Kai's POV
Ochako avoided me for three days.
It wasn't obvious at first. She still sat in the same area of the classroom, still participated in group activities, still smiled and laughed with the others.
But she never looked at me.
When I entered a room, she found a reason to leave. When I joined a conversation, she fell silent. When our eyes accidentally met, she looked away immediately.
It was driving me crazy.
Monday morning, I tried to approach her before class.
She was chatting with Tsu near the windows, animated and cheerful. The moment she saw me coming, her expression flickered.
"Oh, I just remembered!" She grabbed Tsu's arm. "We need to ask Iida about the homework assignment!"
"We do? Ribbit."
"Yes! Come on!"
She practically dragged Tsu across the room, leaving me standing there like an idiot.
Mina appeared beside me, eyebrows raised.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing."
"Didn't look like nothing." She studied my face. "Did you two have a fight?"
"Something like that."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
She shrugged. "Your loss. I give great advice."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Tuesday was worse.
We had combat training in the afternoon. Partner exercises, rotating through different opponents.
When the rotation put me with Ochako, she raised her hand.
"Sensei, I'm not feeling well. Can I sit this one out?"
Aizawa, still bandaged from USJ but back on his feet, studied her with tired eyes.
"You seemed fine ten minutes ago."
"It just started. Stomach thing."
He sighed. "Fine. Hayashi, pair with Kirishima instead."
She walked to the sidelines without looking at me. I watched her go, frustration building in my chest.
Kirishima clapped me on the shoulder.
"You okay, man? You seem distracted."
"I'm fine."
"If you say so." He grinned and raised his fists, hardening his skin. "Let's do this!"
I threw myself into the sparring match, channeling my frustration into my fists.
It didn't help.
Wednesday, I decided enough was enough.
After class, I waited outside the building. I knew her route home, knew she'd have to pass this way.
Sure enough, she emerged ten minutes after the final bell. Alone, for once. No Tsu or Mina to hide behind.
She saw me and froze.
"Ochako."
"I have to go." She started to turn.
"Please. Five minutes."
She hesitated. Her hands clenched at her sides.
"There's nothing to talk about."
"There's everything to talk about." I stepped closer. "You've been avoiding me for three days."
"I've been busy."
"You faked being sick to get out of sparring with me."
"I wasn't faking. My stomach really did hurt."
"Ochako."
She finally met my eyes. There was something raw there. Pain, confusion, frustration.
"What do you want me to say, Kai?"
"I want you to talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking."
"You know what I'm thinking."
"I want to hear it from you."
She stared at me for a long moment. Then her shoulders slumped.
"Fine. But not here."
We walked to a small park near the school.
It was mostly empty this time of day. A few kids playing on the swings, their parents watching from benches. Normal life, continuing around us.
We found a quiet corner and sat on a bench beneath a tree. The afternoon light filtered through the leaves, casting shifting patterns on the ground.
Ochako sat with her hands in her lap, not looking at me.
"I've been trying to figure out how I feel," she said finally. "About everything."
"And?"
"And I don't know." She laughed bitterly. "I thought I'd have answers by now. But every time I think I've made a decision, I change my mind."
"What decisions are you considering?"
"Whether to walk away. Whether to accept... whatever this is." She gestured vaguely. "Whether I can be okay with sharing you."
"And what have you decided?"
"Nothing. Everything." She shook her head. "I keep going in circles."
I waited. Let her gather her thoughts.
"When I first met you," she said slowly, "I thought you were cool. Confident. A little intimidating, but in a good way."
"Intimidating?"
"You took down all those robots at the entrance exam like it was nothing. And then you saved me from that zero-pointer." She smiled faintly at the memory. "I thought, 'This guy is going to be a great hero someday.'"
"And now?"
"Now I think you're going to be a great hero. But I also know you're... complicated." She finally looked at me. "Your quirk. The thing you told me about. Is that really true?"
"Yes."
"You need to be intimate with multiple people to get stronger?"
"The more connections I form, the more energy I absorb. It's not just physical. Emotional bonds matter too."
