Chapter 7: Feeling Better, Getting Worse

Momo wiped the corners of her mouth with the tissue that was available near the toilet. She watched her spew twirl down the toilet's waters after pressing the button to flush. All morning she had been thinking about her mother's text message.

One of the yakuza heads were concerned about Mrs. Yaoyorozu's daughter's position at the table. The said yakuza head, along with her spouse, called Mrs. Yaoyorozu to discuss the concern over brunch. Her mother had only told her not to fret about it, but it was much easier said than done. Since then, her mother had not said anything else on the matter, invading Momo's thoughts until it finally made knots in her stomach.

As she got up and made her way to the sink, her phone went off in her pocket. Momo cleaned her hands and face, letting her phone ring until the ringing finally stopped. She wiped her face with a paper towel and, again, her phone rang.

"Where are you?" Bakugou asked on the other line when she answered.

"I had to use the restroom," Momo didn't share anything more than that. Her ill-anxieties are for her to take care of, and for Bakugou not to concern himself with, "I will be up in a bit."

Momo hung up and put her phone in her purse. She walked out of the restroom, keeping her chin in the air – as if she just didn't hurl her insides out in the restroom of the Dynamight Hero Agency. She made her way to the elevators that lead directly to Bakugou's private office. On the way, the workers of the agency greeted her with their overly stretched smiles and their cavity-sweet words. Momo Yaoyorozu was a sponsor of the agency – of course the workers would dig their noses as far as they could up her ass.

"Ms. Yaoyorozu! Good morning!" the head secretary greeted her when Momo entered the room, "Are you here to see Katsuki?"

If Momo could roll her eyes in front of her at the casual use of his first name, she would. A hot-head like Bakugou Katsuki could never keep a secretary around for long. Those who quit had either gone home with tears in their eyes or steam out of their ears. Not much people could tolerate Bakugou's hot-temper. As a result, another freshly employed, uneducated secretary was sitting right in front of her. Momo kept her professional demeanor, "Good morning. Yes, I will be seeing Bakugou this morning."

"Oh, I don't see any scheduled appointments for you," her neatly manicured fingernails tapped at her computer, "Maybe you can come back another time."

"Come back another time?" Momo repeated, unable to comprehend what was just said to her.

"Yes, Katsuki is quite busy," the secretary had a hum in her voice whilst she continued to type. The keys of the typewriter clicking in her ears and causing Momo's heartrate to rise with every loud, annoying click.

She raised her brow at the secretary. Momo thought it was adorably inconvenient. She kept a polished smile, but her words didn't match what came out of it, "Are you telling the sponsor of this agency – the one who had pumped millions of dollars to build this agency, pay its employees, and market its heroes – to leave?"

Finally, the secretary stopped typing, her eyes widened at Momo's response, "I-I'm sorry. Katsuki likes to keep a -"

"I will meet with Dynamight whenever I see fit," her lip twitched at how casual she had said his name. Without shame, she continued, "I have wasted my time and energy to come here, and only to be sent away by an employee that could be easily replaced with a snap of a finger."

Through her heavy lipstick, Momo could see it turn white with fear. Her hand shook when she reached for the phone, "Let me- I'm sorry – It will only take a moment for me to calm him and let Katsuki know-"

Momo made her frustration apparent when she shook her head, "Is it proper for an employee to refer to their boss in such a manner? Keep your casual relationship with Dynamight out of the workplace. Let me get your name, miss. I will be sure to discuss my time that you have eaten away with your unnecessary formalities."

Momo grinned wider at the sound of her choke on her words. With a panic, she opened the elevator doors. Her words had become incoherent to Momo, most of her words begging for forgiveness. Momo did not need to say anything else as she babbled on. The elevator doors closed, saving the girl from Momo's wrath.

Yaoyorozu leaned back on the walls and let out an agitated groan. She had to calm herself down. At least that whole episode had brought Momo's thoughts away from her mother's brunch with a Yakuza head. She couldn't allow that thought to bother her, otherwise she had to make another trip to the restroom.

