So, this might be a disaster chapter but I'm done with it. I started writing it little by little, and then I lost ALL word docs. Don't know what happened, they were just gone. So my break from writing got a little longer because of that. This chapter is me writing for the first time in almost a whole month so, sorry for the lack of quality.

Momo stood at the UA entrance gates, her eyes scanning the mass of students walking past as she waited with Mina and Tokoyami for Izuku to arrive. The trio had only been waiting for a few minutes, but Mina's impatience was already evident. She bounced on her heels, glancing at the clock every few seconds. "He didn't leave without us, did he?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"I highly doubt it," Momo replied calmly, her arms folded across her chest. "Please, be patient, Mina. He should be here soon."

Mina huffed, crossing her arms behind her head as she started to pace in tight circles. "But what if he did? We'd be stuck here while he's already halfway to Jirou's without us! You've seen how often he spaces out at lunch!"

Tokoyami, ever the quiet observer, glanced between the two with a thoughtful expression before turning to Momo. "Would you happen to know his number? We could easily confirm whether or not he is in the building."

Momo sighed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Unfortunately, no. We've never exchanged numbers. Our conversations were always on forums or Discord, but that was over a year ago."

"And what of Jirou? Could you not ask her for an address? You three seem close, I had assumed you all knew each other before UA." Tokoyami continued.

"I knew Mina from tutoring but I've only meet Jirou once before, and Izuku twice before that. I guess I never got around to asking for their numbers as we all went to the same school. Hopefully I can correct this today."

The three continued to wait, attracting stares from passersby thanks to Mina all but hopping in place, but it wasn't long until they spotted a mop of green hair running towards them.

Momo took a step forward to greet him, but before she could say anything, Mina threw up her hands and called out, "And just where have you been, mister?"

Izuku skidded to a stop in front of them, panting as he struggled to catch his breath. "S-Sorry! I got caught up in the principal's office," he managed between gasps.

Mina let out an exaggerated gasp. "Shy little Izuku… in trouble? Gasp! I don't know if we should be associating with you anymore. We are hero students, after all. What if you drag us onto the road to villainy?"

Momo exhaled, leveling Mina with a flat look. "Mina…" she scolded, her tone laced with mild exasperation.

"I, well you see, there was a question I had about a paper I have to do and…" Izuku started stuttering, unable to finish a sentence.

As Mina giggled at her handywork Momo tried to calm him down. "Relax Izuku, she's not serious. She's just impatient."

She hoped to steer the conversation back on track so they could make their way to the train station, but before she could so much as take a step, Mina struck again.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, the pink-haired girl sauntered up to Izuku, invading his personal space with a thoughtful hum. She leaned in slightly, inspecting him as if she had just noticed something for the first time.

Izuku stiffened, instinctively leaning back to put some distance between them. "Umm… is something wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty as he fought down the telltale warmth creeping up his cheeks.

Mina tilted her head, tapping her chin. "Y'know, I always see you sitting down, so I guess I never really noticed…" She paused for dramatic effect before smirking. "You're hella short."

Izuku's eyes widened in disbelief, his back straightening as if trying to will himself taller. He took a step back, an indignant look crossing his face. "I-I'm taller than Jirou!" he blurted out defensively.

Mina waved a dismissive hand. "One, barely. Two, not exactly a bragging right."

Tokoyami, who had been quietly observing, let out a soft chuckle under his breath, while Momo sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a long ride.

Nezu stood by the large window in his office, quietly observing the students as they filtered out of UA's front gates. It had become a habit of his over the years, one he had picked up shortly after stepping into the role of principal. There was something deeply satisfying about watching the young humans leave the school grounds, heading off to continue their lives beyond the classroom.

He had long since learned to recognize patterns in their behavior. With a single glance, he could tell who would go home to study, who would make a beeline for the mall, and who intended to spend the rest of the afternoon napping. At this point, he could even predict which students were most likely to pull pranks on school grounds simply by the way they walked—some moved with too much purpose, others with a little too much caution.

