Kai's POV
Sunday with Yu was exactly what she promised.
I didn't leave her apartment until Monday morning. We ordered takeout, watched movies between rounds, and barely slept. By the time I stumbled into class, my legs were sore and my mind was pleasantly foggy.
The week that followed was easier than the first.
Knowing the weekend would come again made the waiting bearable. Nemuri and I exchanged texts, brief and professional on the surface, loaded with meaning underneath. Yu sent pictures that definitely weren't appropriate for school hours.
I settled into a rhythm. Classes, training, socializing. Being a normal student, more or less.
Then Momo approached me after battle training on Thursday.
"Hayashi. A moment?"
She caught me outside the locker rooms, still in her hero costume. The revealing leotard showed off her figure in ways that were hard to ignore.
I kept my eyes on her face.
"What's up?"
"I've been reviewing our class rankings." She held up a tablet showing academic scores. "You're performing well in practical exercises, but your written work is... inconsistent."
"I'm passing."
"Barely, in some subjects." She swiped through screens. "Mathematics especially. Your last quiz was sixty-two percent."
"That's still passing."
"It's not acceptable for a U.A. student." She fixed me with a serious look. "We're training to be heroes. That means excelling in all areas, not just combat."
"Did you track me down just to lecture me about grades?"
"No." She hesitated. "I wanted to offer assistance."
"Assistance?"
"Tutoring. Study sessions." She straightened, all business. "I consistently score highest in academics. It would be logical for me to help classmates who are struggling."
"I'm not struggling."
"Sixty-two percent says otherwise."
I couldn't argue with that.
"Why me?" I asked. "There are other students with worse grades."
"Because you have potential." She met my eyes. "Your tactical thinking during battle training was impressive. You analyze situations quickly, adapt to changing circumstances. Those skills should translate to academics, but they're not. I want to understand why."
"Maybe I just don't care about math."
"Maybe. Or maybe you haven't had proper instruction." She tilted her head. "Let me help. One session. If it doesn't work, I won't bother you again."
I considered it.
Spending time alone with Momo. Getting to know her outside of class. It wasn't a bad idea, strategically speaking. And my grades really could use improvement.
"Fine," I said. "One session."
"Excellent." She smiled, small but genuine. "Saturday afternoon? My family has a residence nearby. We'll have privacy to focus."
"Your family residence?"
"Is that a problem?"
"No. Just surprised you'd invite a classmate to your home."
"It's the most practical location." A slight blush colored her cheeks. "Unless you'd prefer somewhere else?"
"Your place is fine."
"Good. I'll send you the address." She turned to leave, then paused. "And Hayashi? Come prepared to work. I don't tolerate laziness."
"Yes ma'am."
She walked away, hips swaying slightly. I watched her go, appreciating the view.
This could be interesting.
I told Nemuri about it that night.
Yaoyorozu invited me to study at her mansion.
Her response came quickly.
Did she now?
Saturday afternoon. She wants to help with my grades.
How generous of her.
I could practically hear the dry tone through the text.
You're not jealous, are you?
Should I be?
It's just studying.
At her mansion. Alone. With a beautiful girl who clearly likes you.
She doesn't like me like that.
Kai. Sweetie. She absolutely does.
I stared at the message.
You think so?
I've watched her watch you in class. The girl is smitten.
She's just being helpful.
Keep telling yourself that. A pause. I'm not saying don't go. Just be aware of what you're walking into.
And if something happens?
Then something happens. That's how your quirk works, isn't it?
You're really okay with it?
I told you from the beginning. I'm not the jealous type. Another pause. Much.
I love you.
I love you too. Now go get some sleep. You have a study date on Saturday.
It's not a date.
Sure it isn't. Goodnight, Kai.
Goodnight, Nemuri.
Saturday came faster than expected.
I spent Friday evening at Nemuri's apartment, then took the train across the city Saturday morning. The address Momo sent led me to an upscale neighborhood I'd never visited before.
The houses here weren't houses. They were estates.
Hers was the largest on the block.
I stood at the gate, taking it in. Stone walls surrounded the property, topped with subtle security measures. Beyond them, manicured gardens stretched toward a mansion that looked like it belonged in Europe.
"May I help you?"
A voice from the intercom. Professional, polite.
"Kai Hayashi. I'm here to see Yaoyorozu."
"One moment please."
A pause. Then the gate clicked open.
