(Normalize reading to a good point of the book before giving your review.)
...
"There! Aren't they pretty?" Mina laughed as she finished applying a new color for Sukuna's nails. Sukuna now stared at his nails, now replaced by a beautiful violet.
Apparently, Mina didn't like that Sukuna had dark nails when he trasnformed, it just makes him look like he doesn't take care of himself. So, before they headed to the I-Expo, Mina decided to give Sukuna a manicure, pedicure before applying nail purple polish to his fingernails in their hotel room.
Sukuna, being the supportive boyfriend that he is, went with it, not minding a change of color. The black nails really did look awful, and reminded him of the disgusting mummified fingers he had to swallow, and he's rather not have that in his mind at the moment.
Speaking of the mummified fingers, Sukuna consumed his ninth finger this morning. Mina fortunately didn't notice anything weird, specifically his bad breath, due to him brushing the hell out of his teeth afterwards.
"Now you actually slay them." Mina laughed, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she stored her equipment back in her luggage.
Sukuna stared at his nails silently. This type of polish usually lasts for two to three weeks without chipping or peeling before they would need to redo it. And it actually looks kind of nice.
"C'mon babe, let's shower." Sukuna immediately looked up at Mina, his eyes widened at her offer. Mina then stuck out her tongue at him.
"Bweh! Too soon!" She laughed, running into the bathroom. Sukuna's eyes twitched as he stared at her.
"One of these days I'm going to get her."
...
"There's so much to do here, where do we even start?" Mina muttered in awe, as they walked through the bustling crowd hand in hand. It was like yesterday's villain attack never even happened in the first place.
Sukuna from the corner of his eye, noticed Sero, Shoji, Koda and Mineta in the Support Gear Test Zones, testing out reinforced gauntlets that measure their striking force and tactical visors that display threat data. Everything there would run on sensors so scientists collect data on reaction time, strength output, and quirk compatibility as it happened.
Sukuna immediately made a note to not visit the Quirk Analysis Labs later. There were temporary scanning stations where scientists analyze someone's Quirk, measuring things such as their Quirk's energy output, biological stress, optimal support gear design, and even predicted growth potential.
"Look! It's Uraraka and Tsu!" Mina pointed at a certain direction. From a distance, they saw the two girls were in a massive holographic environment, in a staged disaster. They were trying out the rescue simulation dome, were support companies show off equipment designed for rescue heroes.
He wasn't surprised when he saw the rest of the boys in 1-A near the Pro Hero Demonstration Matches, watching top heroes from all over the world demonstrate how their support gear enhances their fighting style.
"Yeah, there is a lot to try..." He then glanced at Engineering Showcases, where big time companies reveal new tech such as autonomous rescue drones, AI hazard prediction systems, portable barrier generators, and mobile medical kits for hero teams.
"You wanna go there?" He looked down at Mina smiling up at him as she asked, with her having noticed his gazes on that particular part of the expo.
"Are you sure you want to?" Sukuna asked in return. Mina shrugged.
"Every time we go out, it's always me dragging you along. So today, I want you to drag along to where you wanna go." Mina placed a finger on his chest, looking at him with upmost certainty. Sukuna nodded.
"Alright, let's go then." Hand in hand, they walked towards the engineering showcases together. They walked into a massive hall divided into different engineering sectors. They first attended a support company's demonstration of a swarm of rescue drones.
The drones launch from a compact backpack, scanning a simulated disaster field. Thermal imaging appears on a giant screen while the drones locate trapped 'victims' under debris.
The engineer running the booth narrated the data in real time. "Drone three has detected elevated CO₂ levels under the concrete slab. Estimated survivor probability is 82 percent." They watched as the drones deploy tiny airbags to stabilize the rubble before a rescue team arrived.
"How interesting." The couple looked to their right, noticing Momo and Melissa sitting together, watching the demonstration intently.
"Hi! Nice seeing you two here!" Melissa waved at them, while Momo politely nodded and smiled.
"I kinda expected you two to be here. Gathering inspiration for your own inventions, I presume?" Sukuna asked.
Momo nodded, jotting down on her notepad as she continued to focus on the demonstration. "Who knows? One day I might need to use it." She mumbled.
"Everyone in our class is attending the expo, why not notify them to gather at a restaurant at the group chat?" Momo suggested. Sukuna nodded.
"Already done with." He replied, swiftly sending the text message.
"You should join us too, Melissa." Momo glanced at Melissa who widened her eyes a little.
"I-i wouldn't want to intrude."
"Girl." Mina placed a hand on the older girl's shoulder, as the others all glanced at her with small smiles.
"You're an honorary class 1-A member after last night. So you have to join."
"H-honorary..." Melissa smiled a little before she nodded. "Sure, I hope I won't be a bother."
"You were never a bother, Melissa. I'm sure it'd be more fun if you were there with us."
"Thank you..." She whispered after hearing Momo's reassurance.
After exploring the expo some more for a couple of hours, Class 1-A and Melissa gathered at the cafe Denki was working at. The yellow haired teen had quite the surprise when he saw them, internally lamenting that he should be sitting there with them.
