Momo was sure there would be attention on her class after USJ. 1-A did become targets of A villain attack targeting All-Might. There was no way that their fellow students wouldn't want to check in, especially with a staple event coming up. If only it had gone more smoothly.

"Move it, extras. You're all in my way and I have no time for you." 1-A's resident sourpuss, Katsuki Bakugou, stated with a reserved anger in his voice. Momo was not as familiar with the boy but she could tell something was off in comparison to his usual loud harshness.

"Bakugou! Please do not refer to our fellow students as extras." Iida chastised their classmate, alongside Uraraka and Midoriya.

Momo tried to apologize on behalf of the hot-headed blonde. He was clearly not going to do it himself. She had no control over him. Nobody did. And yet with so many other students showing up to see the class that survived the USJ incident, the chance to make a good first impression was squandered.

"WHO YOU CALLING EXTRAS!? NO NEED TO BE SO RUDE!" A boy with strange eyelashes and silvery hair spoke up, justifiably insulted by Bakugou's demand. From behind the loud boy, another boy emerged with a calmer yet more smug demeanor.

"Oh? So the class who found themself fighting real villains seems to be too good for us, huh? I should have expected as such. How disappointing."

"That is enough out of you." Before Momo or Iida could step in, a familiar voice did the honors.

Itsuka made her way through the crowd and reigned in her class' unruly blonde. She turned to her classmates and the other students who had come to observe.

"That blonde guy doesn't speak for their class any more than this one does. I know some of them personally. I can vouch for them."

"Well I would say I am convinced, but this seems a lot like damage control. Are you dating someone in 1-A, red?" a tired looking boy with a shock of purple hair spoke. Itsuka wanted to shake her head and say that it was irrelevant what her connection to 1-A was. Sports festival or bot, they were expected to conduct themselves a certain way. She herself was expected to lead by example, so it was her duty more or less. And yet that prospect hung back in the redhead's mind.

Iida stepped in, trying to play damage control as well. The involvement of Itsuka and Momo shook him out of the shock of everything happening.

"Now now. My fellow student council members are right. As president of class 1-A, I must also apologize for Bakugou's behavior while also extending a hand of friendship to our fellow students."

The combined efforts of Itsuka, Momo, and Tenya seemed to sway some. Tetsutetsu certainly calmed down, though he still puffed out his chest just in case. Not everyone was convinced though.

"Um...I-I should probably say something…" a voice squeaked. All eyes turned to the source.

"Hi. My name is Izuku Midoriya, class 1-A's secretary. I stepped down from presidency when I felt I wasn't cut out for leadership, but-,"

"How unfortunate...1-A in damage control when they show their true colors. It is a shame my class president has to play along, but that speaks well of our class' mercy." Monoma muttered as he came to. He was ceremoniously shoved aside.

"Hey. May I say something? I vouch for Itsuka and my fellow vice president. 1-A really isn't bad. There are some cool people in there, I imagine,"

The greenette glanced discreetly in the direction where Izuku was standing, having shrunk back after his failed attempt to help things. She wanted to wave but figured it was too soon. Not far off was Jirou, who was soon in the crosshairs of two pistols and a wink from Setsuna.

"I see how it is…" the violet hair boy from before spoke again. "One hero student acts arrogant and others step in to change the narrative. Maybe you aren't all like that guy. However, I will be frank: this is a declaration of war. I came to scope out the class that survived a villain attack. Looks like I get to see the other hero class too. It doesn't matter. Some of us who are in general studies didn't make the cut for the hero program. However, if any of you slip up, we have the chance to transfer. Whatever happens to those we replace? Well that's on them I guess."

As the commotion struck back up, Aizawa entered the room, breaking up the crowd like a Lion in a herd of herbivores. He already had an imposing aura, the rumors of expelling a whole class being well established.

However, the bandages covering his broken body didn't help matters either. It was silly but also scary in a way. "Shouldn't you all be in your own homerooms? Move along."

This finally sent everyone on their way. Opinion would be divided on class A. Rumor had spread of a lecherous student who had looked up girls' skirts and a cold-hearted boy who was all business and no pleasure. Add to that the fact that this was an event that surpassed the Olympics in terms of reach and that the results could change the fates of any student who made it to the finals, and you had a recipe for rivalry.