"Please proceed to the main entrance. Someone will meet you."
I walked up the long driveway. Gravel crunched under my feet. Flowers bloomed in perfect arrangements on either side. A fountain gurgled somewhere nearby.
The front door opened before I reached it.
A man in a formal suit bowed slightly.
"Hayashi-san. Welcome to the Yaoyorozu residence. I am Tanaka, the head butler. Please follow me."
Butler. Of course she had a butler.
The interior was even more impressive than the exterior.
Marble floors, vaulted ceilings, artwork that probably cost more than my entire apartment building. Everything gleamed with careful maintenance.
Tanaka led me through a grand foyer, up a sweeping staircase, and down a hallway lined with portraits. Generations of Yaoyorozus staring down at me.
"The young mistress is in the study," Tanaka said. "She asked not to be disturbed once you arrived."
"Not to be disturbed?"
"For optimal studying conditions." His expression remained perfectly neutral. "May I bring refreshments?"
"Whatever's convenient."
"Very good, sir."
He stopped at a set of double doors and knocked twice.
"Your guest has arrived, young mistress."
"Send him in."
Tanaka opened the doors and gestured me inside.
The study was massive.
Bookshelves lined every wall, floor to ceiling. A fireplace dominated one end, unlit but impressive. Leather furniture clustered around a central table covered in textbooks and notes.
Momo stood from behind a desk, smoothing her skirt.
She was wearing casual clothes. A cream blouse, navy skirt, her hair down around her shoulders. No hero costume, no school uniform. Just her.
She looked different like this. Softer. More approachable.
"You came," she said.
"I said I would."
"People say many things they don't mean." She gestured to the seating area. "Please, sit. I've prepared materials."
I settled onto one of the leather couches. She took a seat beside me, close enough that our knees almost touched.
"Before we begin," she said, "I want to establish expectations. This is a study session, not a social visit. I expect focus and effort."
"Understood."
"Good." She pulled a textbook toward her. "Let's start with mathematics. Show me how you approach quadratic equations."
For the first hour, it was purely academic.
She walked me through problems step by step, identifying where my understanding broke down. Her teaching style was precise and patient, breaking complex concepts into manageable pieces.
"You're overcomplicating it," she said, pointing at my work. "Here. You added an unnecessary step, which led to confusion here. Simplify earlier."
"That actually makes sense."
"Of course it does. Mathematics is logical." She made a note. "Your problem isn't ability. It's approach. You rush to answers instead of understanding processes."
"School was never my priority."
"What was?"
"Training. Getting stronger."
"They're not mutually exclusive." She set down her pen. "A hero who can't analyze situations, calculate trajectories, or understand basic physics is a liability."
"You sound like a teacher."
"I've had many." Something flickered in her expression. "Private tutors since I was five. Languages, sciences, arts, combat. My parents believe in comprehensive education."
"Sounds intense."
"It was necessary."
The way she said it made me pause.
"Necessary?"
"The Yaoyorozu family has a reputation to maintain." She looked away. "I'm expected to excel in everything. Failure is not an option."
"That's a lot of pressure."
"It's reality." She shrugged, the gesture too controlled to be casual. "I've accepted it."
"Have you?"
She looked at me sharply. "What do you mean?"
"You say you've accepted it. But you don't sound happy about it."
"Happiness is irrelevant. Results matter."
"Does anyone actually believe that?"
She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. For a moment, she just stared at me.
"You're very direct," she said finally.
"I've been told."
"Most people don't question me. They assume I have everything figured out."
"Do you?"
"No." The admission seemed to surprise her. "I don't. I just pretend well."
Tanaka arrived with tea and small sandwiches.
He set everything out on the table and disappeared without a word. Professional to the core.
Momo poured tea with practiced grace.
"I apologize," she said. "I didn't mean to unload personal matters on you."
"I asked."
"Still. It's not appropriate." She handed me a cup. "We should return to studying."
"Or we could take a break."
"We've barely started."
"We've been at it for almost two hours."
She checked her phone and blinked.
"Oh. I didn't realize."
"Time flies when you're having fun."
"Is that what this is? Fun?"
"Isn't it?"
She considered the question seriously.
"I suppose it is," she admitted. "I don't often have study partners. Most people find me... intimidating."
"You are intimidating."
"That's not encouraging."
"It's honest." I sipped my tea. "You're smart, talented, beautiful, and rich. That's intimidating to most people."
