Shoto woke up the next morning and got ready for school. He noticed a recent text from someone.
He looked at the screen and saw that it was from Kahoko.
Good news! – Kaho.
He frowned and quickly typed a response. What? – Sho.
I'm better! – Kaho.
He paused, his tie left undone, hanging around his neck. You mean, you got your voice back? – Sho.
Yeah, not much sign of the cold either. – Kaho.
How, all of the sudden? – Sho. He sat on his bed, realising he still had about an hour until breakfast.
Tama-chan came to me again. – Kaho.
And? – Sho.
He sang me the lullaby that he used to sing when I was unwell. I mean it never just magically made me better… but this time… – Kaho.
Shoto stared at the text. Was the lost voice another sign from Tamaki, do you think? – Sho.
Maybe. I mean, if we're going by what the book says; Tama-chan's loss of voice spells never normally lasted more than a day… but it could also have been the medicine from Recovery Girl. – Kaho.
In any case, this is great news! Just don't jump straight into things right away. Give your body time to fully recover. – Sho.
Yes, doc. – Kaho.
Shoto smiled softly to himself and locked his phone, stretching and flopping back onto his bed.
Kahoko spotted Momo walking towards the dorm exit for breakfast. "Yaomomo!" She sang, flinging her arms around her friend. "Morning!" She grinned.
Momo laughed. "You seem good today, Kaho." She's using my nickname, so cute!
Kahoko nodded. "Had a little scare yesterday, I lost my voice for a bit, but I think I'm over it mostly."
"Well, don't overdo it, we need you fit and healthy for Saturday!" She exclaimed.
Kahoko nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"I was wondering… do you wanna stay at mine after our trip?"
Kahoko paused. "Ummm… I kinda promised Sho-chan that I'd go somewhere with him after."
"Sho-chan?!" Momo stared.
Kahoko blushed.
"Sho-chan?!" Momo repeated.
"Okay, shush!" Kahoko covered Momo's mouth with her hand. "It's no big deal."
Momo pulled her hand away. "Oh, yes, it is! You're on first name basis!"
Kahoko shrugged.
"On top of that… a super cute nickname?!"
"I give most people nicknames."
"Not Shinso."
"Hitoshi is like family."
"But Sho-chan?"
She pouted. "Is it that bad? I mean, he said he liked it."
Momo giggled. "Yes, because it's you who's calling him it."
Kahoko groaned in irritation as they made their way to the canteen.
Momo and Kahoko sat side by side.
"Yum! It's so good to be able to taste things again!" Kahoko sighed blissfully as she ate her syrup covered pancake.
"What happened to resting?" Shoto slid his tray next to hers.
Momo bumped her elbow and wriggled her brows.
Kahoko rolled her eyes at her, before turning her attention to Shoto. "Jeez, it's just breakfast, Sho-chan." She sighed.
Momo gave a small squeal.
Shoto's cheeks reddened. Now I can actually hear it… "Are you planning to go into class?" He gestured to her uniform.
She nodded and tugged at her scarf. "Don't worry, I'm always prepared."
Katsuki walked into the canteen and noticed a certain dual haired boy sat beside his favourite person. He huffed as he made his way to the table, opting to sit opposite her instead. "Morning."
"Morning!" She smiled at him.
Katsuki's bad mood melted away. "That cold passed quickly."
She nodded. "I told you, no cold is gonna hold me down for long."
"So, after you do whatever with Todoroki, do you wanna come to mine?" Momo asked her, referring to her earlier question.
Kahoko thought for a moment then nodded. "That's if my parents don't get called out onto a job."
"Ah, yeah, Natsume is more than welcome too."
Kahoko smiled. "I'm sure he'd like that."
"I know, how about all of us stay at mine after? We can make a night of it." She looked to the two boys. "You two in?"
Katsuki shrugged. "Sure."
Shoto glanced towards Kahoko and met her eyes.
She seemed to be silently pleading him.
"Yeah, I don't see why not." He turned his attention to Momo. "Thanks, Yaomomo."
Momo smirked a little. "Great, my parents will be out so it should be fun."
Kahoko stared at her smoothie with a soft smile.
"What's on your mind?" Katsuki asked.
She blinked and met his gaze. "Nothing… just…"
Shoto frowned.
"Spill it…" Momo poked her cheek.
"I've just… never been invited to stay at another girl's house for a sleepover before. That's all." Her cheeks went rosy.
Momo wrapped her arms around her shoulders in an awkward side hug. "You're so cute! Just so you know, you're welcome at mine whenever!" She squeezed her tight.
Kahoko nodded.