It was always a joy to prank them first and observe their reactions. Something as simple as reorganizing their lockers was enough to through most of them for a loop.

But what Nezu found most fascinating was the way friendships formed among them. More often than not, their friendships fell into three broad categories: Old friends from before UA, bound by years of shared history. Students who went for the same extracurriculars, finding camaraderie in common pursuits. Pairs or groups whose personalities naturally complemented one another, forming effortless bonds without any clear reason.

Of course, there were always exceptions.

The hero students predictably stuck to each other. An unfortunate consequence of their more isolated curriculum. The unique training schedules on top of UA's already intense classes left them little time to interact with the others their age. Something Nezu always wanted to fix, for what was the point of training heroes who didn't understand who they were fighting for?

But today Nezu found himself paying attention to one specific student. Izuku Midoriya was by all means completely average. The standard background check all students go through revealed nothing special, no excess detentions, teachers were mostly neutral when talking about him, no trouble with authority outside of school. There were only two things that made him stand out, the fact that he was quirkless and his exceptional grades.

At least until today.

A quiet knock was heard before Toshinori slowly entered. Another thing that fascinated the principal, how someone as powerful as the symbol of peace still reverted to a shy child when he spoke to those who viewed as his superiors. Nezu waited until Izuku, along with some students from 1-A, were out of sight before turning to join him on the couch. 'Hero students with someone from Gen Ed? This day is getting more and more interesting.'

"Would you like some tea, old friend?" Nezu asked, already pouring himself a cup.

Toshinori gave a small, grateful nod. "Yes, please. Thank you," he replied, his voice softer than usual, as though he were bracing himself for what was to come.

Nezu's smile remained pleasant as he poured a second cup, but the glint in his dark eyes spoke volumes. "Now, I understand that you have an increasingly busy schedule," he began, his tone light but measured. "Your hero work, training a successor, and now teaching on top of that. It's quite the workload."

Toshinori stiffened slightly, already sensing the direction of the conversation. His hands curled around the teacup, seeking some sort of comfort from its warmth.

Nezu took a small sip before continuing, his ears twitching with amusement as Toshinori visibly shrank into himself. "However, I would have assumed you'd at least remember to inform the faculty when someone new is made privy to your little secret."

Toshinori swallowed thickly, forcing an awkward chuckle. "Ah, well... about that..."

Nezu set his cup down with deliberate care, lacing his paws together as his beady eyes fixed Toshinori with an all-too-knowing expression. "And if that weren't enough, you nearly transformed in the middle of a hallway. A well-traveled one at that."

Toshinori winced, his grip tightening on the porcelain teacup in his hands. "A miscalculation on my part," he admitted, voice low. "I'll be sure-"

"Would you like to guess the complaints I've been getting from Chiyo?" Nezu interrupted smoothly, his pleasant tone doing little to mask the weight behind his words.

Toshinori's breath caught in his throat. His eyes went wide, and his hands trembled, nearly spilling the tea from his cup. "Ah… complaints?" he echoed weakly.

Nezu's whiskers twitched as he reached for his tea again, lifting it with a delicate precision that contrasted sharply with the weight of his words. "Not only have you been skipping your physical therapy appointments," he continued, voice light yet razor-sharp, "you also aren't sticking to the diet she set for you."

The color drained from Toshinori's already gaunt face, and he sputtered, his composure quickly unraveling. "I-I can explain," he stammered, though even he knew how hollow that sounded.

Nezu hummed, taking a slow sip before replying. "Oh, I do hope so," he mused. "Because I'd hate to think that UA's most beloved and self-sacrificing hero is also its most stubbornly reckless faculty member."

Toshinori sighed in defeat, shoulders sagging. He knew better than to argue.

Nezu simply smiled. "Now then," he said, tilting his head. "Shall we start with forgetting to inform your coworkers of special developments, skipping appointments, or the poor dietary choices?"

Toshinori groaned softly. He was in for a long lecture.

Nezu let out a thoughtful hum, lazily swirling his tea as he let Toshinori squirm under his scrutinizing gaze. "Perhaps I should call Mirio to join us," he mused, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I imagine your successor would be quite disappointed to hear how neglectful you've been. And knowing young Togata, he'd be more than happy to… encourage you to take better care of yourself."