"Beautiful?"
"You know you are."
She blushed, looking down at her cup.
"People usually focus on other attributes."
"What attributes?"
"My family name. My quirk. My..." She gestured vaguely at her body. "Physical features."
"You mean your breasts."
She choked on her tea.
"That's—you can't just—"
"I'm being direct. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"I wanted academic assistance, not commentary on my anatomy!"
"Fair enough." I shrugged. "My point is, you're more than your family or your body. You're interesting as a person."
She stared at me, still pink-cheeked.
"You think I'm interesting?"
"I wouldn't be here otherwise."
"You're here because I offered tutoring."
"I could have said no."
She processed that.
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I wanted to know you better. The real you, not the class representative version."
"This is the real me."
"Is it?"
She didn't answer immediately. Just looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"You're very strange, Hayashi."
"Kai."
"What?"
"Call me Kai. We're past formalities."
"Are we?"
"I think so. Unless you want to keep being 'Yaoyorozu' forever."
She smiled slightly.
"Momo. My name is Momo."
"I know."
"Then use it."
"Okay, Momo."
Her smile widened.
The conversation drifted away from academics entirely.
We talked about U.A., about classmates, about hero work. She asked about my training, and I gave vague answers that seemed to satisfy her curiosity without revealing too much.
She told me about growing up wealthy. The expectations, the isolation, the loneliness of being surrounded by servants instead of friends.
"I don't mean to complain," she said. "I know I'm privileged. It feels ungrateful to want more."
"Material stuff doesn't replace connection."
"No. It doesn't." She looked at me. "You understand that."
"I understand wanting something real."
"Real?"
"Genuine. Not performed." I held her gaze. "You spend a lot of time performing, don't you?"
"I..." She hesitated. "Yes. I suppose I do."
"It's exhausting."
"It is." Her voice dropped. "I'm always 'on.' Always perfect. Always meeting expectations. I can't remember the last time I just... was."
"So just be. Right now. With me."
"I don't know how."
"Start by telling me something true. Something you've never told anyone."
She was quiet for a long moment.
"I'm lonely," she said finally. "All the time. Even in a crowd, I feel alone."
"Why?"
"Because no one sees me. They see the name, the money, the quirk. They don't see..." She gestured at herself. "This. Whatever this is."
"I see you."
"Do you?"
"I see someone who works harder than anyone because she's terrified of being ordinary. Someone who keeps everyone at arm's length because she's been hurt by people who only wanted her for what she could give them."
She stared at me.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I pay attention. And because I know what it's like to hide."
"You hide?"
"Everyone hides something."
"What do you hide?"
I considered how much to reveal.
"Parts of myself that people wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Maybe someday."
"That's not fair. I shared something true."
"You did. And I appreciate it." I reached out and touched her hand. "But some truths take time."
She looked at my hand on hers. Didn't pull away.
"Will you tell me eventually?"
"Eventually. When I'm ready."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The afternoon light shifted through the windows.
We'd been talking for hours. The tea was cold, the sandwiches half-eaten. The textbooks lay forgotten on the table.
"We didn't study much," Momo observed.
"We studied each other."
"That's not what I intended."
"Sometimes the best things aren't planned."
She smiled, soft and genuine.
"I've enjoyed this, Kai. More than I expected."
"Me too."
"Could we... do it again sometime?"
"The studying or the talking?"
"Both." She bit her lip. "If you're willing."
"I'm willing."
"Good." She didn't let go of my hand. "I don't have many friends. Real friends. People who see me as more than..."
"More than a name?"
"Yes."
"I'm not interested in your name, Momo. Or your money, or your quirk."
"Then what are you interested in?"
"You."
Her breath caught.
"Kai..."
"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know."
She was quiet. Her hand trembled slightly in mine.
"No one's ever said that to me before."
"Then everyone else is blind."
She laughed, a little shaky.
"You're too smooth for your own good."
"I'm just honest."
"Same thing, sometimes."
We sat there, hands intertwined, the silence comfortable rather than awkward.
Then she leaned closer.
"Kai?"
"Yeah?"
"I want to kiss you."
My heart rate spiked.
"Then kiss me."
She hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
"I've never... I don't know how..."
"There's no wrong way."
"But what if I'm terrible?"
"You won't be."
"You don't know that."
"I know you."
She stared at me, some internal battle playing out on her face. Then determination won.
She leaned in.