Itsuka admitted to herself that seeing her classmates get some attention for what they could do was a nice prospect, as was seeing what she could do against opponents she had never faced before. That wasn't even touching on the attention it could get her dad's business.

She didn't want to sell herself to advertisers or anything. Still, if she could help out the people who raised her, she would.

"I wonder if anyone in Momo's class can relate."

She took her notes to the best of her ability but Momo and 1-A were on her mind the whole time.

And the Sports Festival was another thing. She thought of the key players. The purple-haired boy from general studies seemed rather imposing, as did Bakugou. She knew next to nothing about either but she did know Monoma a little better. She sighed. It was inevitable that there would be a competitive climate in the lead up to the Sports festival. It was a really good opportunity to stand out. She just didn't want it to result indivision or hard feelings.

"My hands are big so I can carry you…"

Itsuka thought back to words she spoke as a child until the bell brought her out of her daydream.

"That's it for today, students," Vlad King spoke encouragingly as his students prepared to depart. "Class is dismissed. You have the crest of the lead up to the festival off, so use this time wisely. Study hard, train hard, and embody that "Plus Ultra" Spirit!"

X

Itsuka exited with her friends. While she got along with everyone, she did have a tight knit group she tended to hang with. Setsuna jokingly called them "the Kendou crew".

"I'm just saying. I've seen that guy around. Shinsou I think? Kinda cute" Reiko spoke in a soft, sleepy tone as she walked with her friends.

"I guess. Not sure how I feel about his attitude, but I guess we are all trying to stand out." Itsuka posited.

"We all know you have a type anyway: cute, rich, and stacked." Setsuna nudged her friend and stuck out her forked tongue in jest.

"Cut it out, Tokage!" a voice shot out. It wasn't Itsuka's, however. The group turned to see Yui, whose face was now bright red. She pulled a baseball cap out of her bag and. Pulled it onto her head, hoping to hide the embarrassment.

The group waa taken aback. It was rather surprising to hear Yui emit any sound other than a gentle groan. To hear her actually use words was surprising. Deciding not to cause any more awkwardness, the girls nodded and moved on with their conversation. Feeling slightly flustered but grateful, Itsuka patted her friend on the back and gave her a thumbs up and smile, which exacerbated Yui's blush.

Their dark green-haired bowed her head and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Itsu. Just funning around. You too, Yui." Setsuna whispered the last bit to the shorter girl, giving her a sympathetic look. She could hazard a guess as to what triggered the uncharacteristic outburst.

Class 1-A came into view, as did their vice-president. Itsuka had something to say, so it felt like a good time to break off from her friends.

"Sorry to break off like this,"

"No sweat, yaoi hands! We know how it goes. Go get her!" Setsuna winked. Reiko giggled slightly but refrained from teasing just yet. She didn't want to gang up on her friend, even if it was playfully.

"Yeah. We can catch up later. We have your contact info. We'll bug you later, Itsuka." Reiko chimed in.

Itsuka looked to Yui, who she could sense was a bit tense. Perhaps they should talk about it. Momo seemed to change the quiet girl's demeanor quite a bit.

"It's ok...go…" Yui said softly. Itsuka's eyes lingered on her friend before turning back towards Momo, who was getting farther away.

"Alright. I'll talk to you girls later. Momo, wait up!"

Itsuka closed the gap in a manner of minutes, with Momo stopping in her tracks at the mention of her name.

"Oh, hey, Itsuka. Are you ok?" Momo asked.

Itsuka nodded. "Yeah. I just want to apologize again for Monoma. And Tetsutetsu I guess. He really isn't a bad guy. Just...a troublemaker and a stubborn one at that. And Tetsutetsu? He means well."

"It's fine. I know our class has some...interesting characters to say the least. I wish we could have left a better impression but I feel you did help a lot, as did Tokage. I suppose we still just have to do our best at the Sports festival though." Momo smiled. There was a layer of sorrow and anxiety beneath the surface, but she did her best to handle it with grace. Itsuka had always admired that.

"Yeah...hey...do you want to train for it? Together I mean. Might not be totally wise as we might end up competing against each other, but it would be a good way to catch up."

"I thought we were already catching up." Momo cocked a head to the side, her own coy form of teasing. She wasn't as good at it as others, but for Itsuka, she was more comfortable trying.

