It was Uraraka who broke the silence and commented with a bright smile.
"Wow! You too are like a well oiled machine! I could mistake you two as a couple for sure haha."
Uraraka and the invisible Toru were the only people in the group unaware of the pairs condition which made her statement a bit awkward. The mixed reactions of uncertaintainty from group prompted the gravity hero to follow up.
"Oh come on, you guys don't see it? I don't mean to make assumptions but I just think you two look great together."
Those group struggled to respond and Jiro prepared to do something to quickly to change topics. Before she could, Todoroki spoke.
"I think I speak for the both of us when I say that our goal to be the best heroes possible comes before anything else. That's probably why we work well together."
Everyone in the group let out a sigh of relief and cheerfully agreed with Todoroki. Uraraka's question had turned into a good test of the boys confidentially. The tension in the room was gone and everything returned to normal. That is, except for Momo. Her mind became a battlefield of conflicting thoughts.
"Those words, why did he have to use those words? The same as my mother... Why can't I give myself time? Is there something wrong with me? Is it okay for me to feel this way? Why can't everything go back to the way it was?"
"R-Restroom"
Momo mumbled and quickly got up to leave the group. She didn't hear jiro asking her what was the matter or Todoroki saying her name. The stress was hitting her so hard she could barely think. She found her way to the water fountain between the men's and women's restrooms. There she drank the spouting water as if it were the fountain of youth, hoping to find some clarity through hydration. The cool water eased her body but her mind was still clouded in confusion.
"Momo…"
She turned to the sound of his voice, not expecting to hear her first name spoken by him here. Todoroki was looking at her with a concerned expression. He didn't move and stayed a good distance from her as he spoke.
"Is there… Can I do anything to help you?"
Momo saw the worry in his eyes. He had probably thought he did something to upset her. How could she help him understand?
"Not here…follow me"
She led him away from their classmates and towards the far end of the library. U.A.'s library was just as state of the art as it other facilities. While the rows of bookshelves seemed commonplace, the large white pods that lined the walls were not. the pods (trademark) stood about 2 meters high and sat 4 students in a row. Their purpose was for 4d interactive learning through instructional videos, historical hero fights and quirk assessment. Momo having spent a large portion of her time at U.A in the library knew about an underused function of the pods.
She led Todoroki to an empty pod and entered through the rectangular opening on its side. She sat in the furthest cushioned seat and Todoroki was still inclined to keep his distance by sitting on the opposing side. He was hesitant to ask anything of Momo and waited for her to tell him what she wanted. She paused for a moment before pressing a small blue button on the underside of the leg-less table in front of them.
A mechanical noise sounded through the pod as the table was raised from its hinges in the wall until it fit completely into the side entrance of the pod. It became completely dark for a moment before the entire half of the curved wall in front of them lit up with a stream of scenery. The horizon on the ocean, trees in a tropical jungle, fish surrounding a colorful coral reef.
Momo took the chance to watch his reaction which was sure enough, quite amusing. His mouth gaped open slightly at the completely immersive scenes in front of him. The sounds from the back of the pod created an artificial world for the students inside. He was left speechless by the initial shock of it.
"I found out about this by accident during our first week of school. My knee hit that blue button by accident and I almost had a heart attack. A faculty member told me later that this function is meant to create a safe place for a student to destress or nap.
She scoffed at the memory and Todoroki looked towards her. He was relieved that she seemed to be doing better.
"Do you have any requests Todoroki? Try to find a scene you like the most."
She pointed to his armrest where a button let him flip through the scenes the pod offered. He settled on an incredible view of the sunset from a tropical beach. The sound of waves slowly crashing filled the room and put both of them at ease. For a minute they each took in the view in complete silence. Momo could see that he was completely relaxed as she glanced at him. She was ready to .
"I should have come back to use these pods much earlier. I've been letting the stress of our condition get to me if I'm being honest. The things we've been through… I think it's making me feel things I shouldn't be."
The red line of the horizon against the blue of the ocean waves dropped from her vision as she looked down.
"My mother once told me good things come with time, and that happiness comes with experience. I'm lucky to have parents who found love in each other that has stayed strong until now. If I've learned anything from them, it's that the real thing is truly beautiful. It makes this sunset look like a pale imitation. I know that I will be a successful hero if I continue working hard, but if along the way I find my own stretch of sand, I want the view of the sunset to be real."
When she looked towards Todoroki, his eyes were hidden by his hair. His body leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. His hands intertwined into a fist under his chin. The sound of waves the only noise to be heard. She couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Todoroki are you…"
"Do you feel better Momo?"
"Sorry?"
"...Earlier you felt stressed and left the group, do you feel better?"
"Um, yes I suppose."
"Good, now I should tell you about more about what I heard from Recovery Girl at the hospital. She wants us to experiment with the timing of our connection. At the lockers it was three hours before our usual meeting and now it's currently 10 AM so that's four hours before our last connection. She wants us to find out what the minimum time before our connection can form again."
He spoke quickly and robotically, like the topic was a simple business transaction. Momo was confused by his sudden change. She hadn't seen him act like this since before she got to know him.
"Todoroki is something the matte-"
He rose quickly and moved next to her. Without hesitation he brought his lips to hers for the briefest of moments. The sound of their bracelets registering their connection had only just begun to chime when he stood up once again. Momo was hit with a series of images and emotions that she couldn't comprehend. The scenes in her mind were covered by a glossy fog obscuring her vision. The feelings she received were murky and indiscernible. She hadn't experienced anything like this with their connection before. Todoroki had already pressed the blue button on the side of the curved wall. The pod returned to its original state as the entrance opened. He took one step forward to exit when he turned his head slightly. Momo could only see the side of his mouth as he spoke with a bitter tone.
"Tomorrow before class let's meet at the greenhouse…The view from that wooden bench is much more real than this."
He left without even a glance back, leaving Momo to dwell on what had just transpired. She had gotten her worries off her chest, but the clouded feelings she had received still lingered in her heart. Momo quickly made for the door and as she did the pod beside her opened as well. Deku and Uraraka emerged from the opposing door with blushed faces. They saw Momo from the door and both immediately panicked. Uraraka tried to cover for them.
"M-M-M-Momo! T-This isn't what it- We were just s-studying!"
Momo hadn't even registered their presence. Thoughts swarmed in her head. She thought he could understand that her feelings were rushed and misplaced. She had simply communicated what she needed to be happy in the future. That everything that happened to her with Todoroki was uncontrollable and therefore her emotions were unfounded. So then why?
Why did it feel so terrible for him to respond in kind?
She looked around the library and found her classmates, but Todoroki was long gone.