Momo thought about her discussion with Todoroki instead.

It has been days since they last spoke. Her last words to him being, "I own this city, Todoroki." Then, she hung up. He had not called her or texted her since.

The words might have gotten to him; left him wondering. It made Momo light-headed, and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the rush it gave her, the chase in this game of hers – the plot twist, the reveal of the unexpected person at the end of the game. It felt like she had just spoiled an ending for a movie.

She couldn't help it; she couldn't hold it in no longer. Momo wanted to see the look on his face when the person responsible for it all was Momo Yaoyorozu.

Then, the elevator doors rang, stirring her from her thoughts. At the other side of the doors, she heard an argument. It was difficult to hear the words clearly with the door in-between. When the elevator opened, the argument turned into a hush. It fell silent when the two laid their eyes on Momo.

The two men were not standing too far away from each other: Bakugou, angry and heated, and Kirishima, stressed and still. Kirishima did not look her in the eyes, but if she did, she would see the guilt that burdened him. Yaoyorozu placed herself beside Bakugou, and he spoke, "Go on, tell her."

Kirishima bit his lip, quietly collecting himself before he opened his mouth. He hesitated a bit, his mouth agape until he finally spilled, "Todoroki knows my involvement with Knite-"

Bakugou couldn't hold himself back as he snarled, "Do you realize what you've done? You jeopardized the plan! Your ties to Knite doesn't end with you. You are tied to the agency – to me!" The material of his gloves crunched loudly when Bakugou clenched his fists, "What the fuck were you thinking?"

Yaoyorozu interjected him before he went off on his anger spree, "It's fine, Katsuki."

The both of them shot their eyes to her, confused at her statement. She enlightened them, "Todoroki was bound to find out sooner or later – and it is turning out to be sooner than we expected. What happened cannot be helped."

Momo decided to stand before Kirishima. He was able to hold her stare. As much as he tried to uphold his tough exterior, she could sense his uneasiness. Kirishima did not like Yaoyorozu. Of course, he didn't: she was the villain that turned his best friend. She was the instigator, the murderer, the root of all evil.

"What does Todoroki know?" Yaoyorozu asked upfront.

The hiss in his voice wasn't too noticeable, but she could tell he was holding it back, "Todoroki knows nothing about Bakugou. He knows that I know Knite and that's all."

Her stare was lingering. Her onyx eyes wandered his face, searching for something he might be withholding. Kirishima didn't break her gaze; his gaze equally cold as hers. It didn't always use to be this way between them.

Kirishima had been Yaoyorozu's friend in high school and even a few years after that. Kirishima knew Bakugou left her for a time period, and it was Bakugou's decision to come back to her and she took him back.

Eijirou simply needed someone to blame. Whether it be jealousy or genuine concern for his best friend, Momo knew Kirishima did not understand her relationship with Katsuki – never could, never will. In a way, Kirishima was helping her by helping Bakugou, but his hostility towards Yaoyorozu made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her.

Momo cocked away her head from Kirishima, not bothering to return a reply as she went towards Bakugou. Her finger lifted Bakugou's chin up, turning his head in a way to inspect his reaction to his shoulder burn. His red eyes stayed centered on hers while she checked him, "Todoroki is going to reach out to you as Kirishima's closest friend."

"What are you planning to do with Todoroki?" Kirishima spoke out from behind her. He made it sound like her was going to kill him. Despite what Kirishima thought of her, she wasn't a mindless killer. Momo was still a reasonable human; Kirishima might have forgotten that.

She didn't pay him any mind, straightening out Bakugou's hero costume by tucking in his top properly into his pants, "Todoroki does not have enough information for him to make a move. When he does, it will come down to deciding whether he is with me or against me." Yaoyorozu half turned her body, only deciding to face him so that she may look him in the eyes when she asked, "Which side do you consider yourself to be on, Kirishima?"

