The Following THREE Chapters are available for Patrons.

Chapter 12 (Emotions on edge), Chapter 13 (Everything is going according to plan... apparently) and Chapter 14 (U.S.J: The Consequences of a Butterfly's Wingbeat (1/3)) are already available for Patrons.

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He had been observing him since the moment he discovered who that boy was. How could he not? After all, Bakugo Katsuki had surpassed his idiot old man.

It may have been in a meaningless practical exam, and at the time, Endeavor was just a teenager, but the significance of that event was clear. Someone of the same age and inexperience had proven to be superior to Japan's current No. 2 Hero.

And that alone was enough for Todoroki Shoto. If he was going to surpass that man, what better way to start than by defeating someone who had already surpassed him at the same age?

"Do you think they got trapped?"

Todoroki snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing his teammate's question.

"No, Bakugo wouldn't get caught in that attack." Without even looking at Tokoyami, Todoroki walked toward the stairs.

"Right." Tokoyami followed a few steps behind. "Stay alert, Dark Shadow."

"Got it!"


Lifting his hands from the ground, Bakugo looked around the room, confirming that his attack had completely destroyed Todoroki's ice. Satisfied with his control, he stood up and turned to Momo, who remained still with her head down, clearly shaken.

"Are you okay?"

Momo lifted her head, blinking a few times as if waking up from a trance. "Uh—Ah? Oh, yes, I'm fine."

Bakugo narrowed his eyes, analyzing her for a moment. "Are you sure? I didn't hurt your feet?" He gestured with his chin toward her scorched boots, which had only now caught Momo's attention.

"N-no," she stammered, lifting one foot to check better. "It just burned the sole a little. Your control was exceptional, Bakugo-san."

Momo straightened up, but her gaze still carried a mix of embarrassment and guilt. "I'm sorry for my incompetence. We almost lost because of me."

"Tsk," Bakugo grumbled irritably. "Stop apologizing. It's useless. Now, do you know what you did wrong?"

Momo hesitated for a moment before answering. "I... created an ineffective plan and wasn't fast enough to fix it. I froze, and that left us vulnerable."

"Yeah, more or less." Bakugo took another step forward until they were only a few centimeters apart, his eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made Momo hold her breath. "Do you remember what I said about your quirk?"

'Why are you bringing that up now?' Momo wondered uncertainly, not understanding why that mattered at that moment. "You said it was useful."

"If you know how to use it properly," Bakugo completed the sentence, making her raise an eyebrow. "I don't know what kind of life you've had until now, Yaoyorozu. And honestly, I don't care. What I do know is that you don't have practical experience. And because of that, you're too stuck in theory."

Before she could say anything, Bakugo raised his hand and lightly pressed a finger against her forehead. "In here, everything will be perfect. Everything follows the plan, no surprises, no failures, no mistakes."

Momo's eyes widened at the gesture, but she remained still, absorbing every word.

"But the real world doesn't work that way. That's why we can't fully trust what our brains tell us," Bakugo continued, lowering his hand until it touched her chest, right above her heart. "In a fight or a rescue, we have to, above all, trust this. We have to let our instincts and hearts lead us."

Momo felt her heart race, and not just because of the contact. "Let instinct and heart lead," she repeated in an almost inaudible whisper, more to herself than to him.

"Exactly." Bakugo nodded. "You're smart, Yaoyorozu. Smarter than anyone here. But until you learn to trust yourself when your plans fall apart, you'll keep making the same mistakes."

Momo pressed her lips together, murmuring almost inaudibly, "I... understand."

"Great!"

After a few seconds, Momo lowered her head, and he noticed that her face was turning redder and redder.

"Hah?!" Bakugo frowned, confused by her reaction. "What is it now?"

Momo nervously fidgeted with her fingers and murmured weakly, "B-Bakugo-san... can you move your hand now?"

His eyes widened as Bakugo realized that his finger was still—pressing, inadvertently, against Momo's chest. '...big'


"He... is touching her chest?!"

In the monitoring room, the silence was shattered by Mineta, who nearly fell to the floor, pointing at the screen with an expression of pure shock and hatred. 'Damn protagonist!'

"Bakugo is indeed... a fearless man," Kirishima murmured, his respect for the boy increasing.

"He's just a lucky bastard, that's what he is," Kaminari said beside him.

'Why... why am I angry?' Uraraka wondered, not understanding why she suddenly felt like punching something.

While the students were arguing, All Might, who stood at the front of everyone, couldn't help but let his smile grow a little wider. He was the only one who could hear the conversation between Bakugo and Momo and knew exactly what was happening.

'Ah, these youngsters...' he sighed, shaking his head. 'Always so quick to come up with absurd theories.'

At no point did it cross his mind to clarify what was actually happening.


"...sorry." Bakugo slowly pulled his hand away and turned his back to Momo, disguising his embarrassment. "A-anyway! They must've gone up a few floors by now."

"Y-yes," Momo said, still trying to regain her composure. "W-what should we do now?"

Bakugo frowned, noticing the hesitation in her voice. 'She lost the motivation to lead.' He walked over to one of the windows and opened it. "I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

"W-what?" Momo blinked, surprised. "But I thought I wasn't ready—"

"Then get ready!" Bakugo shot back, his voice firm as he climbed onto the window ledge. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes burning with determination. "This is the moment for that. You can do it, Yaoyorozu. I know you can."

Momo's eyes widened at his words. The unexpected confidence from Bakugo caught her completely off guard. She clenched her fists, feeling the doubt gradually being replaced by something stronger: determination. 'Trust... in my heart... and what it's telling me now is—'


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.