Heroes are very well paid; the higher they climb in the ranking table, the more they earn. It was simple logic—they wouldn't pay Endeavor the same as ???-kun. But it's not just about popularity, even though that does play a role.
The ranking is also a measure of a hero's strength. Natural disasters, crises that put tens of thousands of people at risk, planes crashing, ships sinking, and the most powerful villains are inevitable, and not all heroes can handle them. A clear example is All For One and his strongest villains—each one is a walking catastrophe that can only be contained by many heroes or extremely powerful ones.
Of course, even taking all that into account, Allen was paid especially well for a rookie hero, and that was mainly to show goodwill. The revelation came after the "interrogation," where they realized Allen wasn't like All Might and that, depending on the situation, he could even turn against them. For example, it became more than clear that if the Commission tried anything against Lady Nagant, Allen would immediately take her side.
"Fifty million..." Ochako slumped into her seat, stunned.
Three hundred thousand dollars was equivalent to fifty million yen—an absurd amount. And that was only the money for stopping the train. He had received nearly another half a million for saving the plane, stopping villains, and helping here and there in different places. Of course, there were situations where he didn't get paid. After all, Allen also solved problems, and if he didn't feel like it, he would leave before the police arrived or before anyone saw him—like during that collapse, where he helped, but it never became public knowledge.
This meant that half of his work wasn't recorded and, as a result, not paid.
"That's a lot," Momo frowned.
"Do you think they're plotting something?" Itsuka also suspected it—even for a top professional hero, that amount was excessive.
"Hey, don't say that. You'll get into trouble," Allen said with a faint smile.
To him, the Commission didn't matter much—not after realizing they weren't the altruistic and trustworthy organization they claimed to be. But for the girls, their hero licenses—and future careers—depended on the Commission. It was better not to say things like that in public.
"But..." Toru looked at Allen worriedly.
"Hey, I'm not stupid. I know the Commission and the government are trying to get on my good side after practically treating me like a criminal and interrogating me..." Allen put on a pained expression. "Despite the pain in my heart, I'll accept this offering of peace."
The girls rolled their eyes. This bastard didn't care whether they labeled him dangerous or kissed his boots, yet he acted like he was suffering.
"See? You've gotta enjoy Uncle Sam's goodwill... ah... in this case, who would it be? The Emperor? The Shogun? Eh, whatever," Allen laughed.
His attitude relaxed the girls. Allen was the kind of person who could smile at the end of the world—and only because he'd probably stop it shortly after.
After finishing their meal, Allen said goodbye to the girls. He offered to walk them home, but they refused—it seemed they had planned some kind of girls-only talk.
Allen was curious, and if he wanted to, he could've listened with his super hearing—but he wasn't inconsiderate enough to do that.
...
Saya – This bastard... what does he think a maiden's heart is?
For the Chat, it was obvious Allen was just having fun teasing the girls. If he really wanted to seduce them, he'd be more proactive, but he only flirted to mess with them.
Yoruichi – Allen's level is way too high for young, inexperienced girls like them~
Unohana – Ara, you say that as if you've had other men, Miss Shihoin~
Yoruichi – At least I'm younger...
Unohana – ...
Yoruichi – I'm sorry! My bad! Wait!
Legend says Yoruichi didn't appear in the Chat for several days after that.
...
Ochako arrived home in a very good mood. It was a mix of everything—from doing well on her exams to going out to eat with Allen, and, as the cherry on top, learning that being a hero was a very well-paid profession. Of course, she didn't expect to ever reach Allen's level, but she definitely wouldn't have trouble achieving her dream.
In the kitchen, Ochako saw her parents sitting at the table. Several documents were spread out. Her father had dark circles under his eyes, and her mother looked just as tired, but both smiled when they saw her.
"Welcome home, dear," her mother said.
"How did your exams go?" her father asked with a smile. Both knew how hard she had worked, and seeing her in a good mood made them happy—they already knew the answer.
"Yeah, well, I'm not sure... but I'm confident I passed," Ochako smiled.
They were relieved, and Ochako left them, heading to her room. Once there, she flopped onto her bed.
She wasn't stupid. No matter how much her parents acted like normal parents and hid their financial problems, she could tell.
"It's fine. I'll become a professional hero," Ochako said, clenching her fist. Then she turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling with flushed cheeks.
It wasn't a secret that Ochako had felt embarrassed about wanting to become a hero for money. She admired those who genuinely wanted to help others, but at the same time, she felt a kind of self-loathing for her own motivation. However, Allen had shown her there was nothing wrong with it.
"That shameless guy can openly get offended if he isn't paid well... but at the same time, I know you don't really care about money..." Ochako blushed even more.
Even though Allen gave off the impression of being money-driven, the truth was that he often left scenes without waiting for the media. She knew this because she had been following the news during training week. How could she not recognize those strange "miracles" during disasters? They were clearly Allen's quirks.
Of course, she wasn't the only one who noticed. Momo, Itsuka, Toru, and Mina—who paid attention to his every move—had realized it too.