If looks could kill, Momo would have been dead right there and then: his eyebrows crumpled down on his forehead, his veins popped out of his neck, his jaw was tightly clinched. She would not waver from his glare.

It might have been the first time she had heard the gentle Kiri growl as he stomped on his heels to leave their presence. She felt a hand caress the back of her neck, her sight finally leaving Kirishima when he was no longer in the office.

"Don't worry about Kirishima," Bakugou's thumb tickled her neck.

"I'm not worried. I know where his loyalties lie," she straightened her lip, feeling some sort of hatred for Kirishima. She didn't want to feel that knot in her chest every time she saw him. Kirishima used to be one of her dear friends, and for things to have ended up this way…

Bakugou's fingers pushed away the hair from her face. He might have noticed that she was bothered. His gloved hand cupped her cheek, "You're still tense."

"I am not," she lied. It might have been her pride that was trying to hide that she missed Kirishima's friendship. Momo refocused their conversation, "What are you thinking about?"

"I think he shouldn't have done that. I trusted him to recover Todoroki to his hotel room and that was it. There was no reason for him to hang around there – did he want to get caught?"

"We both know that he only wants to do the right thing," Momo knew Kirishima that much. The both of them knew that what they have been doing with Kirishima was putting him through hell. This was torture to him, and Bakugou might have been turning a blind eye, unable to accept that he was hurting his best friend. Then again, Momo was not completely innocent as well. She remembered what she had last said to the hero, I own this city, Todoroki.

"I may have outed myself as well," she decided it was best for her partner to know.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "What did you do?"

"We spoke on the phone-"

"You called him?" Bakugou was beginning to straighten up.

"Kats," she peered her eyes at him. His jealousy was not easily tamed, "I needed to talk to him."

He clicked his tongue at that response. Momo placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it to reel him back to the main issue, "I told him, 'I own this district.'"

It didn't look like it fazed him, "That could mean anything."

She explained to him, "He is going to figure out that it was me all along."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because I want him to figure it out," her fingernails trailed the back of his neck, lightly scratching the skin, his goosebumps prickling out, "By the time he puts it all together, there won't be a thing he can do about it."

Bakugou pulled away from her grasp angry with what he had just heard, "Mo, what the fuck? Are you even thinking about what you are putting on the line here?"

"Of course I know what's on the line," Momo was unchanged, satisfied with what she was doing.

"The fuck you are! You are risking my career – no, not just mine – everyone at this agency! Earphone Jack, Kirishima-"

"I have told you, he won't be able to do anything about it."

"What makes you so sure?" he grabbed Momo's shoulders, his fingers tight on her skin, "You say you can handle it, but shit doesn't always go the right way."

She tried to get out of his grasp, disgusted by his words, "You're doubting me again."

"I am not doubting you," he held her in her place to center her attention, "You can't foresee everything. You cant do this all on your own!"

Momo pushed out her hands to shove him away, "I can and I will!" his grip was to strong on her and she felt the heat boiling from under her skin. She yelled, "Let go of me! I'm leaving!"

"Can't you just talk to me? Meet me in the middle for fuck's sake!" the veins were crawling out of his skin. He was struggling to keep himself calm.

"I said, let go!" she didn't want to hear it. His touch on her felt like acid.

"Please, Mo," Katsuki pleaded, bringing himself down when she continued to get away.

"Get the fuck away!" Momo slapped him as hard as she could. The impact echoed in the room. Katsuki looked stunned.

Of course he had – it was the first time she had hit him. It was enough for him to release her.

Then, he fell silent. All she heard was her breath, not realizing how far she had gotten. After she had hit him, she had forgotten why she was mad in the first place: a baseless and thoughtless anger that took advantage of her.

Momo saw the look in his eyes: the pain more mental that physical. She could have apologized.

She could have stayed and made peace.

Instead, Momo did not say a word and left.


"I own this district," Yaoyorozu's words repeated in his mind. He threw his head back on the couch, his eyes gazing up at the well-decorated ceiling of The Dynamight Hero Agency Private lounge. It must have 15 minutes since the secretary lead him up to this room, waiting to meet with the district's hero.

