The smell of grilled takoyaki and sweet candied apples filled the air as lantern light painted the streets in soft gold. The group spread out in a loose pack, tugging Izuku from one stall to the next.
"Midoriya-chan, let's try this one!" Mina shouted, already pulling him toward a target-shooting game.
"Wait, no—food first!" Ochako protested, tugging his other arm.
"Ribbit… games first, then food," Tsuyu suggested, trying to compromise.
"Ugh, you guys are chaotic," Jirou sighed, though she still followed with a small grin.
Meanwhile, Toru had already rushed ahead, her voice echoing from the cotton candy stall. "One rainbow swirl please! Oh, and one for my totally-not-my-boyfriend-yet Midoriya!"
Izuku just sighed, but couldn't hide his smile. "You're going to make me broke before I even become a pro hero."
"Don't worry," Momo said casually, producing a small pouch of cash from nowhere. "I'll cover anything we all want."
The girls turned to her in unison.
"…Billionaires," Jirou muttered, shaking her head.
They ended up weaving through the festival in bursts of laughter—Izuku winning Ochako a plush toy at the ring toss, Mina daring him into trying spiciest takoyaki (and immediately regretting it herself).
Tsuyu calmly feeding him a skewer of grilled squid, Toru smudging his face with pink cotton candy, and Jirou—pretending not to care—secretly smiling when he lingered to watch a live band with her and lastly Momo and Izuku rode a small ferris wheel together as they enjoyed the view.
By the time they regrouped near the lantern-lit river, their bags were stuffed with prizes and snacks.
"This was way better than studying," Mina said, hugging her plushie.
"I second that, ribbit," Tsuyu nodded.
"We… should probably still review again later," Momo reminded, though her own bag was crammed with festival trinkets.
"Later, later," Toru sang, bumping her invisible shoulder into Izuku's. "Right now, let's enjoy this!"
The fireworks cracked above them suddenly, painting the night sky with streaks of red and gold. The girls' chatter quieted for a moment as they all tilted their heads up in awe.
Izuku stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the colors light up their faces. For a brief second, everything felt normal—just friends at a festival, no villains, no danger, no expectations.
'…Today was a good day,' he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.
As the fireworks faded, the group slowly began heading back toward the station. The girls chattered about which stalls were their favorite and who had spent the most money (with Momo being unanimously declared "the culprit").
Izuku walked with them, carrying half the prizes since everyone had somehow managed to shove their things into his arms.
"Midoriya's basically our pack mule," Mina teased.
"Ribbit, more like our bodyguard," Tsuyu corrected.
"Wow, at least say that behind my back," Izuku laughed.
At some point as they walked back, Jirou tugged lightly at his sleeve. "Hey. Walk with me for a sec."
He blinked, surprised, but nodded, letting the others drift ahead while the night air cooled around them.
' Hm, I kinda forgot about Jirou,' he thought as they slowed their pace. ' She isn't the most talkative person, but she's fun to be around… guess I should pay more attention.'
They veered off the main path and wandered toward the edge of the riverbank, where glowing lanterns bobbed across the water. The reflections shimmered like scattered stars, the colors shifting with every ripple.
"…You looked like you enjoyed yourself tonight," Jirou said, crossing her arms, though her voice carried that casual edge she always used when trying to hide sincerity. Her eyes flicked toward him, then quickly away.
"Yeah. It was nice," Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kinda makes you forget about… y'know, all the stuff that happened yesterday."
She gave a small nod, her earlobes twitching faintly as if betraying her nerves. "Same here. Guess I should thank you. If you weren't around, I probably wouldn't even bother with this kind of stuff."
Izuku tilted his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "That sounds like a compliment."
"…Guess it is," she muttered, cheeks tinged pink as her gaze dropped to the ground.
They stood there for a while, quiet, watching the drifting lanterns. The silence wasn't awkward—it was comfortable, like a song without words. Jirou eventually nudged him with her elbow, the faintest of smirks tugging at her mouth.
"Just… don't burn yourself out trying to carry everyone, alright? You've got this whole 'All Might' vibe, but you're still human. Don't forget that."
Izuku almost laughed. ' Well… not really,' he thought, though he didn't say it aloud.
Her words still lingered longer than the fireworks. He nodded, his smile softening. "Thanks, Jirou. I'll remember that."
She shrugged, looking away again, as if brushing off her own concern. "Good. Now, c'mon before Mina accuses us of sneaking off to make out or something."
Izuku chuckled. "…Would that be bad?" he asked, teasing lightly.
Jirou froze for half a second, her face going bright red before she whipped around and stormed ahead, muttering something under her breath he couldn't quite hear.
Izuku watched her stomp off, scratching his cheek with an awkward grin.
' She's fun to tease. But I should probably hurry up and get back home before mom gets pissed.'
He jogged to catch up with the group, the warmth of her reaction still stuck in his chest, even as he tried to play it cool.
Momo called for a car, and only a few seconds later, a long black limousine pulled up to the curb. The sleek, polished surface reflected the glow of the streetlights. Izuku blinked.
"Uh… a limo?" he asked, raising a brow as the driver stepped out to open the door.
Momo smiled sheepishly. "It's… the usual. I didn't think it would stand out this much."
The others didn't complain, though—they piled in with quiet awe, sinking into the leather seats as the car pulled smoothly onto the road. One by one, the driver dropped them off at their homes until the car grew quieter and emptier.
Finally, it was just Izuku and Momo.
She glanced at him, her tone casual but curious. "So… where do you live?"
"Oh, just head home. I live on your street," he replied, adjusting his jacket.
Her eyes widened. "What!! Why didn't you tell me that?"
Izuku tilted his head. "Didn't you check my school profile? I mean… as the class captain, that's kinda knowledge you need to know, just in case."
Her cheeks flushed. "W-Well, I was planning to, I just… guess it slipped my mind," she admitted, fidgeting with her hair.
He chuckled softly. "No worries. So—how was today?"
Momo hesitated for a moment, then stood up and crossed the small space to sit beside him. The sudden closeness made Izuku blink, but her face was already red as she answered.
"I… I really enjoyed it. I would've preferred if it was just you and me, but—it was great either way," she confessed quickly.
Her words hung in the air before she realized what she'd just said. Her eyes widened, and she slapped both hands over her mouth in panic.
Izuku laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "We should organize something then. A day just for the two of us. No distractions."
Her blush deepened, but she slowly lowered her hands, a small, hopeful smile breaking through. "…I'd like that."
The limo slowed to a stop at their street. The driver opened the door, and Izuku stepped out. To his surprise, Momo followed after him, walking him to the front gate of his modest home.
She looked at it quietly, then smiled to herself. "To think… I planned on buying this house one day after I became a pro hero."
Izuku turned to her with a playful grin. "Really? Well… it can be our home one day, if you want."
Momo's face turned crimson. She gave his shoulder a soft smack, her lips pressed together in a pout. "Don't joke like that," she muttered.
He chuckled. "I wasn't joking. But… that's a conversation for another time." His hand rose and gently patted her head, fingers brushing her soft hair. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Before she could respond, he stepped inside, leaving her standing there, her heart pounding in her chest.
Momo clasped her hands together against her chest, her lips curling into a small, dreamy smile.
' I… really have fallen for him, haven't I? ' she thought, love-struck, before turning back to the limo.
The driver closed the door for her and pulled away, carrying her toward the mansion further down the road—while her mind was still lingering on the boy next door.
TO BE CONTINUED