Awase sipped the frappe he ordered from Starducks. He didn't pay for it as Momo did since their deal back at the summer camp. He invited her out for an important meeting between the two of them. The two had small talk at first with Awase making bad jokes every now and then to make even Momo break her politeness.
"Tell me, Awase, why did you truly invite me here?" She asked seriously. The stoic expression on Awase turned serious as he leaned in on her, causing her to be flustered a bit. Thankfully, the boy failed to notice this.
"I know Mineta is innocent." He told her as if it was a fact. "I know, I know. You had your problems with him. Whatever he is in the past, he changed. Right now? Someone is trying to screw over my friend and I've had my suspicions before. Now? I'm sure."
"There is absolutely no way he-"
"I'm not done talking." Awase placed his index finger on Momo's mouth to keep her quiet, not knowing that she is flustered. "He's with us most of the time. He's rarely in his room during the day. If he's not in a class, he's hanging out in our greenhouse. Come on, Yaoyorozu, think! You're smarter and more rational than this. Clear your ass from bias against him."
"I- well, all right. I'm willing to hear you out." Momo sighed, not wanting to get on her friend's bad side. Awase opened his bag and pulled out some documents.
"Witness reports and other testimonies." He set it down on the table. "From Kendo seeing him being more suspicious than usual to Setsuna spotting him walking out of the dorms carrying a gym bag. The description sounds very alike to the gym bag you found in Mineta's room. Monoma is framing Mineta."
"Well, what else do you need?"
"Concrete evidence and the smartest person in the first years."
"Huh? Well, surely I can't be that smart." Momo's hands were on her cheeks and were feeling flustered by Awase's unintentional compliment. Awase shook his head.
"No, you're definitely the smartest. It's a fact. Nothing more, nothing less. Tell me, does your teacher patrol the dorms every night?"
"For a nightly inspection, yes."
"Okay, since we got that, we can as- wait," Awase got close to Momo, his breath practically touching her ear. Momo froze instantly, not knowing what to do. "Holy shit. You're not gonna believe this."
Momo turned around to see whatever Awase was looking at. What she saw was something she could not believe. She has witnessed today is Bakugou smiling softly. He's holding hands with Ibara as they walked by, not noticing her or Awase. "Good heavens! That is not like him."
"What makes you say that?" Awase gave her a side glance before looking back at the two.
"He always seems so aggressive in class."
"Pssh. He's all bark and no bite." Awase responded to her while looking back at Katsuki and Ibara. "Unless you're in battle training, then he's all bark and all bite."
"That, I could not deny." Momo unconsciously rubbed the spot he left burns on during battle training. "Still, he can afford to hold back."
"He thinks holding back is an insult. Don't take it too personally but that guy chases excellence in everything he does. Even if he's a piece of shit sometimes."
"I'm surprised you can say that to his face, Awase."
"Well, yeah, he's my friend. And yes, I'm fully aware of his moment of weakness, he almost killed a kid. Then he got traumatized when a kid he's supposed to protect died for him. He's been through a lot." Awase looked down, refusing to feel sorry for Katsuki for his sake. "Anyway, let's follow them."
"What about the-"
"That can wait. I'm making sure their date goes well."
"That's awfully kind of y-"
"So they can owe me later." Awase sneered. He likes the idea of that, much to Momo's annoyance.
"And I thought I had you all figured out." She sighed and followed him anyway. Following the two brought them to the park. Awase and Momo spent the next ten minutes hiding in a bush, stalking Katsuki and Ibara with a binocular. "Awase, all they've done is buy crepes."
"Yeah? And? Still a date. I mean, look at those two. So sweet that it almost disgusts me." Awase stopped looking through the binoculars. "Still, unless they're ready, no one needs to know about thi-"
*CLICK*
The two of them heard a phone camera click from up the tree. Momo and Awase took a look only to discover a horn and a disembodied hand sticking out of the lives.
"Mina?"
"Tokage?!"
"Awase?"
"Momo?"
"What are you doing here?!" Both pairs asked the other. Setsuna and Mina are in their fighting stances for no reason and Momo pulled out a bazooka from her body. Awase got between the three of them, being the only one with an ounce of common sense yet.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're not here to fight. What the hell are you guys even trying here?!" Awase used his hand to lower the bazooka. "Well, Yaoyorozu and I are just making sure that their date goes well. Nothing wrong with that, right? You guys got a reason?"