Shoto sighed softly, happy that Kahoko got along with the girls so well.
Hitoshi sat down beside Katsuki. "Kaho, you should be resting!" He whined, noticing the uniform.
"I'm fine now."
He blinked. "So, your voice is better?"
She nodded. "I'm perfectly functioning now."
Katsuki looked between them. "I'm missing something here."
"I seemed to have lost my voice yesterday, but Recovery Girl helped me out."
He nodded. "Well, I'm just glad you're better and back to normal. I've missed having you around."
Momo giggled.
"I'm just glad that nobody pissed you off within the time you've been sick." Hitoshi chuckled.
Kahoko snorted. "I'm over the worst of it but there's still time yet if you wanna push your luck."
He raised his hands. "I hear you."
"So… what has she done when she's lost her temper when she's been sick?" Momo asked curiously.
Hitoshi cleared his throat. "She's knocked me out cold once or twice."
Katsuki barked a laugh. "You probably asked for it."
"Yeah, probably." Hitoshi nodded. "Then Natsu would get angry because I upset her… that's when you should watch out."
Kahoko finished her breakfast. "Natsu is a force to be reckoned with." She stated. "He's highly trained in martial arts. What he lacks in strength right now he makes up for it with speed, and if he used his quirk to make your own backfire or not work as it should… well…"
"Natsu could very well be the strongest offensive member out of the Sano clan, when it comes to their quirks." Hitoshi remarked.
She smiled. "You bet."
"And, naturally, he'll be looking up to you, learning from the best." Momo smiled.
"Well, he certainly gets his stubbornness from Kaho." Hitoshi drank the last of his juice. "Ready, Kaho?" He stood up, getting ready to leave.
She nodded. "See you guys later." She flashed a smile, standing up too.
"Take it easy!" Momo warned.
Kahoko saluted before following Hitoshi to class.
"I'm glad that she's better." Momo sighed.
Katsuki yawned. "Yeah, me too." He stood up. "She's back to herself by the looks of things. See you in class." He went out.
Momo looked to Shoto, who was sipping his coffee. "So… Sho-chan, eh?" She raised a brow.
Shoto almost spat out his coffee. "What?"
"She likes you, a lot."
"I like her too." He deadpanned.
"No… I mean… she liiikes you."
"Don't be stupid." Feels like de-ja-vous. He sighed. "She trusts me, we're just good friends."
"For a girl who didn't let anyone but Shinso within a metre radius, you're getting kinda cosy with her."
"She's gotten close to you too."
"Not in the same way as she is with you."
"Bakugo."
Momo laughed at Shoto's attempts to throw her off. "Yes, she's close to Bakugo… but there's this smile… a look that she saves for you. I've seen it, I think Shinso has seen it too."
He swallowed. "I… don't deserve someone like her."
"Of course, you do!" Momo did something very uncharacteristic of her, and smacked Shoto on the back of the head. "Jeez! She doesn't care who your dad is, what she sees is not your family name, not your father… she sees you; she sees… Sho-chan."
Shoto stared at her.
She gave a giggled. "I mean, you should have seen her getting worked up because you set fire to your shirt! She obviously finds you attractive physically too." She smirked.
He blushed, thinking about how he felt her watching him the night before.
"And anyone could see she's a huge fan of you as a hero too, you should see the stars in her eyes when she watches you fight." Momo smiled fondly, thinking of her green-eyed friend's expression. "I think she's always admired you, not just for the power of your quirk, she's always said that it's beautiful."
He quirked his lips upwards a little.
"Plus… I just think you two are cute together."
"What about Bakugo?"
Momo felt taken aback. "What about him?"
"Well, he's made it obvious that he likes her."
"Yeah… well…" Momo sighed. "I think she doesn't have any romantic feelings towards him. I think she sees him in the way she sees Shinso…"
Shoto raised a brow.
"Just trust me."
Shoto sighed. "I've always thought that I should keep her at a distance… because Bakugo or Shinso deserved someone like that more."
Momo watched him as a flush of pink covered his cheeks as he stared at his coffee. "But… doesn't she deserve someone like you?"
He met her gaze.
"She deserves someone who understands her, who's willing to go against whatever to make her happy. Someone who, no matter what kinda day she's had, can make things feel like they're all okay." She added.
He looked down at his coffee again.
"Just… don't sell yourself short when it comes to a girl like her." Momo patted his shoulder and made her way to class.
He gave a grumble and rubbed his face with his hands.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Can we meet up to talk about my condition after school? – Kaho.
He smiled to himself. Of course, take it easy today. – Sho.
Will do! – Kaho.
He gave a snort. I'll believe it when you haven't passed out in class. – Sho.