Yaoyorozu was a mystery. Did she have so much information because she was connected somehow? Or was it simply because she had her own connections? It must have been the latter – Todoroki wanted to believe. She is innocent; she should be innocent.

"Yaoyorozu Momo," He hadn't notice that her name escaped his mouth until he felt his lips touch from her first name.

Then, he heard the automatic doors of the lounge open, Bakugou Katsuki finally made his appearance, "You better be fucking grateful that I made time with my busy schedule to meet with you, Half-and-half."

"I am most grateful," Todoroki nodded at him as he adjusted himself on the couch. Immediately, he noticed the bandage on his cheek. A pad like that was hard to miss. Todoroki touched his own cheek as a reflex.

Bakugou rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed with his action and walked towards a shelf that was in the corner of the lounge room. Todoroki kept note to not bring up the huge bandage on his cheek.

"I mean what I say, Bakugou," he hoped to ease some tension. Todoroki watched him fiddle with something underneath a shelf panel. Glasses and a bottle of what definitely was whiskey arose from the shelf. Bakugou lifted the cap from the glass bottle of whiskey.

"I don't need a drink," Todoroki held up his hand as he told him.

Bakugou snapped in his direction, "Who said I was going to pour you one?"

Todoroki wasn't fazed at how hot-headed Bakugou was. He had accepted that Bakugou was of hard exterior, but a soft heart. Todoroki wanted to wait until Bakugou was seated, but he remained standing with a drink in his hand.

"Are you going to tell me why you dragged my ass to see you?" Bakugou twirled his drink in his hand, an orange shaving moving around with his whiskey.

"To put it simply," Todoroki adjusted himself in the couch, "I wanted to find out what you know about Knite."

Bakugou scoffed before taking a sip of his drink, "What about him?"

It was not the response Todoroki had expected, raising a brow at him. This had been the first time someone had openly admitted to acknowledging Knite's existence.

"You know he's real?"

"Yeah, and what of it?"

"Usually when I mention his name, it is in likeness with talking about Bigfoot." Bakugou spit out a piece of his drink. It was unlikely that he didn't fancy his drink, but more along the lines that he was taken by surprise. Todoroki continued, "I apologize for lack of a better metaphor."

Dynamight wiped his mouth with his gloved hand, then spoke, "Have you been out of district hero work so long that you have forgotten how shit works?" Bakugou spoke before Todoroki had the chance to answer, "District heroes must obey government orders. Keeping Knite's existence is better for the public than sleeping at night knowing there's a mass murderer on the loose."

It made sense. He had no more questions about Knite's existence and decided to bring up the reason why he was there, "And what is Kirishima's involvement with him?"

Todoroki noticed that Bakugou hesitated from taking another sip. His fire-red eyes pierced at him, his voice deep like a growl, "That's a heavy accusation of my hero partner. Choose your words wisely half-and-half."

He proceeded to tell Bakugou everything. The whole time, Bakugou's face was unreadable and neutral, avoiding drinking his whiskey as he listened. When Todoroki was done, Bakugou stood in silence for a moment.

"So, Kirishima and Knite, huh?" that was Bakugou's only response, stating the obvious, " I haven't been working with him much since I've been appointed the head hero of the district."

"I thought you knew everything about your district."

Bakugou threw him a glare so quickly that if had a gun, he would've been shot dead on the spot, "Obviously, I made a fucking mistake assigning Knite to Kirishima." He pointed a finger at him, "And don't act all high and mighty towards the hero who you're requesting a favor from."

"Does that mean you're considering talking to Kirishima on my behalf?"

Bakugou thought it suitable to continue drinking, "Well, he's not going to tell you shit. I'll give you a call when I fulfilled my end."

Todoroki gave a small bow in appreciation of Bakugou's cooperation, "I will send you the notes I have so far. Thank you again."

"Yeah, yeah," Bakugou walked back to his drink station, "You remember the way out?"

