"Mom? You're back from your trip?"
The person who opened the door was Masata's mother. She stood there smiling warmly as she looked at the three of them.
"Yes. Come in—there are some unexpected guests at home."
"Guests?"
Masata was momentarily confused. It was still a workday—who would be visiting at a time like this?
But the moment they stepped into the living room, Chacha froze.
"Dad? Mom?!"
Her parents were sitting calmly on the sofa.
"Why are you here?!"
Uraraka's parents were a gentle-looking middle-aged couple. Especially her mother—her features were almost identical to Chacha's, as if carved from the same mold.
Seeing their daughter standing there with reddened eyes and an excited expression, the couple stood up at once. Her mother reached out and gently rubbed her head.
"How could we possibly sit still after watching our precious daughter fighting so bravely out there?"
"So we came to check on you ourselves."
"But… what about work? Did you come all this way by Shinkansen?"
Chacha, who had left home for the first time, suddenly had endless things she wanted to say. Seeing this, Masata and Yaoyorozu quietly gave the family some space and headed toward the kitchen.
"Oh, right—I almost forgot to mention this,"
Mrs. Igarashi said cheerfully while cooking.
"Yaoyorozu-chan, your mother will be arriving soon as well."
"M-My mom too?"
Yaoyorozu was visibly startled. In her memory, her parents were always busy with company affairs, constantly traveling and rarely free.
"Yes, but your father couldn't get away today," Mrs. Igarashi continued.
"This is a celebration dinner for our three little heroes. Let's eat first—dinner will be ready once everyone arrives."
She then shot Masata a sideways glance.
"By the way… I heard that while I was gone, you let Chacha and Yaoyorozu eat convenience-store bentos every day?"
Masata stiffened instantly. Under his mother's sharp gaze, he forced out an awkward smile and wisely chose not to answer.
Confident in her cooking, Mrs. Igarashi had no intention of letting anyone help. She waved the two of them out of the kitchen.
"So… my parents really were watching me the whole time."
Feeling the warmth in his mother's concern, Masata couldn't help but smile. He was sure—even his usually serious father must have smiled the moment he saw the results.
"Since there's still time before dinner," Yaoyorozu said softly,
"I'll take a bath first. I feel sticky all over after today."
Masata had already washed his damaged sports uniform earlier, but Yaoyorozu hadn't changed clothes after an entire day of competition. For someone as neat as her, it was unbearable.
With everyone busy, Masata found himself suddenly idle.
"I'll go downstairs and buy some drinks."
As he headed out, he muttered to himself,
"I'd really like to buy some alcohol… too bad they won't sell it to minors."
Walking leisurely to the convenience store, watching people pass by and greeting the familiar clerk, his mind gradually relaxed.
"This kind of peaceful life really is nice. Makes me want to go back to the countryside for a few days."
His family owned a countryside house, and when he was younger, he often spent summers there. But since middle school, with his parents growing busier, he'd barely had the chance.
Wandering the streets, Masata couldn't help but reflect.
U.A. and the outside world were separated by only a single wall—yet society beyond it felt calm and quiet.
"The calmer the surface… the darker the shadows underneath."
The USJ incident.
All For One, still lurking somewhere.
Masata forced himself to stay alert. He was already on the villain king's radar. Any stranger in the crowd could be a hidden enemy.
"I'm back!"
Carrying several large bottles of orange juice, Masata returned home. Not long after, his father arrived—and soon after, Yaoyorozu's mother as well.
Although it was the first meeting between Yaoyorozu's mother and Chacha's parents, the atmosphere was warm. Their children were close friends, after all.
"Then let's congratulate Masata on winning the Sports Festival championship today!"
At the dinner table, Yaoyorozu's mother raised her glass with a smile. She'd known Masata since childhood—watching him grow up.
"And of course, Yaoyorozu and Chacha as well. We watched the live broadcast this afternoon—you were both wonderful."
Mrs. Igarashi and Chacha's parents exchanged knowing smiles. They had deliberately stayed silent all morning, planning this surprise.
"I-It's not that amazing…"
Chacha said shyly, her face flushing red.
"I still lost in the end…"
Yaoyorozu also responded modestly, lowering her head slightly.
"Masata has such lofty ambitions," Mrs. Igarashi said warmly.
"But no matter what, your mother will always support you."
She placed some food on Masata's plate.
"And I heard you're planning to open your own hero agency someday?"
Yaoyorozu's mother added.
"That's a wonderful goal. I fully support it as well."
With backing like that, the support Masata could receive was immense.
"Don't worry!" Masata said confidently.
"I've already recruited Bai and Chacha. This will be the best hero agency ever—no need to worry about the future at all!"
Hearing this, the Uraraka couple finally relaxed. They'd been quietly worried that their daughter might abandon her dreams due to family burdens.
"Still," Chacha's mother said gently,
"please remember to stay safe. As parents, all we wish for is that you live healthy, happy lives."
Being a hero was dangerous. Injuries—and even death—were an unavoidable reality of the profession.
"I promise," Masata said seriously.
"I'll protect them."
Facing the girls' parents, Masata naturally added a bit of emphasis. Thanks to Mineta's constant influence, his emotional intelligence had improved—an unexpected perk.
The lively dinner soon came to an end.
Yaoyorozu's father had to catch the Shinkansen, so after hugging Chacha goodbye, her parents hurried off. Yaoyorozu's mother, however, left with a meaningful smile—clearly with no intention of taking her daughter home.
"Well then," Mrs. Igarashi said playfully, hands clasped.
"Looks like our family might need to welcome one more member."
Yaoyorozu, freshly bathed with her hair down and cheeks still pink, lowered her head shyly.
She was unbelievably cute.
...
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