Toshinori stiffened, a bead of sweat forming at his temple. He could already picture Mirio's ever-radiant grin paired with an unwavering, well-meaning determination to help his mentor, whether Toshinori wanted it or not.

"That… won't be necessary," he said quickly, voice a touch strained.

Nezu merely sipped his tea, clearly unconvinced.

The train was crowded, as expected for this time of day, but the four students had managed to find enough seats to sit comfortably. Mina and Tokoyami sat on one side, while Momo and Izuku took the seats opposite them. The ponytailed girl couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Mina bombard the more introverted Tokoyami with memes she had saved on her phone. She recalled being on the receiving end of a similar barrage during their last trip to the mall—though, even now, most of what she had seen remained a mystery to her.

Out the corner of her eye she saw Izuku texting his mother. She didn't mean to read over his shoulder, but with their height difference it was almost impossible not to.

Izuku: Sorry mom, I forgot to text you. I'll be home late today. I'm heading to the mall with some friends, and then heading to Jirou's house.

Inko: (string of happy crying emojis with two thumbs up emoji)

It was probably weird to think this about a friend, but Momo found the exchange adorable. For the last few years, whenever she heard one of the boys in school talk about their families, especially their mothers, they always sounded as if they were tired of them or didn't care about them. Complaints about nagging, curfews, or embarrassing childhood stories seemed to be the norm. Yet, here was Izuku, texting his mother with genuine care, and receiving a response filled with an overwhelming amount of emojis. It was nice to see a boy her age get along with his mother, even if it was just a text.

He must have noticed her looking, his shoulders stiffened slightly and he quickly closed his screen. She felt a small blush forming at getting caught, but decided it would be best to just ask about it. "You get along well with your parents?"

Izuku blinked, caught off guard, before breaking into a warm smile. "Huh? Oh, yea. My mother's great! I hope we get a teacher parent conference soon; I'd love to show her around the school."

He spoke with such unfiltered enthusiasm that Momo found herself smiling along with him. There was no hesitation or embarrassment, just pure affection and pride. She had no doubt that if such a conference were to happen, Izuku would be eagerly leading his mother through the halls, pointing out every classroom, every training facility, maybe even the best vending machines.

She would love to meet her.

She did, however, notice he avoided mentioning his father. Whether it was on purpose or not she couldn't tell, but she didn't want to risk pushing him on what could potentially be a sensitive topic.

"What about you?" He asked suddenly. "I don't think you've ever mentioned your parents."

Momo blinked, momentarily caught off guard. It wasn't that she avoided talking about her family, she just rarely had a reason to. Most of her classmates seemed to assume they already knew everything about her. She was Momo Yaoyorozu, daughter of a wealthy family, heir to a vast fortune. What more was there to say?

"My mother just finished planting several patches of wisteria in the garden. When my father brought her the seeds the other week as a birthday gift she leapt into his arms." She smiled at the memory. It was rare to see her mother move so quickly, being a more subdued woman. "I can't wait to take home our paintings tomorrow. I hope she'll enjoy my attempts to capture our garden."

Before Izuku could respond, a sudden outburst cut through the moment.

"Oh, come on!" Mina shouted while shaking Tokoyami, clearly being playful but the bird headed boy looked stiff as a board. "Tell me!"

"Mina!" Momo found herself scolding her friend yet again.

"Don't 'Mina' me. Tell Toko to stop talking in riddles." The pink girl pouted. "Tell us why you want to see Jirou!" She resumed her shaking assault, much to Tokoyami's dismay. Momo had to lean forward and grab her hand in her own to make her stop.

The noirette let out a tired sigh. "Sorry about her Tokoyami. But I must admit I am curious as to why you're joining us. I know it's only been one week but you and Jirou don't seem that close."

Tokoyami looked away before saying "Jirou and I walk parallel paths—draped in shadow, guided by the rhythm of the unseen. Her melodies are an extension of her soul, and I wish to peer into the abyss of her collection, to see what symphonies of darkness call to her."

