Never in her life did she want to cry so badly. The desire was so intense that the tightness in her chest became unbearable.
"It's okay," a voice whispered in her ear as a tickle touched her heart, telling her it was alright to shed some tears.
"Let it out."
That was all she needed to hear before joining the boys, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Midoriya, in their caterwaul to the heavens. Their screams echoed across the horizon as the sun sat in the distance. The crucial mission was over. They had succeeded.
In their possession, a shiny new card sparkled in the evening light. With their pictures proudly displayed in the bracket, the new, slick, rectangular piece of plastic signified the students' promotion.
"TEDDY!" Momo moved away from her friends and started texting a certain someone right away. She could not wait to reveal the good news.
It didn't take the recipient long to reply.
"I'm here! I've been waiting for you all day. Tell me how it went. I'm all ears."
She decided to mess with him a little bit first.
"Well, I have good news and bad news. Which do you wish to hear first?"
"… Bad news."
Momo grinned. "My boyfriend, whom I love dearly, isn't here right now to give me a kiss for passing my license exams."
She sent a selfie of her holding the card to prove it. Now, her heart was a flutter to see what was to happen next. The promise of a new reward enticed Momo. When it could overshadow the grandeur of Kyoya's head pats, Momo failed to contain her eagerness.
"Don't scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack! I knew you could do it though. Congratulations, Kitty, I'm happy for you."
"Thank you," she was hot in the face, "Your letter gave me the encouragement I needed."
She started to doubt herself towards the end, where she and her team traded blows with a rival school. Her plans were falling apart, but thanks to her friends and her boyfriend's support, she stayed focused and overcame the adversity.
"Great. I know it's not my usual way of writing, but I'm glad it helped. I perform better when I have enough time."
"It was wonderful as always. I wish it was able to carry all of us though," she grew somber, "I do have one real iota of bad news. Not all of us passed."
"Oh? Who failed?"
"Todoroki and Bakugo."
She still couldn't believe it herself. Two of her class's strongest members failed the exam. It was hard to wrap her head around it.
"Really? I guess Shin's hunch was right then."
'That's right.' Momo recalled his name now. The quietest brother of the supposed quartet pointed to them before leaving.
"Good luck," she remembered him saying. At the time, no one knew what the second year was referring to nor why he signaled out Todoroki and Bakugo in particular.
'How did he know?'
"It seems so, but they're strong. I know they can bounce back from this. It's disheartening, but they're stronger than people think."
She boarded the bus and texted Kyoya the entire way back to U.A.
"I admire your faith, but I believe we have something to discuss. Shall we move on to more… rewarding business?"
She didn't know why, but Momo greatly like the sound of that, evident by the purr that left her lips. Kitty snuggled into her seat and fixed her phone screen with a keen stare.
"I'm listening. You plan on rewarding me handsomely, right?"
"Kitty can't wait for her prize, huh?"
"No, she cannot, and she's expecting the hype to live up to its intensity."
She knew Kyoya was laughing. She always had a feeling when the psychic broke out into a fit of giggles.
"You won't be disappointed. I promise this will be unlike anything you've ever experienced."
If she had a tail, it would be swaying side to side.
"Are you free Sunday around this time?"
'You're making me wait?!'
"I have to wait?" she pouted and resisted the urge to huff.
"I'm not going to interrupt your celebration with your classmates. Enjoy yourself. You guys deserve it."
"But I don't want to wait. You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this. Don't hype up something so strongly and not come through."
"Sunday, meet me at Takoba Municipal Beach Park by five o'clock. Dress nicely, and I promise – I promise, I'll make it up to you. I promise."
'Yeah, you better.'
"Alright, I'll wait, but you're on thin ice, Teddy. My expectations are high."
"You know, if you'd like, we can meet up, find a little spot, and I can give you a little… teaser."
'Hmm, I love the sound of that'
"Careful, Teddy, if you tease me too much, I might scratch. You're more than welcome to visit, but don't feel obligated to bring anything."
"Will I get yelled at if I don't?"
She could practically feel Mina's eyes boring into her soul as she texted her boyfriend.
"Probably, but that's only because Mina likes being dramatic. You spoil her too much."