"I do," Todoroki was still bothered by something. Somehow, he felt that it had some tie in all of this. He didn't want to leave until he talked about it with someone, "I have one more thing to ask you before I leave."

"I guess I should pour myself another glass then."

"What do you know of Momo Yaoyorozu?"

It might have been a coincidence for his glass to clink as he set it down too harshly. Bakugou let out a hearty chortle, "Are you going to tell me that the prissy princess herself has something to do with the district's violent mystery murderer?"

"No, there's just something about her – something weird."

"What a specific suspicion," Bakugou might have been sarcastic after what he said was accompanied with rolling eyes, "That spoiled, rich bitch owns everything in the district."

Todoroki flinched at the word, a tinge of anger sparked him at Bakugou's insult, "Why so hostile?"

Bakugou had a clench in his jaw, "Don't get confused with what's happening in your pants with what's reality. You don't work for that uptight woman, so don't give me your shit. She's the sole sponsor of my agency – just a fucking sponsor! But she barges in here whenever she wants, waving that dainty little finger of hers, barking orders – fucking woman is the bane of my existence…"

Todoroki didn't bother listening to the obscenities Bakugou rambled on about Yaoyorozu. It was clear that he had nothing on her, blinded by his personal anger issues.

Momo Yaoyorozu owns the district – yes, that much was true. Kirishima stated that the person responsible owns this district. Bakugou had said that Yaoyorozu owns everything in the district. Yaoyorozu had said herself that she owns the district. She had bluntly told him so.

Had she just confessed to him?

"Bakugou," Todoroki interrupted his ranting that brought him to a silent stop.

He didn't look too happy to have been interrupted. Bakugou shot his head towards him, "Yeah, what?"

"I'm going to find what I can about Momo Yaoyorozu."


Momo dabbled her mouth with the table napkin, wiping away the remnants of the berry crumble she has just finished for dessert, "Is there anymore?"

Mrs. Yaoyorozu's personal bodyguard nodded his head and walked into the kitchen of the Yaoyorozu residence. Mrs. Yaoyorozu waited until both her bodyguards were away from earshot before speaking.

"That's your third plate dear. Are you sure a fourth is wise? You might get a stomach ache after skipping the main entrée," Mrs. Yaoyorozu raised her brow, stirring the red wine in her glass.

"I did not want to offend him, but the steak might have been rancid," Momo's lips twisted after remembering the dinner plate that was brought to her face. She felt like gagging the moment the steak touched her tongue. It did smell quite off to begin with.

"I'm sure you recall that Miko used to be a professional chef before becoming my bodyguard," Mrs. Yaoyorozu explained, "You usually enjoy his cooking."

Momo hummed in response, "I do not mean to discredit him. I am enjoying his berry cobbler."

"I can see that dear," Mrs. Yaoyorozu chuckled, seeing her eyes sparkle when the dessert was placed in front of her daughter, "Now, let us discussed what I have heard."

Yaoyorozu placed down her dessert spoon to listen. She had been on-edge all day because of this moment: her snap at Bakugou would not stop replaying in her head. Her heart ached thinking about it. Neither one of them had said anything to each other all day. But, she couldn't let that bother her, she had to refocus. Momo nodded her head towards her mother.

"Like I have told you, Mo, it was nothing to worry about."

She still would not feel at ease until she heard it all, "What was discussed?"

Mrs. Yaoyorozu placed down the glass, "It's all falling into place, darling. They are considering promoting you."

After hearing the good news, Momo still felt tense. Her heart was pounding harder in her chest as her mother continued, "The council is impressed – not only for your sales, but that fiasco with the Senator really made you stand out."

"They want me to co-head of the Yaoyorozu family?"

Her mother waved her off with a smile, "No, you will not be heading the Yaoyorozu family with me."

Momo realized what she was trying to tell her. The throbbing more was prominent and there was rattling in her bones. Mrs. Yaoyorozu spelled it out for her, "You will be the head of the Yaoyorozu family."