In Kazuma's Bedroom
A faint fragrance of floral tea lingered in the air. The warm glow of a bedside lamp spilled across the plain-patterned curtains, casting a soft light over the room.
Momo sat against the pillows at the head of the bed, wrapped in her favorite deep crimson cotton robe. At the foot of the bed, Mina rolled around in her usual bright pink-and-purple pajamas, looking like she was simply enjoying the relaxed atmosphere after such a long and exhausting day.
Ryujin sat cross-legged on the bed, a teacup in one hand while his other hand reached out to playfully brush aside Mina's tangled hair from her pillow.
"Aren't you two tired at all?" he asked with a crooked smile. His voice carried a hint of complaint, but his eyes were filled with nothing but tenderness.
"Not tired at all~" Mina chirped brightly, sitting cross-legged in front of him. "We've been waiting for this day! Passing the exam… and then… being together like this."
Momo smiled softly, reaching out to take Ryujin's hand in hers. The gentle warmth of her touch slowed the rhythm of his heartbeat, as if the whole world had stopped right there with them.
"I still remember the night before the exam," Momo murmured, her voice quiet, eyes glowing with affection despite their weariness. "You stayed up late training with the both of us… even when you were already exhausted yourself."
"I don't know," Ryujin chuckled, "but I still feel pretty fired up, my love."
Mina leaned in against his shoulder, pressing playfully against him. "So… where's the reward for your loyal tutor, hmm~?"
Momo, smiling, slid closer as well, resting her head gently on his other shoulder—as if to say she wanted the same answer.
"Reward, huh…" Ryujin feigned a thoughtful look, setting his teacup down on the nightstand. Then, with both arms, he pulled the girls close into a firm embrace, warm enough for them to feel the strength in his hold.
"With both of you right here… what more could I possibly want?"
No one said anything after that. The laughter faded, replaced by the steady sound of warm breaths weaving together in the quiet of the small room. The dim glow of the lamp deepened the closeness between them. No promises were needed. Just that embrace was more than enough to say—
They were truly together
.
.
.
.
It was the weekend—the one that every UA student had been looking forward to. With the summer training camp drawing near, both Class 1-A and 1-B had gathered to shop for supplies together.
Yesterday, Momo, Mina, and I had stayed over in my room. Let's just say things… got pretty wild.
—Fast forward to this morning.
I woke up to sunlight spilling across my face, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds outside the window. As I tried to sit up and stretch, I felt a heavy warmth pressing against my chest and legs. Looking down, I couldn't help but smile—Momo and Mina were curled up against me, their arms wrapped tightly around me as if they were snakes coiling their prey.
Last night had been different. Momo, usually calm and gentle, had shown a side of herself that was far wilder. Mina, normally the energetic one, had instead been uncharacteristically quiet and bashful, leaving me the one to take the lead. The contrast was almost too funny.
I chuckled to myself and gently shook their shoulders to wake them up—we had a joint activity with Class 1-B today, after all.
—Back to the present.
The three of us walked side by side, eventually spotting the rest of our classmates waiting for us. We waved, but of course, Iida wasted no time scolding us.
Iida: "You three! How could you arrive so late!? Do you realize we've been waiting a whole minute already!?"
I sighed and shrugged.
Kazuma: "Relax, Iida. Nobody's dying over a single minute."
His glasses practically cracked as he collapsed to the ground, a dark aura and stormcloud forming over his head like something straight out of a cartoon. I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight before turning my attention toward my little… "crew."
There were three of them now. Wait, when did I end up with a third follower?
Mineta: "I think… I've finally begun to understand what it means to be a true man!!"
He shouted it proudly. And honestly? I had to admit, he looked a little different. Just a little taller, maybe sharper in the face too. Dare I say it—he looked… better.
Must've been because of that girl he'd started dating. She was probably the reason he wasn't acting like the usual pervert we all knew. At the very least, he seemed more human now.
…Still, no matter how much he improved, the guy was short. Really short.
Kazuma (thinking):Still a damn midget though.
Kaminari: "Boss, please! Hook me up with a girl already!!"
Tsuburaba: "Me too, Boss! I need an introduction—your connections are my only hope!"
I couldn't help but grin, throwing my arms around both of their shoulders.
Kazuma: "Don't worry, my loyal followers. Your big bro here will hook you up with some gorgeous, curvy—"
WHAM!
Before I could even finish, Momo landed a clean punch right on my head. Mina followed up immediately with a smack to my back. The pain was real.
Iida: "The three of you! Please behave yourselves! We're inside a shopping mall, for heaven's sake!"
