On Monday, the week after training with the guys, Yaoyorozu and I visited a Quirk professional recommended by her. It turns out that my diet affects my body more than I previously thought. My webs were full of protein; if I wanted to produce more of 'em, I'd need to eat more protein. Simple enough.
Apparently, I have a new organ, or, more likely, my previous doctor didn't notice it. According to Dr. Watanabe, Yaoyorozu's Quirk professional, this electric organ of mine may have been too small to see back when I had a Quirk assessment as a toddler. That also explains why I was suddenly able to use electricity out of the blue; the organ had grown to a usable state due to puberty and all that. All of this means my body produces extreme amounts of Acetylcholine. Which means I have to eat foods rich in choline, too.
Yaoyorozu and I found ourselves in an All Might-themed supermarket right after; I think it was called All Mart or something. I could've gone shopping on my own, but she offered to go with me. Though the way she led me around the store made it feel like I was tagging along with her instead.
"Our classmates believe that exercise is the only form of training; however, they're looking at things one dimensionally. Of course, since my Quirk is directly tied to the nutrients in my body, you can imagine why I care so much about this stuff, but I think it's important for everyone to take their diets seriously."
I nodded along as she filled our cart with protein-rich and choline-rich foods. I chose to hang out with Yaoyorozu this week because Midoriya and Kirishima were working me to the bone, and I wanted to take it easy this week. I had the sinking feeling that my week with Yaoyorozu wasn't going to be as easy as I thought...
And I was right to feel that way.
Back at her place, she concocted the most optimal protein shake for me. By looks alone, I'd have thought it was some witch's potion brewed to poison me to death. According to the smell, it was more of the same.
"Uh... What all is in this?" I asked Yaoyorozu, looking at the mystery goop in front of me -- I swear I could see a menacing aura emanating from the bubbling top layer.
"Nothing too crazy. Just eggs, milk, almonds, peanut butter, protein powder, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, peas, kale, lentils, tofu, cocoa, and honey. Don't worry, I wrote down the recipe for you. Remember, you have to drink three of these a day!"
I stopped listening about halfway through, distracted by the colorless plaster I was about to drink. I threw up in my mouth a little when I realized how much it looked like human flesh -- if you told me it was a melted-down human corpse, I'd believe you.
"Th-three a day?"
"Is something wrong? You look like you're about to faint."
"Nope," I prepared myself with one final gulp, lifting the cup off the table. I swear it hissed at me, and I think the bubbling intensified as I lifted it toward my lips.
I exhaled three times before throwing it all down at once. It tasted like I ate all of those ingredients, vomited them into the cup, and then drank it a second time. Somehow, I could taste each individual flavor, but the peanut butter and chocolate stuck out the most, thankfully.
I love Reese's. That's peanut butter and chocolate. Focus on that. Focus on that. Focus. Focus.
I tricked my brain into believing that this satanic soup was simply those two flavors until the cup was empty.
I slammed it on the table, convulsing and covering my mouth to hold whatever was about to be spat back up from spewing out. My stomach bubbled and rumbled. My tongue felt as if it were gonna deteriorate and snap off. My eyes were so watery, I could hardly see. Worst of all, Yaoyorozu was staring at me as if I were some junkie on the street.
"Are you okay, Morales?"
I slammed my fist on the table and swallowed what was left in my mouth. I stood up straight, wiped the expression of a dying man off my face, and nodded calmly.
"Yup. I am a-ok," I said, nearly vomiting but stopping it halfway up my throat. "That was scrumdillidyumscous."
And then I blacked out.
When I awoke, I could feel a damp towel over my face. Beneath it, I could feel my eye throbbing. I must've fallen on my head after things went dark.
I removed the towel, and once my eyes adjusted to the light, I realized I was no longer in Yaoyorozu's kitchen; however, I was almost certain that this bedroom I found myself in had to have been in her home.
It had one of those king-sized beds with curtains dangling from it; a real princess vibe. Classical paintings were hanging on each wall, and beside a bookshelf, there was a desk covered in textbooks and paper. Once I saw the desk, I came to a quick realization.
I'm in a girl's room... Yaoyorozu's room...
The door opened, and class 1-A's star student stepped inside with a fresh icepack wrapped in a white towel. She looked relieved to see that I was up.
"Thank goodness, you're okay. After you drank your protein shake, you collapsed... I checked everything, and none of it was expired... Maybe you had a bad egg?"
"Can I be honest with you, Yaoyorozu?" I asked.
She nodded.
"It tasted like ass. I thought I was going to die..."
Yaoyorozu let out a gentle chuckle. "Somehow, I figured."
Her eyebrows lowered as she placed the icepack on my eye. "Your black eye is practically healed."
"Yeah, I heal pretty fast. It still hurts pretty bad, though."
"I'm sorry. Perhaps we should've started off with something a bit easier. I guess training your palette is closer to physical training than I previously thought."
"It's not your fault. I should've just said something. To be honest, I just wanted to impress you."
"I was impressed... Until you fainted." Yaoyorozu showed a slight smile. "But you've impressed me in more ways than one on plenty of occasions. Don't push yourself too hard."
I laughed through my pain with a playful salute and muttered, "Yes, madam vice president."
Yaoyorozu playfully scoffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she wiped her hand with a towel. "Don't call me that outside of class. It's embarrassing. I'd rather you just use my first name."
As an American, it took some time for me to understand the importance of first names in Japanese culture. Until now, I'd never been on a first-name basis with a girl; really, I barely felt close enough to anyone to call them by their first name.
"You want me to call you by your first name? Are you sure?"
Yaoyorozu's eyes drifted away from mine and followed her fingers as she tapped the ice pack. "Well, I am curious to know how it would sound with your voice..."
I hesitated for a moment. I had a lot of respect for her. Despite us being in the same grade, she sort of felt like my senior. It's probably because of the way she carries herself and the fact that she's a natural leader. It almost felt wrong, but at the same time, I wanted to say her name aloud and to hear her say mine.
"Thank you, Momo. For taking care of me. I'd like for you to call me by my name as well."
She looked surprised that I actually said it. For the first time, I saw Momo blush, and for the first time, she said my given name.
"Of course. You can always depend on me, Miles."
It was strange. Though most of my life was spent in Japan, I never really understood the importance of being on a first-name basis with someone. However, right then, hearing her say my name, it all made sense to me. The instant those syllables danced off her lips, I felt a similar sensation to when electricity courses through my body. I wondered if it was because she was typically so formal and reserved. Perhaps speaking to her in this manner and seeing her so casually felt special. Or maybe there was something else brewing.
Midoriya had asked me how I felt about Momo back when we trained. If he asked me right at this moment, I wouldn't be able to answer.
By the time I was fully healed, I still didn't have an answer. When I walked home, she was all I could think about.
I saw her every day that week; each day we tried different ingredients for my Spider-Shake until we eventually landed on something that didn't nearly kill me. Though by the time the festival rolled around, it was too soon to see if the nutrients affected my body.
I had to push thoughts of her aside and lock in. The day of the festival had finally come, and if anyone was going to win it all, it was going to be me.