"Yeah. But it might serve to bridge that gap between our classes right now. Besides… Man, this is going to sound sappy." Itsuka felt her heart swelling. She wasn't sure if it was the moment or the years apart talking.

"What is?"

"I missed you..." The redhead spoke softly in a timid tone. It was uncharacteristic of her, but a choice few have seen that side.

"I know. I missed you too." Momo blushed and played with her bang, averting her eyes.

"No...I...Momo...is it too early?" Itsuka felt like she was going to choke. Her emotions were a jumbled mess and she wished she could decipher them well enough to make a good call.

"Too early for what?" It started to click for the ravenette but she was unsure of how to respond. She merely listened to see how it played out and to see if she was off base."

"It's … I mean...maybe we should wait. Sorry. I don't know what is up with me. My emotions are going haywire. I am normally more composed than this." Itsuka wanted to scream at herself.

What was she doing? Why was she saying this? She could have kept it in and dealt with it later. Sure, Momo was smart and could figure it out, but she was also young and awkward about this sort of thing, like her.

"It's ok...I think I know what you want to say… we should talk about this another time. Maybe during training. You suggested it after all. Or dinner at your parents'. I have been considering bringing some things from home if your family doesn't mind a mini- potluck."

"That's fair. And yeah. I don't think they would mind. I'll run it by them."

"Thank you."

The two held hands and smiled before parting ways once more. They had just picked up where they had left off and it felt right. However they were young and still figuring themselves out. Neither wanted things to sour after they had finally been reunited, so they were cautious to say what was deep in their hearts, at least not right away. For now, though, there was still that slight unease. Though words were exchanged, some unspoken feelings were communicated nonverbally.

X

Momo tapped her executive quality pencil, trying to remain laser focused on everything that had been announced. She had finished any assignments that would have been due and had time off to prepare for the Sports Festival. She just needed a training itinerary. The thought of everything that had happened at USJ, combined with the commotion in the hallway of UA earlier had weighed on the rich girl's mind. As she sat at the desk in her study, which was attached to her bedroom.

Still, she was determined to maintain a standard of quality she felt was expected of her. Being studious and attentive came naturally to Momo. She looked at the largest bookshelf in the room. If only she could live in the library. This meager study and it's wall length bookcases would suffice.

On the top shelf, tucked in the left corner, was an old photograph of her family's most renowned hero: her grandfather, Mamoru Yaoyorozu. Wearing a red and white tuxedo and going by the name Mr. Creaty, Mamoru was a gentlemanly type who could utilize his quirk to produce things he required to get out of scrapes and save the day. While heroes have not been frequent in her lineage since then, her grandfather had still been influential enough both as a businessman and a jero. Momo hoped she could carry that legacy and the name of Creaty.

Her quirk was a bit more advanced and required more skin, so her costume would probably make him shudder. He died before she was born, so she could only imagine. Still, the shelf on her costume was partially inspired by the small book he kept in the pocket near his heart. It was a small black tome of recipes for the tools he would use, everything from a smoke gun to mustache wax. He would even produce cannons. These tales of his exploits certainly impacted Momo's approach.

More than him, however, Momo was inspired by someone closer to her age: her closest friend. They had grown up together, laughed together, and played together. Those cherished memories were something Momo held in high regard.

"Her hand in mine…" Momo trailed off as she looked at her palm. That warmth from Itsuka still lingered, sending shivers up and down the raven-haired girl's spine. Was it too early in the school year? Life wasn't a romance novel after all. What was to say they wouldn't grow apart? No. Momo didn't dare consider that.

But what Itsuka had said earlier weighed on her mind. It seemed they had essentially shared their feelings without being forthcoming.

"Do I love her?" Well of course. They were very close as children. There was bound to be that bond of friendship there. Momo knew deep down that wasn't what she meant, but these feelings were heavy and she had just reconnected with Itsuka after years apart. And hero studies took a lot of time and dedication, let alone becoming a hero for real. Could love really bloom with all that going on?

And then there was that Monoma boy. Itsuka said not to worry about him but he had a point. The Sports festival would pit students against each other. Momo would have to go all out and prove herself against several worthy opponents, including friends she had made in class...and Itsuka.

Maybe life really was like a story some times. She pulled out her phone and texted Itsuka.