The group stared at the boy, not understanding what he was saying. Before any of them could speak, however, a being of solid darkness sprouted from the boy's torso. "This dork just wants to look at her music collection."

"Silence Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami demanded as he tried to shove the creature back into himself.

As Mina continued to tease him along with Dark Shadow, Momo's attention was captured by Izuku, who practically had stars in his eyes. "Sentient quirk…" He muttered to himself.

The crisp afternoon air greeted them as they stepped onto the bustling streets, the towering structure of the shopping mall coming into view. The moment they entered, they were met with the familiar hum of chatter, the scent of fresh food wafting from the food court, and the dazzling lights of store displays showcasing the latest fashion, gadgets, and hero merchandise.

Mina stretched her arms over her head, grinning. "Alright, team! Where to first?"

"An electric heating headband would be nice but I'm not sure if they sell them here, I know she's been eyeing a new fuzz pedal, sweets would probably be appreciated, muttermuttermuttermutter…"

"What's a fuzz pedal?" Mina whispered to Tokoyami.

"It's a device that alters the sound of an electric guitar."

Momo cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "I believe a small collection of sweets would suffice for now. And we can ask the worker there if there is a store in the mall that sells a heating headband. Sorry Izuku, but I don't think a device for loud noises would be an appropriate gift at this time."

"Yea, you're probably right." He conceded.

The group headed to one of the more popular store fronts, a place called the Candy Oven. A store that seemed to be a combination of a bakery and a candy shop. The walls were covered in tubs of loose candies that could be sorted into bags and sold by weight, and the floor and tables filled with freshly bakes goods like cakes or danishes.

While Izuku and Mina eagerly set off to gather an assortment for Jirou (and themselves), Momo and Tokoyami approached the counter to ask an older gentleman for assistance. The man was friendly and pointed them toward an athletics store that carried electric wraps for sports injuries—likely the closest thing to the heating headband they were looking for.

"Thank you very much," Momo said politely, turning to collect the others. However, as she scanned the shop, she noticed something was off. Mina stood near the cake selection, eyeing the pastries hungrily, but Izuku was nowhere in sight.

"Mina," Momo approached her friend, her brows furrowing, "where did Izuku go?"

"What do you mean? He's right… there?" Mina's voice trailed off as she turned, her confusion evident as she glanced around. "I swear he was right behind me."

"Is that not him?" Tokoyami suddenly pointed toward the window.

Momo followed his gaze just in time to catch a glimpse of green hair disappearing into the crowd outside. She barely saw him, but something in her gut twisted. Something wasn't right. Without hesitation, she pulled out her card and handed it to Tokoyami. "Use this to buy the sweets. Mina, follow me."

"Whoa, what's the hurry?" Mina asked as Momo all but dragged her out of the shop.

"I can't explain it," Momo admitted, her pace quickening. "I just have a bad feeling that something is wrong."

They spotted him a ways away from the store, near the other end of the mall. He was being directed by a couple of teens their age, a chubby boy with small red wings and a tall slim boy with long and crooked fingers. They had their arms around him as if they were friends hanging out, the stiffness in Izuku's shoulders set off alarm bells in Momo's head. At this point Mina also must have picked up on what was happening, as her pace quickened to match her own.

"Still can't believe a loser like you managed to get into UA." She heard as they finally got within ear shot, though the two girls were still behind them, out of sight. "So how'd you do it? Sneak an answer sheet into the exam room?"

"Nah man," The boy with crooked fingers said, "I bet his mom made a deal with the principal. I bet they're paying her to show off their inclusivity student, am I right Deku?"

Mina shifted beside her. "Oh, hell no," she muttered under her breath, fists already tightening.

Momo didn't think, she acted. Before Mina could charge in, she stepped forward, her voice cool and even.

"Izuku, there you are," she said, loud enough for the boys to hear, her tone light but firm. She strode up close to them, her presence alone enough to make the two teens shift uncomfortably. "We've been looking for you. You should've told us you were meeting… friends." She surprised herself with how much venom was in her voice.

