The first mistake Hawks made was doing the repairs himself.
The second mistake was doing it in broad daylight—wings out, shirt sleeves rolled up, and a grin on his face like a man completely in love.
It didn't take long for people to notice.
By the end of the week, half the neighborhood had seen Japan's Number Two Hero fixing up a cozy-looking house with a yard big enough for a garden. The other half had already started talking about it.
And by the end of the day, the hero community was buzzing.
---
Kenta nearly dropped his coffee when he saw the morning news headline:
"Hawks Spotted Renovating House — Secret Retirement or Secret Lover?"
> "Oh no," Kenta muttered. "Oh no, no, no, no…"
He stormed into the agency, where Hawks was sitting at his desk, flipping through renovation catalogs like nothing was wrong.
> "Boss!" Kenta yelled. "You're on three gossip sites! They're calling it the Love Nest!"
Hawks looked up, expression calm as ever.
> "Oh? That fast, huh?"
> "You're not even denying it?!"
> "Not my fault they have good taste," Hawks said, leaning back in his chair. "The place does look nice."
Kenta slammed the tablet onto his desk.
> "You're literally in photos with a hammer and a smile! Do you know what that looks like?"
Hawks raised an eyebrow.
> "Productive?"
> "Romantic!" Kenta barked. "You're supposed to be keeping a low profile! Instead, you look like you're two weeks away from a wedding announcement!"
Hawks chuckled, eyes glinting with mischief.
> "That'd make a fun headline, wouldn't it?"
Kenta rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath.
> "Why do I even bother…"
---
Meanwhile, outside the agency, the rumors had grown legs and wings of their own.
"Did you hear Hawks bought a house?"
"He's been fixing it up himself!"
"Bet he's finally settling down."
"Maybe for that flower shop girl…"
Even Midnight had cornered Kenta at one point.
> "So, Kenta~" she purred. "You wouldn't happen to know who the lucky lady is, would you?"
Kenta froze.
> "I—uh—classified information?"
> "Ooh, so there is someone!" she teased, strutting away.
By the time he got back to his desk, Kenta was ready to dig a hole and bury himself in it.
> "Boss," he sighed, "you've officially made a public spectacle out of your love life."
Hawks looked up from his renovation notes, unfazed.
> "You say that like it's a bad thing."
> "IT IS!"
Hawks laughed, stretching his wings lazily.
> "Relax, Kenta. I'm just fixing up a house. Everyone else is the one adding romance to it."
> "You're fixing it with your own hands," Kenta shot back. "You think people won't notice that?"
Hawks tilted his head, smiling faintly.
> "Maybe I want them to notice."
Kenta froze mid-sentence.
> "Wait… what?"
> "If they're gonna talk," Hawks said, standing up and grabbing his jacket, "I might as well give them something worth talking about."
Kenta blinked.
> "You're enjoying this chaos, aren't you?"
> "A little," Hawks admitted with a grin. "Besides, maybe it'll reach the right ears."
> "You mean Aerith."
Hawks just winked.
> "Exactly."
Kenta groaned.
> "I'm gonna need a raise for all this damage control…"
As Hawks walked out, humming under his breath, Kenta muttered to himself,
> "At this rate, the next rumor's gonna be about wedding bells."