"I am about to go find Sebastian. I can come for dinner tomorrow. I just need to see if he can take me."

Five seconds later, Momo received a response. "Sounds good to me, Momo. They won't stop asking about you. Lol."

Momo couldn't help but laugh gently. She responded with "Lovely. I miss them too. See you tomorrow!" and went off in search of Sebastian. As a servant of her family, she knew he would oblige. However, she refused to just assume at the expense of basic manners.

She headed to the servants' quarters with the drive of a detective on the trail of a big case. She had been consuming a lot of mystery novels as of late. She soon found her man in an instant, as he walked out of his room.

"Ah, Sebastian. May I have a word?" Momo asked.

"Young Miss? What brings you here?" The older man cocked his head slightly, looking rather like an owl. It was amusing to Momo, to say the least.

"I have two questions."

"I might have two answers in exchange. How may I help?" Sebastian winked.

Momo cleared her throat, trying not to smirk at the man's charming whimsy.

"Would you be able to drive me to the Kendou residence tomorrow? I was invited over for dinner and I wanted to take the brief reprieve from classes to catch up."

She really was a wordy and proper girl. Sebastian supposed that couldn't be helped. "Of course. It is what I'm here for. What time?" The man bowed.

"No need to be so cordial, but thank you. 5:30 P.M."

Sebastian stroked his mustache and nodded. "Yes, I do believe that is quite manageable. I can do that. What was your second question."

Momo's produced a book from her satchel (one could never be without something to read, let alone something to carry it in). She thumbed through it until she found her page.

"Is anyone in the kitchen? I do not wish to intrude on others' duties, but I wanted to try something out."

X

Momo looked out the window of the limousine, straightening her ponytail as she looked out the window. She felt her heart rate increase as Sebastian neared the address. It had been so long since she had been there. Outside of picking Itsuka up, at least. It was a little scary but also exciting. It had an intoxicating air of nostalgia about it. She wondered how different things were and what had remained the same. As the limousine pulled into the driveway and Itsuka waved from outside, Momo knew she would get those answers soon.

"Momo! It has been years! Come inside, kiddo. We missed you. Not as much as our daughter though. She has so many letters she got too flustered to send. It's kind of cute." A tired yet toned woman stepped out of the house, hair in a bun as she wore yoga pants, a tank top, and a black zip-up hoodie.

"MOM!" Itsuka was known to her class as Cool and level-headed, a big sister type. If they could see her now, however, they would see a girl as red as her hair. Her voice cracked a little as she hid her face in her hands.

"O-Oh. Well that is quite flattering to hear, but I am sure Itsuka can show me after dinner. May I come in?" Momo blushed as well but cleared her throat in order to get things moving. It was sort of nice, however, to see a side of Itsuka few people saw.

"Well, come on in. We're having Teriyaki Salmon. I remember it being a favorite of yours and Itsy's'," Hizatsu teased as she shot a look at her daughter.

Itsuka was ready to scream into her hands but tried keeping composed. It wasn't working. Momo was similarly red faced but had an epiphany.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Momo dashed back towards the limo and went to open the door. Luckily, Sebastian had grabbed it. She was normally so much better than this. She supposed it was just nerves. She had been over so many times as a kid. It shouldn't have made her this anxious.

Grabbing the dish from her driver, the dark-haired prodigy walked back to the steps of the Kendou household and entered behind Itsuka.

X

The Kendou family asked a wealth of questions about Momo's life, especially how She Got inn and the whole USJ incident. They didn't get all the details from their daughter and, even if they did, they would still want to hear from the source.

"Momo, the Kamocha squash you brought from home is delicious. We aren't exactly used to having meals prepared for us by servants or anything."

"Oh no, Mrs. Kendou. I actually tried my hand at it myself. I'm not very good at it but I wanted to try. I used to sneak into the kitchen to read the cook books sometimes so I am glad the results turned out so well." Momo beamed. She hoped not to come off as cocky but the praise from Itsuka's family meant a lot.

"You really are surprising." Hizatsu spoke gratefully as she helped herself to another portion.

Momo had several helpings, apologizing for any rudeness in doing so.

"Don't worry about it, dear. We remembered your appetite and made extra. With our quirks, we need a lot of protein and calcium so we would have done so anyway. But you are always welcome in this house."