Our lips met.
The kiss was soft and uncertain.
She pulled back almost immediately, cheeks burning.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have—"
I cupped her face and kissed her again.
This time she melted into it. Her hands found my chest, gripping my shirt. A small sound escaped her throat.
The kiss deepened. I pulled her closer, one hand on her waist, the other sliding into her hair.
"Kai," she breathed when we finally broke apart.
"Okay?"
"More than okay." Her eyes were hazy. "That was my first kiss."
"Was it alright?"
"It was perfect."
I brushed my thumb across her cheek. She leaned into the touch.
"I want to do that again," she whispered.
"So do it."
She kissed me this time. More confident, more demanding. Her tongue brushed my lips and I opened for her.
We kissed for what felt like hours. Slow and sweet, then faster, more urgent.
My hand moved to her waist, then lower. She gasped but didn't stop me.
"Kai..."
"Too much?"
"No. Just... intense."
"We can stop."
"I don't want to stop."
"Then we won't."
I kissed her neck. She moaned, fingers digging into my shoulders.
"Young mistress."
We sprang apart.
Tanaka stood in the doorway, expression perfectly neutral.
"Your parents have returned early from their trip. They wish to see you in the main hall."
Momo's face went from pink to crimson.
"I'll be there shortly."
"Very good." He turned to me. "Shall I escort your guest to the side entrance?"
"That would be... yes. Thank you."
Tanaka waited while Momo composed herself. She stood, smoothing her hair and clothes.
"Kai. I'm sorry. I didn't expect..."
"It's fine."
"I should see them. Before they come looking."
"I understand."
She hesitated, then leaned in and kissed my cheek.
"This isn't over," she whispered. "I want to continue. Later."
"Whenever you're ready."
"Thank you. For today. For everything."
"Anytime, Momo."
She smiled, bright and genuine, then hurried out.
Tanaka led me through back hallways to a side entrance.
"This way, sir. The main hall is occupied."
"Thanks."
We walked in silence. At the door, he paused.
"Sir."
"Yeah?"
"The young mistress has few friends." His expression remained neutral, but something flickered in his eyes. "She rarely invites guests to the residence."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Please do." He opened the door. "Good day, sir."
"Good day."
I stepped outside and heard the door close behind me.
The walk to the train station gave me time to think.
Momo Yaoyorozu. Smart, beautiful, lonely. She'd kissed me. Her first kiss.
I liked her. More than I expected. She was different from Nemuri and Yu. Softer, more uncertain. But genuine in a way that was hard to find.
My phone buzzed.
Nemuri: How was studying?
Enlightening.
That's a loaded word. What happened?
She kissed me.
A pause.
And?
And I kissed her back.
How was it?
Her first. She was nervous. Sweet.
Did you go further?
No. Butler interrupted.
Ah, the classic butler interruption. Very Jane Austen.
I smiled.
You're not upset?
I told you, I'm not the jealous type. Much. A pause. She's a good choice. Smart, powerful, from a good family. Your quirk will benefit.
That's not why I like her.
I know. But it doesn't hurt. Another pause. Be gentle with her. First times are important.
I know.
Good. Now come see me. I want to hear all the details.
On my way.
I arrived at Nemuri's apartment an hour later.
She met me at the door in her robe, a knowing smile on her face.
"The conquering hero returns."
"I didn't conquer anything."
"Not yet." She pulled me inside. "But you will."
She led me to the couch and sat beside me, legs tucked underneath her.
"Tell me everything."
So I did.
The mansion, the butler, the study session that became something more. Momo's loneliness, her vulnerability, the kiss.
Nemuri listened without interrupting.
"She sounds sweet," she said when I finished.
"She is."
"And interested."
"Very."
"Will you pursue it?"
"Do you want me to?"
She considered the question.
"Yes. I think I do." She took my hand. "Your quirk needs variety. And she seems good for you in ways I can't be."
"What ways?"
"Innocence. Newness. The excitement of first times." She smiled wryly. "I can't give you that anymore."
"You give me plenty."
"I know. But it's different." She squeezed my hand. "I want you to have everything, Kai. All the experiences, all the connections. That's how you grow stronger."
"And you're okay being one of many?"
"I'm okay being your first. The one who started it all." She leaned in and kissed me. "Now stop worrying and let me welcome you home properly."
"Yes ma'am."
She laughed and pulled me toward the bedroom.