She watched as the two strangers removed their arms from the green-haired boy, their attention now focused on the two of them.

Izuku blinked in surprise, his shoulders untensing just slightly at the unexpected backup. Mina wasted no time sidling up to his side, her grin sharp as a knife. "Yeah, you really should've given us a heads-up. I would've loved to meet these guys sooner." She cracked her knuckles, letting the sound linger.

Though Momo thought their disdain for the two boys was made clear, the looks on their faces suggested otherwise. Goofy smiles as their eyes never meet theirs, and instead looked them up and down. It was the same looks she received from Kabuto before he became so bold.

"And what are two beauties like you talking to this loser for?" Wings said, flapping his small appendages as if they would impress the two girls.

Momo barely resisted the urge to grimace. She had encountered boys like this before, ones who mistook disinterest for coyness, who thought arrogance was an attractive trait. The way their eyes dragged over her and Mina, dismissing Izuku entirely, made her skin crawl.

Mina, however, had no such restraint. "Oh, ew," she deadpanned, recoiling as if Wings had just sneezed on her.

The boy's smirk faltered, but Fingers picked up the slack. "Come on, no need to be shy. Bet you girls would have way more fun with us than some quirkless loser."

Izuku flinched at the word, and Momo felt something inside her snap.

"How unfortunate," she said smoothly, her voice laced with false sympathy. "You seem to have mistaken our disgust for shyness." She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing. "Allow me to clarify. Your presence is neither wanted nor tolerated. We are leaving with our friend now."

Mina leaned in, her usual cheer replaced with a razor-sharp smirk. "And if you call him that again, I will kick you so hard your grandchildren will feel it."

Fingers' confidence wavered, and Wings sputtered, clearly unprepared for the pushback. "Relax, we were just joking."

"Right," Mina drawled, grabbing Izuku's wrist and tugging him forward. "Well, we aren't. Byeeee."

Momo followed close behind, her posture poised but unyielding, daring them to try something else. They didn't.

As they walked away, Izuku finally exhaled, his hands still clenched but no longer trembling.

"You okay?" Momo asked, her voice softer now.

Mina huffed, her grip on his wrist loosening but not quite letting go. "Man, what was that about? Those guys were acting like complete weirdos."

Momo frowned, glancing back just in time to see the two boys disappear into the crowd. "It seemed personal," she noted. "They knew you."

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. "Sort of. We went to the same middle school."

Mina narrowed her eyes. "And they just happened to run into you at the mall and decided to be jerks?"

Izuku laughed awkwardly. "I guess they never really liked me."

Momo didn't miss how he dodged the question. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't answering, either. And that didn't sit right with her.

And then it hit her.

Momo felt her breath hitch slightly as the realization settled in. Quirkless.

The word had been thrown out so casually, so dismissively, that it nearly slipped past her. But now that she had caught it, it echoed in her mind, fitting into place like the missing piece of a puzzle.

It explained so much.

His reserved nature, the way he seemed hesitant to take up space. How, when they had first met, he mentioned he was no longer aiming to be a hero. Even his fascination with quirks. It wasn't just admiration. It was longing.

She stole a glance at him, watching as he walked beside her, seemingly fine. But she saw the way his hands were still clenched at his sides, how his shoulders remained slightly tense despite Mina's attempts to lighten the mood.

Her chest tightened. 'How long has he dealt with this?'

She had never considered what it must be like to be quirkless. It was such a rare thing that the topic hardly came up. But now, thinking back to how those boys spoke to him, the sneers in their voices… it made her stomach churn.

Mina was still talking, ranting about "mall creeps" and how she absolutely should have decked them, but Momo barely heard her. Did the pink girl even notice? She wanted to say something to Izuku, ask him, acknowledge it—but was that the right thing to do?

Before She could make a decision, they had made it back to Candy Oven, where Tokoyami was waiting for them. "What happened?" He asked, while returning Momo's card

"Some punks hassling green bean here." Mina answered. "We chased them off."

"Hmm, and you are alright?" The bird headed boy asked, concerned.