"Weeeellll," Mina said sheepishly while shamelessly showing them the pictures of the date. "Setsuna and I wanted blackmail materi-"
Awase quickly grabbed the phone and chucked it into a lake. Mina's mind could not register it quickly. Momo's hands were on her mouth in shock. Setsuna was equally shocked. When she finally realized what happened, her hands were already on Awase's neck. The boy quickly realized how strong she was just by her grip alone. Using everything he learned from getting beat up by Katsuki in training, he judo flipped her off him.
"Calm down."
"YOU CHUCKED MY PHONE TO A LAKE!"
"I can buy you a new one." Awase bargained.
"You'd just use Momo's wallet." Mina pouted while Momo looked at him with an unreadable face.
"No, she's not involved in what just happened and I refuse to involve her." He quickly brushed her off, never intending to use her money for this situation in the first place.
"Speaking of which, why are you and Momo with each other?" Setsuna instantly changed the topic like it was nothing. Mina, who was previously attempting to beat up Awase, quickly turned to Momo with a sly smile. Setsuna played along. "Were you on a date?"
"No, I asked her to meet up with me in Starducks to help me with Mineta." Awase quickly shot down any attempts of Setsuna making it awkward between him and Momo. He's not up for this yet.
"Ooh, to get him expelled?"
"What? No! Why the hell would I want to screw over my friend for something he didn't do. He was with Bakugou at the time of the crime, idiot!"
"Who do you suspect then?" Setsuna asked, a little invested in the drama regarding Mineta.
"Monoma," Awase answered. Setsuna's face darkened and she lost her smile. They both knew what's up with that creep. Everybody in Class 1B knew.
"You didn't even invite me?"
"You did say you were busy. I didn't think it'd be like thi-"
"What the fuck are you four assholes doing here?" All four of them turned around. Katsuki and Ibara were staring at them. "And why did you throw her phone into the lake? What are you, a retard?"
"Katsuki."
"Right, sorry, let me reiterate. What are you, a dumbass?"
"Oi, Yaoyorozu and I are just here making sure your date is going well. These two tried to get blackmail material from you." Awase pointed at Mina and Setsuna, who instantly earned a death stare from Katsuki, and surprisingly, Ibara. In fact, her's actually looks scarier than Katsuki's death stare. Never mind that, her's is just a smile filled with complete contempt of their existence.
"Tokage, I expect a full explanation once we're back in the doors."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
"..." Katsuki continues to glare at Mina before looking back at Awase. "I'll buy her the new phone, then we're even, headbands."
"Yeah, sure thing, lover boy."
"THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT?!" There's the Katsuki he knows. He's not gonna egg him on during his date, so he'll leave it at that. "DON'T THINK I'M INVITING YOU TO A DOUBLE DATE WITH YOUR RICH ASS GIRLFRIEND!"
"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river." Awase shrugged, looking smug as Katsuki was held back by Ibara's vines. "And she's not my girlfriend."
"I'LL DROWN YOU IN ONE!"
"That's enough for today, Katsuki. Awase, please do not provoke him any further." Ibara wrapped her vines around her boyfriend and walked away carrying him. Awase looked satisfied enough to call it a win. He turned to face the two but they had already run off after being intimidated by the power couple. That leaves him with Momo.
"Well, today has been interesting."
"Indeed it has." Momo agreed with him. It's not every day they stalk a couple on a date and almost go to war with two of their schoolmates over it. That and Momo had already buried the bazooka. The two of them sat down on the park bench just staring at the lake nearby.
"Ya know, I enjoyed every bit of time we both hang out. You're not as boring as I thought you'd be." Awase admitted to her.
"Hey!" Momo was a bit offended by what he said.
"What? I'm just saying it how it is. You're more than just a rich girl, I guess. You're a good friend as well." He didn't bother facing her as he stared at the sun setting. "Still, you need to go out more."
"Why you!" Momo stopped herself to calm herself down. She blushed a little bit while standing up. "I admit, I also enjoyed every moment spent with you. You may be brash but at least you're honest. I appreciate your lack of filter."
"Hey, no need to thank me for that. I just hate lying about what I think of people so I say it how I see it."
"Still, being called a boring rich girl is more refreshing than being called a "perfect heiress" every once in a while." Momo smiled sincerely at him when she saw him stealing a glance. He looked away, feeling a little red like her. "I'll help you save Mineta, if that's what you're worried about."
"...Thanks, Yaoyorozu."
"Call me Momo."
{- To Be Continued...
New Members Added: None
Damage Bills: However much a phone costs
Crimes Committed: Assault, Unlicensed ownership of weapons of Mass Destruction, Stalking, Attempted Blackmail, Threatening.
Next time on The Botany Club Commits Tax Fraud: Bakugou vs Goose Incident.