"So when you said you liked me..."
"I meant it. I do like you. The emotional connection is real."
"But you also need the physical part."
"Eventually. Yes."
She processed that, her expression shifting through several emotions.
"And Momo?"
"I like her too. Also real."
"Are you sleeping with her?"
"No. Not yet."
"But you will."
"If she wants to. If we both want to."
Ochako nodded slowly. "And there are others? You mentioned others."
I hesitated. This was the part I'd been dreading.
"Yes. There are others."
"Who?"
"I can't tell you that. It's not just my secret to share."
"But they exist. Other women you're... involved with."
"Yes."
She was quiet for a long time. The sounds of the park filled the silence. Children laughing, birds singing, the rustle of leaves.
"I grew up poor," she said finally. "Did I tell you that?"
"You mentioned it."
"My parents work so hard. Every day, struggling to keep the business afloat. And I used to think, 'When I become a hero, I'll make enough money to give them an easy life.'" She smiled sadly. "Simple dream, right?"
"It's a good dream."
"I thought so. But then I came to U.A., and I started meeting people like Momo. Rich, beautiful, talented." She shrugged. "I realized my dream was small. Compared to everyone else, I'm nothing special."
"That's not true."
"Let me finish." She held up a hand. "I'm not fishing for compliments. I'm trying to explain how I feel."
I nodded. She continued.
"When you said you liked me, I thought... maybe I was special after all. Maybe someone saw me as more than just a poor girl with a useful quirk." Her voice wavered. "But then I saw you with Momo. And I realized I wasn't special. I was just... one of many."
"Ochako..."
"I know it's not fair to feel this way. You told me about your quirk. You explained the situation. You were honest." She wiped her eyes. "But knowing something and feeling it are different things."
"I understand."
"Do you?" She looked at me, tears streaming down her face. "Do you know what it's like to want something so badly, and know you can never really have it?"
I thought about Nemuri. About the forbidden nature of our relationship. About the constant pretending, the stolen moments, the fear of discovery.
"Yes," I said quietly. "I do."
Something flickered in her expression. Surprise, maybe. Or recognition.
"I guess you do."
We sat in silence for a while. She cried softly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know if my touch would be welcome.
"I need to ask you something," she said finally. "And I need you to be completely honest."
"Anything."
"If I said I couldn't share... if I said it was me or no one... what would you do?"
I considered the question carefully.
"I would respect your choice," I said. "But I couldn't be what you wanted. My quirk wouldn't allow it."
"So you'd choose your quirk over me."
"It's not about choosing. It's about reality." I met her eyes. "I can't change what I am, Ochako. I can only be honest about it."
"And what are you?"
"Someone who cares about multiple people at once. Someone whose quirk requires connections to grow." I paused. "Someone who likes you. A lot. But can't promise to be exclusive."
She absorbed that. Nodded slowly.
"At least you're honest."
"I try to be."
"Most guys would lie. Tell me what I wanted to hear."
"I'm not most guys."
"No." A small smile. "You're not."
We sat together as the sun began to set.
The park emptied around us. Parents called their children home. The shadows grew longer.
"I don't know if I can do this," Ochako said quietly. "Share you with other people."
"I understand."
"But I don't know if I can walk away either." She laughed weakly. "You've ruined me, Kai Hayashi. I can't stop thinking about you."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault." She turned to face me fully. "I need more time. To figure out what I want."
"Take all the time you need."
"And you'll wait? Even though you have... others?"
"I'll wait." I reached out and took her hand. She let me. "However long it takes."
She looked down at our intertwined fingers.
"Can I ask you something else?"
"Of course."
"The others. The ones you can't tell me about." She hesitated. "Do they know? About each other?"
"Some do. Others... it's complicated."
"Is anyone getting hurt?"
I thought about that. About Nemuri's occasional jealousy. About Yu's insecurities. About Momo's confusion after the kiss.
"I try to be honest with everyone," I said. "But feelings are messy. Sometimes people get hurt even when you're trying to do the right thing."
"That's not really an answer."
"It's the only answer I have."