"Yea, really I'd just like to forget about it."

"As you wish. Should we head over to the athletics department to look for a heated headband for Jirou?"

Momo studied Izuku for a moment longer, noting the way he forced a small, reassuring smile. Forget about it. She understood the sentiment, perhaps he had been dealing with this for so long that ignoring it had become second nature.

Still, something about it didn't sit right with her.

But now wasn't the time.

"Yes," she answered Tokoyami, taking back her card and tucking it into her wallet. "Let's not keep Jirou waiting too long."

Some time later

The four teens managed to find everything they were looking for. Arms loaded with bags of various candies and pastries, a heated headband to help with Jirou's headaches, they even snagged a copy of the newest Mario Kart to bring over. Momo didn't really understand what it was, but Izuku and Mina were excited at the prospect of playing it. Though she swore she heard Tokoyami mutter under his breath something about tearing friendships apart.

They were on their way to the exit when she noticed Izuku stop, staring at a store they had not visited yet. On closer inspection it seemed to be a hero merch store, though she didn't understand why it was called Fighting Dreamers. "Izuku aren't you coming?"

"Oh, um," he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Maybe we could make one more stop? I'm sure Jirou would like some Present Mic merch." His attempts to disguise his own desires were childish and, again Momo thought it weird to think this about a friend, adorable.

"Izuku, we're supposed to be-"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Tokoyami interrupted, "I have been meaning to pick up the new Gang Orca poster."

"Sorry Momo, that's three to one." She quickly entered the store, dragging the two boys behind her. Izuku yelped in surprise but didn't resist, and Momo followed behind, shaking her head in amusement.

As expected, the store was packed with merchandise from all kinds of pro heroes—action figures, posters, apparel, and even specialty items like All Might protein shakes and Endeavor branded heat packs. Momo browsed the aisles, watching as Mina fawned over stylish hero jackets and Tokoyami gravitated toward the darker, moodier displays.

But what really caught her attention was Izuku.

Whatever caught his eye from outside had him captivated. She couldn't see exactly what it was from the angle she was at, but he was transfixed by a poster on display. He didn't move until Mina snuck up behind him only to start giggling when she saw what had captured his attention. The poor boy turned redder than she had ever seen and practically ran to join Tokoyami on the other side of the store, Mina hot on his heels.

Momo's curiosity was peaked. What could he possibly be looking at in a hero merch store that would have him that embarrassed? She took a step forward to investigate but was immediately distracted.

"Momo!" She turned to see Mina holding up a copy of Mirko's unitard. Behind her were a clearly red faced Izuku and Tokoyami. "You've got to try this on!"

"Mina no."

Izuku knocked on the door of Jirou's house as they waited for an answer. Momo wasn't sure what she was expecting but the home seemed rather small. It had a fresh looking paint job, and it was obviously well cared for, but with such little space there wasn't even enough room in the yard for a proper garden. It felt more like the size of one of the sheds the staff used than a fully furnished home.

"Dang, this place is nice," Mina piped up beside her, hands on her hips as she took in the details.

Tokoyami nodded approvingly. "Her parents must be fairly successful to afford a home like this in the city."

Momo felt confused by their appraisal, but decided it would be rude to suggest otherwise.

"Her parents are both musicians, they also run a guitar store when they aren't on the road." Izuku explained, contemplating giving the door another knock. "At least that's what she told me."

As he raised his hand to knock again, the door swung open to reveal a woman that could honestly be Jirou in ten or twenty years. From her hair, to her eyes, to her elongated earlobes, the resemblance was uncanny. "Izuku, always good to see you. And you three must be Momo, Mina, and Tokoyami. Please come in, just be sure to keep your voices down."

The four teens murmured their thanks as they stepped inside. Momo found herself instinctively straightening her posture, taking in the home's interior. It was far better furnished than she had anticipated, the living space filled with warm, personal touches—framed pictures of performances, a well-loved couch, and a few guitars resting on stands near a compact but professional-looking speaker system. Yet there was a certain sparseness to it, as if the home was more of a temporary pit stop than a permanent residence.