You have little faith in me, Sho-chan. – Kaho.
He smirked, standing up and finally making his way to class.
At the end of class, the bell rang, and the students all filed out into the hallway.
"I am so glad that you're feeling better. Shinso has been like a zombie all this time." Naoko stated.
Kahoko snickered and reached out to squeeze her best friend's cheek. "Awwh, you haven't missed me too much I hope." She cooed.
He mock-glared at her. "You know, now that you're well enough, that I won't go easy on you."
"You always go easy on her, Shinso." Naoko joked. "Keep getting distracted by her pretty eyes." She fluttered her eyelashes teasingly.
Hitoshi blushed. "I mean, yeah she's gorgeous, but I don't go easy on her often."
"You don't even use your quirk on her… in fact I've never seen either of you use your quirks against each other."
"Well, I don't use my quirk on Kaho simply because I would never take away her free will. And for two… Kaho's quirk isn't really a quirk designed for battle." Hitoshi tried to use his words wisely.
"Come to think of it, what is your quirk? I can tell, by using my own quirk that your attribute is psychological based, but nothing else, but you haven't given away anything in almost a year."
They approached the Hero department.
"Let's just say, I can tell when people are lying to me and I know how to get the truth out of them." Kahoko said, her eyes on the hordes of hero students coming out of various classrooms.
"Looking for your boyfriend?" Naoko nudged her arm.
Kahoko frowned. "I don't have one."
"Awwh… no fun!" Naoko whined.
Hitoshi scanned the crowd too.
"Looking for me?"
The three of them jumped and turned to see Shoto standing behind them.
"Must have had the same idea." He half smiled, his gaze on Kahoko. "I began heading up to your classroom to find you." He had overheard the other girl ask Kahoko about her so-called boyfriend, it made his heart jump a little. So, she thinks Kaho is dating someone from our class?
She pulled down her scarf and returned his smile. "Great minds think alike."
Naoko looked between the pair. I thought she had a thing with Bakugo?! She cleared her throat.
Kahoko looked and smiled. "Sho-chan, this is my classmate, Naoko Shiki."
He gave a curt nod to her. "Nice to meet you."
Naoko raised a brow. She's given him a super cute nickname too!
Hitoshi looked between the two.
Kahoko noticed his slight confusion. "Sho-chan is gonna help me with something. I'll see you later?" She added.
Hitoshi frowned a little but nodded.
"Come and spar with me, Shinso." Naoko tugged at his blazer, reading the atmosphere.
"Yeah, alright." He followed her down the hallway.
Shoto watched them leave before returning his attention back to Kahoko. "So, where to?" He asked as they also started to walk towards the school exit.
She hummed. "I fancy a change of scene… how about your room?" She asked.
His face flushed.
She noticed this. "Awwh don't be getting shy on me! You've been in my room plenty of times." She added quietly.
He cleared his throat. "You're right, I guess. Alright." He sighed.
"Yay!" She grinned. "I'll go and change and meet you there."
He nodded. "I'll get us drinks and snacks."
Shoto paced around his room, having changed into his casual clothing. "Why am I so nervous?!" He grumbled. "She's right, I've been in her room more times than I can count… heck, I slept on her floor!" He dropped down onto his bed. "There's something about her being in my room… I mean… I'm the one who likes her…" He swallowed.
There was a knock at his door.
He almost jumped out of his skin. Calm down… it's her… she's the one person that keeps my head straight, yet the one I know I can be myself around. He opened the door.
"Hey!" She smiled.
And just like that… all of his anxieties melted, as did his heart. "Hey." He smiled softly in return. He let her in. "Sorry about the mess."
She laughed. "What mess?" She sat on his desk chair. "This is spotless compared to mine."
He scratched the back of his neck. "I guess so."
She raised her brow. Is he nervous? Aren't I meant to be the nervous one, coming into a boy's room?
He sat on his bed and looked to her. He was glad to see the colour back in her face and the sparkle in her eyes had returned.
She placed her bag onto his desk and rummaged through it. She took out the Twins with Quirks book and placed it on his desk, she blew a sigh. "I don't even know where to start."
He hummed. "Maybe… try singing?" He suggested.
She looked thoughtful. "I could, but I won't know if it'll work unless I'm aiding a hero in battle." She remarked. "Tama-chan was kinda… triggered into singing. I mean he could sing and come up with chants but never knew if they worked unless he was in a situation where he needed to use it."
He nodded. "Maybe Midoriya and I should spar? Then you will have a reason to use it to aid one of us? I say Midoriya since he's the only other one who knows about this."
"That could work."