She sighed. "You're exhausting, you know that?"
"I've been told."
"But I guess that's part of your charm." She squeezed my hand. "I'm not saying yes. But I'm not saying no either."
"I can work with that."
"Can you?"
"I'm patient."
She laughed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.
"Okay. I'll think about it. Really think, not just panic and avoid you."
"That's all I ask."
"And Kai?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't kiss Momo in front of me again. At least not until I've decided."
"Deal."
We walked back toward the station together.
The conversation had shifted to lighter topics. School gossip, upcoming assignments, speculation about when Aizawa's bandages would come off.
It almost felt normal.
At the station entrance, she stopped.
"This is me."
"I know."
"Thanks for... talking. I needed that."
"Anytime."
She hesitated. Then, quickly, she stood on her toes and kissed my cheek.
"Don't read too much into that," she said, blushing. "I just... wanted to."
"Okay."
"Okay." She stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow. And I won't fake being sick this time."
"I appreciate that."
She smiled, bright and genuine for the first time in days.
"Goodbye, Kai."
"Goodbye, Ochako."
She disappeared into the station. I watched her go, something warm settling in my chest.
Progress. Slow, uncertain, but progress.
I checked my phone on the walk home.
Three messages.
Momo: Uraraka seemed different today. Less tense. Did something happen?
We talked. Cleared the air.
Good. I was worried about her. A pause. About us.
Don't be. Everything's going to be fine.
I hope so.
The second message was from Yu.
Haven't heard from you in a few days. Everything okay?
Drama at school. Long story.
Tell me this weekend?
Definitely.
Good. I miss you.
Miss you too.
The third message was from Nemuri.
Heard you had an intense conversation with Uraraka after school. Want to talk about it?
How do you know about that?
I have my sources. A pause. Are you okay?
Yeah. I think so.
Come over tonight. I want to see you.
I thought Recovery Girl said no strenuous activity.
Who said anything about strenuous? I just want to hold you.
I smiled.
On my way.
Nemuri's apartment felt like a refuge.
She met me at the door in comfortable clothes. Sweatpants and an oversized shirt. No makeup, hair pulled back.
She looked beautiful.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey."
She pulled me inside and wrapped her arms around me. I held her back, breathing in her familiar scent.
"I was worried about you," she murmured into my chest.
"I'm okay."
"Are you?" She pulled back to look at my face. "USJ was traumatic for everyone. And then the drama with the girls..."
"I'm handling it."
"That's not the same as being okay."
She led me to the couch. We sat together, her legs draped over mine, her head on my shoulder.
"Tell me everything," she said.
So I did.
I told her about Ochako's avoidance. About the confrontation. About the conversation in the park.
She listened without interrupting.
"That sounds exhausting," she said when I finished.
"It was."
"But necessary."
"Yeah."
She was quiet for a moment.
"Do you think she'll accept it? The situation?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then she doesn't. I can't force her to be okay with something she's not okay with."
Nemuri nodded slowly. "That's mature of you."
"Is it?"
"Most people would try to manipulate the situation. Tell her what she wants to hear. You told her the truth, even though it might cost you."
"I didn't want to start things with lies."
"I know. That's what makes you different." She kissed my cheek. "That's what made me fall for you."
"Nemuri..."
"I mean it. You could have been like every other guy with a useful quirk. Used it selfishly, hurt people, taken what you wanted without caring about consequences." She met my eyes. "But you care. About everyone. Even when it makes things harder for yourself."
"I don't know if I'm that noble."
"You are." She smiled. "Trust me. I've seen the alternative."
We spent the evening together.
No sex, just like she promised. Just lying on the couch, talking, existing in each other's presence.
It was exactly what I needed.
"Kai?" she said as the night grew late.
"Yeah?"
"Whatever happens with Ochako and Momo... I'm here. You know that, right?"
"I know."
"Good." She snuggled closer. "Now shut up and let me hold you."
"Yes ma'am."
She laughed softly.
I closed my eyes and let myself relax.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. New conversations. New complications.
But tonight, I was exactly where I needed to be.