Melissa had fit in quite well with the teens, although she was a year older than them. Somehow it lead to her being added into the group chat(Mina's idea), with her exchanging numbers and social media with the class.
They hung out until it was evening, with Denki fortunately being able to join them. After having a hearty dinner, Izuku and Sukuna requested to meet Melissa at a private setting. Melissa decided to bring them down to her personal lab at I-island Academy.
Mina pouted as she watched her boyfriend leave. "She better not try anything." She mumbled. Uraraka laughed.
"Chill Mina, Melissa isn't that type of girl. I'm sure she already got the message the first time."
"Ceh. You're one to talk, Uraraka. You look like you're about to kill somebody." Mina glanced at Uraraka, watching Izuku walk away with Melissa with an intense glare.
"What could you possibly be talking about, Mina?" She smiled sweetly at the pink girl, though there was a dark aura around her.
"Nothingggg~ Muehehe!"
...
"I seriously can't thank you guys enough for saving my home." Melissa started as the two UA students entered her lab. Sukuna shrugged, as he glanced at her trophy cabinet, filled to the brim.
"Well it's just another Tuesday for Class 1-A unfortunately." Izuku laughed a little, knowing how true that statement was. It seemed as if trouble always found them wherever they were.
"What of your father? How's he holding up?" Sukuna questioned, now staring a bunch of photos frames of Melissa's family. Melissa sighed, staring at a specific picture of her father carrying her when she was a toddler.
"My papa turned himself in just last night after everything. The HPSC works fast, they're charging him for negligence and conspiracy. He'd lose research privileges and serve 3 years of probation. And Mr Sam would be charged with 5 years in prison for working with the villains." Melissa stated. Sukuna and Izuku silently stared at her.
"You're... awfully accepting of this, Melissa. I expected a more sorrowful or enraged reaction regarding your father." Sukuna commented. Melissa sighed.
"What can a high schooler like me do against the HPSC? I'm not saying that my own father deserves it, but he's made his choice long ago. What I want to do now is to focus on myself and in my research." She stated.
"Here, I finally figured out how to take it off." Izuku gave her the Full Gauntlet in the form of a red wristband. Melissa blinked in confusion.
"Well, you said before right, that this is just a prototype. To be honest I can already feel that it's about to break just by holding it. I'd actually want to request you to work on it more, if it's not too much to ask of you." Izuku explained. Melissa smiled, receiving the support items.
"Why not? I actually have quite a few improvements for it, and I'm planning to make it for the legs as well. You using them has provided quite a bit of research data for me." Melissa replied. Izuku bowed a little in appreciation, as he and Sukuna exited the room.
As Izuku exited, Sukuna walked in suddenly, closing the door behind him.
"Melissa, I need your number." Sukuna requested, an unusual level of seriousness taking over. Melissa tilted her head, before taking out her own phone.
"Why so sudden?" She couldn't help but ask, as they exchanged numbers.
"Nothing." Sukuna walked out, with Melissa squinting her eyes at him in confusion.
"Then what was the point of all that???"
...
"This is an unusual time and place to meet, don't you think?" Momo questioned as she arrived on the roof top of the hotel building Sukuna and Mina were staying in, letting her admire the busy nightlife of I-Island.
"We have time. Mina and the rest of the girls are playing cards in my room." Sukuna replied. Momo sighed, shaking her head.
"I still can't believe you two are sleeping in one bed. You better not be doing things that you'll regret." Momo warned. Sukuna deadpanned at her.
"What do you take us for, Momo? We're not wild animals."
"Don't underestimate the power of teenage curiosity." Momo argued. Sukuna palmed his face. She leaned against the railing, watching the lights of the city.
"I keep thinking about how easily it all happened. Sure, David may have a hand in that, but the way the villains took control in an instant was horrifying. That's what worries me about the training camp." Momo started, beginning the topic Sukuna had wanted to discuss in their private meeting.
"Question is, if we don't know where we're goinh, how could the League of Villains know where to attack?" Sukuna brought up.
"Surveillance? I could make a sensor later on just in case." Momo suggested.
"You think Shigaraki is the type to use drones?" Momo shrugged at Sukuna's doubts.
"Who knows? Maybe he has a good hacker under his payroll now. Or you know, we have a traitor in our midst." Momo entertained the idea.
"But jumping to the conclusion of that is also dangerous. It assumes the worst possible explanation without evidence." She continued.
"If the possibility exists, it must be accounted for. I don't doubt that we won't be able to ourselves if they do attack. But what I want is a decisive end to this game." Sukuna glanced at her determinedly.
"What do you mean?" Momo asked.
"If they do attack, I'd say that their main goal is to kidnap one of us, specifically the more powerful students in our class. They want to send a message."
"And they'd succeed very easily too..." Momo thought back to Kurogiri, how his Quirk proved to be a nightmare. Then a chilling realization hit. She looked up at Sukuna.
"You're not saying that..."
" Yes." Sukuna nodded, staring into Momo's eyes.
"I will let myself be kidnapped by the League of Villains..."
To be continued...