He watched as she fidgeted with the ties to her hoodie, it seemed to be a habit she had to play with things unconsciously when she was thinking. "You did say you had a voice of a dying cat, the last time you tried singing in front of people… maybe inheriting the quirk improved your vocals in general. I mean, I'd say your voice is like a songbird, not a dying cat." He smirked, as he watched her cheeks turn rosy.
She swallowed.
"Don't push yourself though, you just recovered from your cold."
She covered her face a little with her scarf.
He chuckled. "Don't get shy now." He got up then knelt in front of her. "Remember, it's just me." He took her hands. "I won't laugh."
She met his dual coloured eyes, that reflected his slight amusement. She nodded a little.
"Just sing one of Tamaki's songs, since you know them so well." He stood up, pulling her to her feet. "And if it makes you feel any better, I'll hide in the bathroom." He smiled, slowly letting go of her hands.
She took a deep breath. "No, sit here." She ordered, making him sit on the chair. She pulled her scarf off. "As long as you're not looking, I'm okay, but I don't want you to leave me alone either." She held out the scarf.
"Blindfold?"
She leaned forward. "Is it okay?"
He nodded, feeling his pulse jump.
She wrapped the scarf twice around his head, covering his eyes.
He inhaled, taking in her scent that lingered on the scarf. It's so warm.
"No peaking, Sho-chan."
He felt a little giddy, hearing his nickname. "I promise."
She cleared her throat and stepped away from him. Here goes nothing… Then she sang one of Tamaki's songs that she listened to over and over on that old mp3 player.
Shoto listened, feeling the power pulsing through him. He grinned ear to ear. I knew it!
Kahoko stopped when she noticed that her stamina was starting to drain. Why is it making me feel weak? She took deep breaths. I mean, who cares? I did it! I really didn't sound terrible. She felt a lump in her throat, and she sniffed back a mix of happy and sad tears.
Shoto heard this and took down the scarf. "Kaho?"
She turned away, trying to pull herself together. No, no, no. Don't cry, idiot!
He stepped towards her and put his hand onto her shoulder, gently turning her to face him. "That was amazing!"
She didn't meet his gaze but leaned her head against his chest. "I'm okay."
He encircled her within his arms and sighed. "Your brother will be happy…" He rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Thank you." She mumbled. "I'm so lucky…"
There was a knock at his door, startling the pair.
They both looked at each other.
"You don't think someone heard me?" She asked.
He frowned. "I dunno. Are you able to tell who it is?" He pulled away from her.
She focused on her hearing, picking up the visitor's heartbeat. She gave a relieved sigh. "Deku."
"You sure?" He asked, walking to the door.
She huffed, folding her arms. "You doubt my abilities?" She pouted.
He stared at her for a second, thinking how adorable she looked. He cleared his throat before turning back to the door and opening it just wide enough to peak out.
Sure enough, Deku was standing at the other side of it. "Hey, Todoroki!" He smiled. "Have you seen Kahoko?"
Shoto glanced back towards Kahoko.
She giggled quietly.
"Why do you need her?" He asked.
Deku frowned. "I wanna see if she's well enough to spar. Jeez, you sound like her jealous boyfriend."
"I do not!" Shoto retorted.
Deku glanced down and noticed the purple scarf hanging loosely on his neck. "That's Kahoko's."
Shoto looked down too. "Yeah… so?"
"Is she in there?" Deku folded his arms.
"Maybe…"
Deku's brows disappeared into his hair. "Ooooh… okay, I get it now."
Shoto's eyes widened. "Midoriya!" He hissed, glancing back to see Kahoko rolling on his bed, clutching her stomach, not bothering to control her laughter now. At least she's not crying, I guess. He looked back to Deku. "Come in or go away, I don't want the whole dorm knowing I have a girl in my room." He whispered.
Deku chuckled and pushed past him. "Hey, Kahoko."
She sat up, finally calming down. "Hey, Deku." She smiled.
Deku sat down beside her. "Have you been crying?" He frowned. "Did Todoroki upset you again?"
Shoto huffed and sat on his chair.
"No, happy tears, I promise." She assured him.
Deku sighed. "I heard it…"
She frowned.
"Or I felt it… I dunno."
Shoto stared at him.
"I was outside sparring with Kirishima. Then suddenly I felt a boost of energy, and could faintly hear a song in my head…"
Kahoko met Shoto's gaze. "Could it really…?"
"Were you thinking about Midoriya when you sang?" He asked her.
She thought for a moment. "All I remember is feeling myself being drained a little. Tama-chan said once the song gets to work, it transfers stamina to another person, but they must be able to hear the song, even faintly. But if only Deku heard it outside… I dunno?"