Jirou's mother turned to face them once more, her expression calm but tinged with mild amusement. "Just a heads-up, she's doing fine, but the school nurse did prescribe her some light painkillers. So while she's up and about, she's also a little… loopy."

Mina's face lit up with barely restrained glee. "Oh, this is gonna be even better than I thought," she whispered, a mischievous smile creeping onto her face.

They followed Izuku up the stairs, leading them to Jirou's room. A light knock before slowly opening the door, the four friends poked their heads into the room.

"Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen! Get in here." The girl waved from her bed, a near vacant expression on her face.

Izuku just laughed as he pushed the door open fully, walking in while being careful to not trip over all the clothes just lying on the floor. "Hey Jack. Feeling better?"

"Ok, where the hell are you getting Jack from? How does a girl get that kind of nickname?" Mina asked. Momo wanted to scold her for being rude, but at the same time she had been curious since she first heard the odd nickname as well.

"Well when he was a computer person he was Green and I was Jack and now we're not computer people but I'm still Jack." Jirou said with way too much confidence.

"W-what?" Mina asked, utterly flabbergasted.

"You question Jack but not Green?"

"I mean," Mina ruffled his hair, "was that supposed to be a mystery?"

Momo watched as the two girls giggled at Izuku batting away Mina's hands. Tokoyami, however, found the surrounding posters, CDs, and Vinals much more interesting. She couldn't deny the collection was impressive, even if she didn't understand what she was looking at for the most part. She understood that most of these were band posters, but half of them had fonts that were completely illegible and others looked more like abstract art than anything else.

"Toko," Jirou called to get his attention, "Bottom shelf, to the right."

Following her directions and pointing, Tokoyami's sharp eyes landed on a neatly stacked row of vinyl records. He crouched slightly, reaching for the one she had silently directed him toward. As he pulled it out, he tilted his head, examining the cover art—a dark, shadowy figure bathed in crimson light, the band's name scrawled in jagged white letters that was barely decipherable.

His beak curled into a small, approving smirk. "Nice taste," he muttered, flipping the record over to scan the tracklist. The song titles alone spoke to him.

Jirou grinned, still a little dazed from her medication but clearly pleased. "Figured you'd like it. Nocturne Veil, they're pretty underground, kinda niche, but they mix emo and screamo really well."

Mina peered over his shoulder. "Okay, but does the album actually slap, or is this some broody aesthetic thing?"

Tokoyami gave her a deadpan look before turning back to the record. "Darkness does not need validation, Ashido."

Momo stifled a chuckle, while Izuku just smiled, watching the exchange unfold.

Jirou waved a hand. "You wanna throw it on?"

Tokoyami nodded, handling the vinyl with care as he moved toward the music player in the corner. The player Jirou had set up seemed to take anything, cassettes, CD's, a phone/mp3 player dock, and at the very top was a built-in record player. Tokoyami made sure that the volume was lowered before putting the record in, and as the needle dropped, the room filled with the first haunting strums of a guitar, followed by a slow, anguished wail of vocals that built into a cathartic, guttural scream.

Jirou, Tokoyami, and, to Momo's surprise, Izuku were all enjoying the… "song" while discussing the instrumentation and vocals. Mina stood at her side with a confused expression on her face. "Not exactly something you can dance to." She muttered.

"I'm more of a classical and jazz person myself. This is-" she stopped as the vocalist let out a horrifying scream, and yet the other three just seemed more excited by it, "different. Let's go with different."

It was just Momo and Jirou now. Mina had to leave earlier, but not before hopping into the bed with Jirou to take a selfie. After sending the picture to the whole class, 'How did she have everyone's numbers already?', to let them know that the punk girl was ok. After that she went to catch her train, Tokoyami following closely behind.

Izuku had stayed a little longer, chatting and fussing over Jirou like the worrywart he was, before his phone buzzed with a call from his mother. The conversation had been brief, ending with him apologizing as he grabbed his things. "I gotta go. Mom wants me home for dinner. See you guys later," he had said before heading out the door.