"One head pat a day keeps the demons at bay. My touch is magical, you know this well, but because all of you didn't pass, I'm afraid the demons will have free reign. Sorry."
"Dammit Bakugo and Todoroki!" Mina suddenly yelled out, causing everyone to stare.
"Mina, language!" The student President reprimanded, choping hands at the ready. "Why are you yelling at your classmates in such a manner? I expected this sort of behavior from Bakugo."
"Like Four-Eyes said, the hell are you yelling at us for? You wanna die that badly, Raccoon Eyes?"
"Because of you, Shu-kun won't reward us! I deserve a nice petting!"
"Ehh? The hell should I care? It's just a pat on the head."
"It's magic," Mina huffed, "Do not take the power of a loving Senpai in vain! His affections cure sicknesses. I don't want demons haunting me, Bakugo!"
"It's a damn head pat! Anyone can do it. Ask fucking Deku or something!"
"Hmm, I wonder," Todoroki rubbed his head, imagining the wonders Mina described, "Does his quirk affect other people's brains?"
That was an inquiry that got Midoriya writing in his notebook.
"That's a good question, Todoroki. He did say he uses Psychokinesis differently, which means his applications may include hypnotism and the like," he evolved into his mumblings and lost any sense of awareness.
"Great job, Icy Hot, you got the damn nerd started."
"I gotta side with Mina on this one, Bakubro. Senpai does have a magic touch," Kirishima stated, "It's pretty nice."
"Agreed," said Ojiro.
"Same," said Sero and Kaminari.
"I've yet to experience it," Iida confessed, "but based on Mina's enthusiasm, I can only fathom the results."
"Iida, you have no idea what you're missing out on," Mina grinned, "A lot of the first years hold little get-togethers just to talk about any bad days they had and how Shu-kun helped them through it. Your boyfriend's an inspiration, Momo."
'Tell me something I don't know.'
Momo ignored her classmates to text her boyfriend some more.
"We're talking about you."
"Good things?"
"The best. You're really well-liked, aren't you?"
'That's an understatement. He's probably the most well-known guy at school.'
"I try to be a good role model. It makes a difference when an upperclassman shows genuine concern for those who are supposed to look up to you. I've even earned multiple nicknames. The kids at my brother's hospital call me big brother. Some people at school call me the Gentle Helper, the Gentle Giant, and of course, there's your nickname."
'The best nickname of all time.'
"You've mentioned interning at your brother's hospital a lot. Is your brother a hero too?"
Come to think of it, a lot remained a mystery about the psychic. So far, Momo knew Kyoya had one older brother, and Recovery Girl was his only known relative.
"He'd quickly say no, but to me, yeah, he's a great hero. As the head doctor, he stays on call a lot, but when it comes to medicine, not even grandma can compete."
'Such high praise.'
"The way you praise your brother is nice. I don't have any siblings, so I can't say I know how it feels."
'How would it feel to have a younger sibling?'
"Onee-chan!" the voice of her imaginary younger sibling rang in her head, sending a myriad of redness rushing to her face.
"Everyone has a different experience with siblinghood. I was fortunate to have a brother like him. He taught me how to use Psychokinesis."
'So, his brother has the same quirk.'
"However, if we were to compare skill levels, it would be like comparing a small child to someone of All Might's level."
Momo didn't know if Kyoya was being serious or not. Thinking on it further, she only witnessed a small percentage of her boyfriend's quirk. He claimed his usages were different from the normal methods, but that was too vague.
'How else could you use it besides planting marks and moving things with your will?'
"I think you're not giving yourself enough credit."
"Maybe. Not too many people out there with a telekinetic quirk like us."
'Hmm, how well can you fight, I wonder?' Yet another issue she had. She had no idea how versed in combat her senior was.
"Teddy, I've just realized that I've never seen you fight."
How could she be so neglectful?
"Really? Hmm, I guess you haven't. Well, I excel in close-quarters combat."
'With psychic abilities? That's unexpected. He can fight from a distance but chooses short range. Why?'
"If you like, Kitty, we can have a little spar to see how much you've improved since our love affair began. I wouldn't mind hunting you down."
It was too late to hide as Momo went crimson.