"I'm sure others heard it, just didn't put two and two together like Midoriya would." Shoto leaned back. "So maybe, subconsciously, you channelled into Midoriya's power and sensed that it was weakening, so your quirk kicked in."
"I didn't even know my voice could reach that far. I thought these walls were pretty soundproof."
Deku looked to Shoto's window. "There!"
"Oh, damn, sorry Kaho. I completely forgot!" Shoto panicked, jumping up to close it.
"It's fine. At least I know that… your theory about me is true." She looked to her hands. "So… does this mean I have two quirks? I've never heard of that."
Deku looked thoughtful. "Well… we know your inherited one works… but has it replaced your original one? That's the question."
Kahoko stared at him. "I am not gonna go around kissing people to find out!"
He chuckled.
Shoto looked down.
"Well, my quirk's attributes work. I can still hear and see really good. I can still spot a liar." She stated.
"And you're still very attractive." Deku remarked.
Kahoko blushed. "Did you have to say that?"
"I'm sure regardless of her quirk, she'd still be pretty." Shoto stated without thinking.
She sighed, hiding her face in her hands.
"One thing is for certain, we can't let too many people know about you, especially villains. Imagine what they'd do if they found out that twins can inherit quirks from each other if they both have one." Deku said.
"I will definitely be keeping this from my dad." Shoto added. "Who knows what he'll do."
Deku looked to his side to see Kahoko, still hiding her face in her hands. "Kahoko." He nudged her with his elbow.
She dropped her hands. "Sorry, just a lot to take in." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Deku, for your help in this."
He patted her head. "No worries. But really, Todoroki has done most of the work."
She giggled. "Still, I am very grateful."
He stood up. "Alright, I'm gonna leave you guys to it, and don't worry, I haven't seen you here." He winked.
Shoto stood up. "I told you, nothing is going on." He pushed Deku to the door.
"Yet." Deku muttered with a smirk, before leaving.
Shoto exhaled and turned to see Kahoko staring into space. He walked over and sat beside her. "Hey." He poked her cheek.
She met his eyes. "Hey." She quirked a smile.
"Are you tired? Wanna go back to your room?"
"Maybe in a little while." She massaged her forehead. "Do you think I should tell my parents what's going on with me?" She asked him.
Shoto leaned back on his arms and looked to the ceiling. "That's up to you. I know they're your parents, but do you trust them enough? What if they don't believe you right away?"
She looked to him and found herself staring a little.
Shoto felt her eyes on him, so looked to meet her gaze. "Hmm?"
Her eyes widened a little as she looked away quickly. "Not-nothing, just thinking." She mentally kicked herself for stammering. What's wrong with me?! I was blatantly checking him out.
Shoto smirked a little, sitting up properly.
"I think I'll keep it between us three for now." She stated. "The less people know, the better."
"What about Shinso? Surely he'll wanna know."
She bit her lip. "I guess… I hate leaving him in the dark."
"He'll be happy that you trust him with this."
She smiled softly. "I trust him more than anyone in this world." She admitted.
Shoto swallowed thickly. "Can I ask you something?"
She nodded.
"If you trust and care about Shinso so much; why did you turn him down?"
She fidgeted with her hoodie ties again. "He asked me when we were in junior high, I thought he was teasing to piss Tama-chan off. I wasn't as good at reading people back then, because I was only just learning more about my quirk. I only knew what my quirk could do because my parents told me that I gave my mom a peck on the lips when I was little, and she couldn't stop telling the truth." She giggled. "Then he asked me again a few weeks before Tama-chan died, this time I knew he meant it… because… he was my first kiss and everything." She scratched the back of her neck.
Shoto felt a low grumble threaten to crawl up his throat, he managed to swallow it back down just in time.
"I knew that my love for Hitoshi wasn't the romantic type. Maybe it's something to do with my quirk, but I've never really had a crush or anything on anyone." She mused. "Or maybe because my world revolved around my brother I didn't really look." She shrugged. "Hitoshi knows where the line is now, he knows I love him dearly, and although it hurts me to know I broke his heart, I wasn't gonna lead him into a false hope that I'd return his feelings because that's just cruel."
Shoto stared at his hands. It really does seem that those two are meant to be childhood sweethearts…
She stood up and stretched. "I think I'm gonna go and take a shower."
He looked up at her to see that her eyes had glazed over a little. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She grabbed her bag and book. "Thanks for today."
"You know I'm always here." He took of the scarf and handed it to her. "Don't forget this."
She gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He nodded.
At that she walked out and headed towards her room.