Now, with only the two of them remaining, Momo found herself in an unfamiliar position. It wasn't that she and Jirou weren't friends, but they had never spent time alone together like this. With the others gone, there was nothing to distract from the fact that Momo still wasn't entirely sure where she stood with Jirou.

"So," Jirou drawled from her bed, breaking the silence, "you sticking around for a bit, or just waiting for a dramatic exit?"

Momo let out a soft chuckle, settling into the chair beside the bed. "I can stay, if you don't mind the company."

Jirou smirked, shifting slightly to get comfortable. "Nah, it's cool. I could use someone responsible around in case I say something really dumb on these pain meds."

Momo folded her hands in her lap, feeling the last remnants of awkwardness melt away. "I'll do my best," she said with a small smile. Though with nothing else to talk about, and not really interested in risking another strange album, Momo brought up Izuku. "You two seem happy together. How long have you been dating?" An innocent enough question, and who didn't like talking about their significant other? She still heard her dad brag to his business partners about how great her mom was.

Jirou, however, just looked confused. "Dating? What are you talking about?"

Momo tilted her head slightly, trying to gauge if this was some sort of joke. "You and Izuku," she clarified. "You two seem very… close."

Her expression was blank for a moment, and then the laughter started. "Ha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHA OW OW ow… fuck" She rubbed her temples, but the smile never left her face. "Oh god don't joke like that Momo, it hurts."

"So you two aren't…"

"Wait you were serious?" Jirou asked. "The dude's like a little brother, no I'm not dating him."

"Oh, I guess I misread your relationship." In her head she was planning on how to punish Gādo for putting her in this position.

Jirou let out a breathy laugh. "Man, that's hilarious. Nah, Green's great and all, but he's not my type."

Momo swallowed, suddenly feeling very warm. "I see."

Jirou smirked. "Why, you interested or something?"

Momo's face reddened even more, now being unable to look Jirou in the eye. "I'd be lying if I said he wasn't cute." She flinched slightly at the other girls teasing 'oooh's. "But that's besides the point. I've only really known him for a week, that's much too early to have feelings. Besides I don't even know if I'm his type."

Jirou looked aghast, eying her up and down. "Bitch, you're everyone's type!"

The noirette's face was now redder than a tomato. "Are the pain meds you're on the type that make you forget everything?" She asked curiously.

"I dunno." She shrugged.

Authors notes;

Apparently Fanfiction dot net doesnt allow for emojis. so Inkos text lost it's appeal.

I think a lot of writters forget that Nezu isn't human. Youll get some rat god memes here and there but otherwise he is writen as a cooky teacher. Tried to write him more as an observer, not sure how well I did

Yep, Miro is the successor in this story. I wont really focus on it but I know a few people have been wondering. Honestly he's the only answer as far as im concerned. I know there is the SPOILER problem, but I feel that was only added to make Izuku more special.

This is the second time I've brought up Izuku's dad. I have no idea where im going with it. But yall are used to that

Had a Bakugou scene planned. But it just didn't sit right after the bully scene. Maybe later.

The quirkless secret has been revealed! What am I gonna do with that? I dunnu

Mystery poster. Wonder if yall can guess what it is.

Almost cut this into two chapters, but I didn't have enough material for the actual house visit to make it a whole chapter and having them go back to school in the same chapter wouldn't flow right.

A little bit of rich girl poking through with momo, comparing how she sees jirous house to how izuku thought of it when he first visited

I feel like I said names too many times this chapter. I know writing 101 says you don't have to use "the green-haired boy" or "the man with glasses" you should just use their names, but I'm pretty sure names are like a 5th of my word count this chapter.

They aint gonna start dating next chapter, but now Momo knows the really nice boy she finds cute is single.

For the wisteria, I just googled japanese flowers. Google said they ment luck and fertility so I went with that

Don't know if Im going to keep toko as a main character. His dialogue is hard.

I actually don't own a nintendo system, so (legally speaking) I've never played mario party/kart. However If I had to guess the franchise that would survive long enough to make it that far into the future, it would be mario.