"You gonna let him talk smack and not throw down the gauntlet? You have to show him who's boss!" Mina declared, startling Momo once more.
"What are you talking about?" Earphone Jack Jirou inquired.
"Shu-kun asked Momo for a spar. He bets he can take her no problem."
"He did not say that. He said he wouldn't mind the experience. Neither would I. Learning how to handle a telekinetic would prove beneficial," Kitty replied.
"If I were to get my whole class in on this, would you still accept?"
"Ooh, we all get to fight him?" Mina was close to getting a fan upside her head.
Her inquiry got the attention of the entire class.
"Absolutely."
Momo nodded. "He's all for it."
Mina beamed. "Yes! We get to beat up Shu-kun, guys!"
"Don't get too cocky, Mina. We have no idea what Kyoya-kun is capable of. Psychokinesis aside, he's still older and has more experience than we do."
"Tch, like that matters," Bakugo sneered, "I'll destroy him!"
"This is going to be so manly," Kirishima gave a toothy grin, "When are we doing this?"
"If Aizawa-Sensei is alright with it, we can try Monday."
"Sensei, Kyoya-kun wants to know if you're alright with a little training session on Monday?"
"As long as he can get a place reserved, it's fine by me."
'More time for me to sleep.'
"He's fine with that, but you have to reserve a place."
"Will do. Try not to be mesmerized by my fighting style while we dance."
Momo giggled. "I like that, dancing instead of fighting."
"Yes, and it shall be a dance to remember. I better work on that reservation. Don't forget, Sunday, five o'clock at the Takoba Municipal Beach Park."
'I'm so excited. Please, Spirits, don't ruin this!'
"Thanks for doing this. Regardless of how things turn out, I'm grateful." Her heart swelled with happiness.
"My pleasure, Kitty. You know I enjoy our time together."
Momo started swaying again, giddy at her boyfriend's kindness.
"As do I."
When the humongous school came into view, Momo let out a sigh.
"We've arrived back at U.A. I'll let you go now. Thanks again for the letter. I really needed it."
"Have fun, Kitty. I'll surprise you again in the future. Say hey to your classmates for me. I've finished memorized all their names."
"Awww, Shu-kun memorized all our names," the pink alien cooed.
"Why do you continue to eavesdrop on our conversation?" Momo readied her paper fan.
"Because you guys are too cute. Are we sure you're not a cat?"
The class's Vice President went wide-eyed.
"Don't judge me! I get giddy easily, okay?"
"We know," replied the entire class.
1-A traded looks amongst themselves. The boys continued to impress and frighten the girls with how in tune they were.
"Why is everyone suddenly so good at speaking in sync?" Momo inquired.
"It's a gift," the boys said, their perfect unison even making Aizawa raise a brow. His class has greatly improved over the year. Of course, he'd never say it out loud, but he was proud of them. If they found out, they'd go soft, so he kept quiet about it.
"You guys spend way too much time together. While I'm glad you're all getting along, that's still weird."
"Tch, like you'd see me being buddy-buddy with these extras," Bakugo sneered.
'That's more like it.'
"Nice to see all that progress we made up until now means nothing," replied Midoriya with a small sigh.
"SHUT UP, DEKU! Ponytail, tell your Psycho boyfriend that I'm going to destroy him this Monday!"
"… He's a psychic, not a psycho."
"Did I stutter?"
Momo rolled her eyes but complied anyway. The response made the creationist cover her mouth.
"What? What did he say?" Jirou inquired, eager to know.
"Don't hate me for this but tell that rabid Pomeranian I'm going to do us a favor and put him down," Momo read the message.
Silence.
"OOOOOOOH!" Kaminari, Sero, Mineta, and Kirishima were taken aback.
"DAMN!" Jirou and Mina couldn't believe it either. Everyone else was stricken with silence, unable to respond.
Bakugo on the other hand, "LET'S GO THEN, PSYCHO!" roared and wanted to let his quirk explode.
Momo burst into a fit of giggles so contagious her classmates couldn't help but laugh too.
"YOU ALL WANNA DIE?! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"You have no idea how badly we needed that. Thanks, Teddy. I'll text you later tonight. Love you."
"I'll be here all week. Love you too, Kitty. See you later."