We eventually made our way inside. Soon after, everyone started splitting into smaller groups. Momo and Mina went off with the girls, while Uraraka naturally tagged along with Midoriya.
As for me, my "squad" ended up being Kaminari, Mineta and his girlfriend, Tokoyami, Shoji, Sato, Koda, and Tsuburaba. Quite the lineup.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, the girls were gossiping…
Tokage: "C'mon, spill it, Yaoyorozu, Ashido~! He really smacked your butts when you were—ehm—together, right~?"
Tokage: "Alsooo, how big is he, anyway~?"
I sighed the moment I heard that. Why did it feel like the gossip department was always busier than the actual heroes-in-training?
Kaminari was practically foaming at the mouth with jealousy, muttering about how unfair it was that I had two girls, while Mineta just smugly clung to his own girlfriend.
—Time skip.
Ashido: "And here we are! This is the Kiyashi District Shopping Mall—the biggest, newest, most high-tech mall in the prefecture!"
Mina's voice carried across the group as she gestured dramatically at the massive building.
I looked around. Sure, it was flashy and all… but honestly? It wasn't that big compared to Central World. To me, it was just… meh.
Still, the others looked hyped, and even a few fans started recognizing us from the Sports Festival. They pointed, whispered, and some even waved.
Ryojin: "Let's split up. That way we won't waste time, and everyone can buy what they need."
Iida: "An excellent suggestion, class representative! Splitting up will maximize efficiency and minimize the risk of getting lost! Now, everyone, form your groups!"
Everyone paired off quickly, buzzing with excitement. I, however, decided to walk alone. Something about today just gave me a bad feeling.
As I strolled down one of the side hallways, I happened to glance to my left… just in time to see Momo and Mina slip into a swimwear shop.
"…Don't tell me…"
Shaking my head, I turned down a narrower corridor—only to accidentally bump into a small child.
A small girl knelt on the ground, her skin pale as paper. Her large, blood-red eyes were blurred with tears, and from her head jutted ivory-like horns—marks of a curse she never asked for. Her tiny arms were wrapped in blood-stained bandages, as if trying to conceal a torment no human could ever truly understand.
"P-please... help me..."
Her voice trembled. My heartbeat slowed at once. Her small hands clutched tightly to my leg, as if I were the last lifeline in a world already shattered.
I bent down and pulled her into my arms.
"It's okay. I'm here now."
Then came the sound of footsteps—cold, deliberate. It scraped the air like nails clawing across a concrete wall.
"Well, what do you know? Running into an enemy in a back alley like this... Guess today's my lucky day."
I looked up and locked eyes with the man whose face was half-hidden by disjointed, writhing hands—Shigaraki Tomura.
"If I were your old man, I'd have beaten the crap out of you and then kicked you out of the house. That's what I'd call proper parenting."
A smirk crept across my face, the kind that made it feel like the world itself might collapse from sheer provocation.
The veins at his temples bulged, throbbing as if they might burst any second.
"Hand over the kid. Do that, and we'll pretend nothing happened here."
"I'm a man who loves kids," I shot back, drawing a Smith .357 revolver from under my coat. "Especially cute ones like her. No way in hell I'm letting someone like you get your filthy hands on her."
Slowly, I raised the gun, pointing it square at his forehead. My finger brushed lightly against the trigger. The alley fell into a silence so heavy it felt as though the world had stopped spinning.
"I'll kill you first, then take the girl. Don't think your reputation will save you."
Shigaraki twitched, the destructive energy at his fingertips crackling with anticipation.
"Go on, then," I taunted. "I'd love to see how your face caves in when a piece of lead smashes through your eye socket."
His teeth ground together, eyes burning with venom.
"I hate everything this society clings to... And you—! You're just some brat everyone looks at instead of me! It all started that night... Stain's night... but you were the one they praised!!!"
I shrugged and grinned.
"Don't ask me. Maybe it's 'cause I'm better looking, asshole."
He roared, preparing to lunge, but before he could move—a portal tore open behind him.
An overwhelming force yanked him into the darkness. The last thing he left behind was a bitter, venomous curse spat into the void.
The alley was empty again. Silent.
The little girl trembled in my arms like a tiny bird trapped in a storm. I held her closer.
"Don't be afraid. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."
She cried quietly against my chest.
Pulling out my phone, I typed a short message into the group chat.
"Busy. See you guys tomorrow."
Then I stepped out of the alley, as if nothing had happened at all in the eyes of the world outside.
But the truth was... what had happened in that alley had already changed something forever