Momo smiled and continued to eat, contemplating the similarities between Itsuka and herself, as well as the differences. The two girls hummed with glee as they ate their meal, almost in unison. Hizatsu raised an eyebrow and grinned as she elbowed her husband. Some things never changed.

Sebastian sat quietly at the table the whole time, unable to stop himself from smiling. While he felt odd being invited inside, it was very much appreciated. He was an old softy at heart and couldn't resist a reunion between two youngsters. Besides, he couldn't resist a home cooked meal and if he could get a tune up for the limousine, well, that just sweetened the deal.

The meal continued over conversation, with all parties catching up. Sebastian noticed the laughter emanating from the two teenage girls.

"Only a matter of time," he thought to himself with a smirk.

X

After dinner, Momo had received her grand reintroduction to the Kendou residence. It seemed so familiar yet different. Harley the dog was gone, but his ashes resided in Itsuka's room and a monument rested under his favorite tree. Itsuka's room was now an exercise room, but evidence of its prior occupant remained.

The two girls were now sitting outside, breathing in the spring air. Sebastian was in the garage with Mr. Kendou, giving the limousine a bit of a tune-up. One could never be too careful.

"I can't believe you are in Sora's room now. It is more spacious, I suppose." Momo laughed softly.

Itsuka shrugged as she breathed in the air, the soft nocturnal symphony playing in the distance. "Hey. More space. I am just glad you like it."

The two friends looked at each other for what seemed like ages before Momo paused and averted her gaze.

"I have been thinking...should we train separately?" Momo posited, brow furrowed in deep contemplation. "I know we promised to do so together, but…"

"Oh…" Itsuka was disappointed but was sure her oldest friend had her reasoning. It seemed like such a sudden change of heart

"I mean no offense. I am sorry. I missed you and want to catch up. However, we are likely to face off against each other and-"

"Of course. I gotcha. We wouldn't want to give away our weak points. But isn't that more reason to train against each other? We will presumably be up against our classmates, who we have trained against already. I think it could prove more helpful than unhelpful, you know?"

"I should have expected a well thought out argument from the president of her class. It really is good to have you back in my life."

"You really missed me that much, huh?" Itsuka grinned gently.

"I am merely making a compelling argument...but of course. Did you not?"

"Of course I did. Was just teasing. It's a deal then. Let's train this weekend. Meet me at Manduroru Gym," Itsuka texted an address to her friend. She had only been there with Momo once or twice as children. Her mother began her career by training at that gym, so it was a part of Itsuka's childhood.

"Thank you. I can have Sebastian drop me off there. I look forward to sparring with you this weekend. Thank you for having me over for dinner. It was just like old times."

As she prepared to leave, Momo paused, a drum solo beating in her chest. She was debating it since they were last in class. However, after the situation at USJ, the Yaoyorozu heiress was more aware of how precious life could be. A death defying hostage situation tended to do that.

She rushed back to Itsuka and planted a swift kiss on her cheek before heading back to the limousine. There was an extra pep in her step for a few seconds before the graceful and poised heiress nearly tripped over her shoes in her excitement.

Itsuka's hand instinctively got a little larger before returning to normal size. Her eyes widened as she touched her cheek. She watched as the limo pulled away before heading inside. She promptly buried her head in the pillows on her bed and made incomprehensible noises of glee. The glee was soon broken by a realization she couldn't ignore any longer.

Itsuka Kendou was in love with her childhood friend.

Sorry if this chapter took forever. I tried to make it a good one and clean some things up. It might still be a little bit of a mess but I tried.

I made a few changes to canon, as you may have noticed. Some more subtle than others, like Monoma actually being there to investigate/ instigate class 1-A.

I have some bits I planned on putting in this chapter, but I cut them and decided to put them in later. They need more build up before I feel I can put them in.

Speaking of build-up, I want to try and pace out the main romance and portray how confusing these sorts of emotions can be, but I plan on doing the same for my planned side ships and characters.

I also plan to explore Momo and Itsuka's families more in the future, as well as their pasts.

Next chapter or two will lead into the Sports Festival. After that, we get into the swing of it. I hope you are all ready. I don't know if I am. Lol.

Love and kisses! 3

p.s. Next chapter of Walk, Don't Run still needs a lot of work, but working on that and a Zine entry some more now. Hoping to finish those soon. 3