Ochako sighed. "This is tough competition..."
Momo was a wealthy lady—beautiful and well-endowed.
Itsuka was the princess of a clan, pretty and charming.
Mina was an exotic beauty who wasn't afraid to express her feelings—she practically clung to Allen shamelessly.
Toru, even though she was the most similar to Ochako, somehow gave her the strongest sense of danger.
Ochako didn't even want to keep thinking. There were still Ibara, Jiro, the girls from Class 1-B, and if she thought about the teachers—especially Mirko—it felt impossible to win.
"Maybe the truce Itsuka-san suggested isn't such a bad idea..." Ochako blushed and buried her face in her bed, unable to believe she was even considering something so shameless.
...
Momo also arrived home in a private car with a driver. The property was so large that only the entrance and a massive wall stretching in both directions could be seen.
"Miss, we're arriving," said the driver.
"Yes..." Momo had remained silent and thoughtful the entire ride. Itsuka's words were still on her mind.
The outer gate opened, and the Mercedes drove in. After a while, the trees parted, revealing an enormous mansion—this was where Momo Yaoyorozu lived.
The driver stopped at the entrance, got out, and opened the door for her. Without showing surprise, Momo stepped out and walked toward the entrance, where ten maids bowed to greet her.
"Welcome home, Miss!"
"I'm back," Momo said with a bored expression, handing her belongings to a maid before heading upstairs via a grand staircase.
"Miss Momo, Lady Yaoyorozu left you a message," one of the maids said.
Momo stopped without turning around.
"She expects good news from your exams."
Momo didn't respond and continued toward her room. Once inside, she began taking off her clothes, carelessly letting them fall to the floor. Her skin was soft and flawless, her bust was full, her hips were shapely without any excess fat, and her buttocks were as round as peaches—a beauty that aroused envy in women and was the dream of men.
She walked into her personal bathroom, which was the size of a small room. There was a luxurious bathtub, but she stepped into the shower instead.
As the water ran over her body, she closed her eyes, and several memories came to mind.
Momo's relationship with her parents was fairly cliché for a wealthy family. They were always busy and didn't spend much time with her, yet they always expected results.
In the past, her mother had been especially demanding, as if providing her with luxury and servants gave her the right to demand perfection. It was true—Momo was talented. So much so that, if not for the changes at U.A., she would have been admitted without even taking the entrance exam.
The pressure from her parents, and her mother constantly pointing out her flaws, made Momo insecure and prone to breaking under pressure... or at least, that would've been the Momo who was supposed to exist, but that shameless guy she hadn't invited into her life started to change it.
Momo stepped out of the bathroom with a towel, drying her hair with another—but she froze when she saw an intruder on her bed, eating chips while reading a magazine.
"What's wrong? You look depressed," Allen asked the shocked Momo.
"What are you doing here?!" she shouted, rushing toward him and grabbing him by the collar, not caring about her appearance.
Allen sighed and shrugged. "Hey, relax. It's not like this is the first time I've come over."
"Huh?!" Momo blushed angrily and shook him. "Just because you've done it multiple times doesn't make it okay!"
Allen removed her hands and straightened his shirt, offended. "Hey, I clearly remember, you invited me to come whenever I wanted. Taking it back now isn't very gentlemanly."
"First of all, I'm a woman, not a gentleman! And yes, I said that—but I didn't permit you to come into my room!"
Allen widened his eyes in surprise. "You didn't specify that. How was I supposed to know?"
Momo opened her mouth in disbelief. This guy dared to say that without any shame.
"Common sense!" she exclaimed, trying to punch him, but he dodged, causing her to fall on top of him.
Momo froze, ending up in such an intimate position, practically naked.
*Knock knock*
"Miss, are you alright?"
A maid's voice came from outside the door, startling Momo.
"I-I'm fine!!"
Allen laughed, but Momo straddled him and covered his mouth with her hands. She was furious with this shameless idiot who kept trying to get her into trouble.
"I see. Please let me know if you need anything."
When the maid's footsteps faded away, Momo sighed in relief. She looked at Allen with a frown as she removed her hands from his mouth—but she didn't get off him, instead staying on top of him as she questioned him.
"What are you doing here?"
Allen gave a faint smile and placed his hands behind his head. "I told you already—I saw you looked depressed, so I came to check on you."
"..." Momo stayed silent for a moment before her eyes widened slightly.
That morning, her mother had sent her a message saying she expected her to be the best in the exams. Of course, Momo wasn't obligated to obey, but the fact that her mother—who she barely even saw—only contacted her for that made her feel depressed.
Momo, who had been raised with a high-class education, knew how to hide her emotions. She had done so all day, and no one noticed—or so she thought.
"Idiot..." Momo smiled weakly, her eyes watering, before resting her head on Allen's chest.
"Your mother?" Allen asked.
"Yeah... she wants me to be the best in the exams."
"That won't be possible, since I'm here," Allen said.
Momo opened her eyes and looked up at him before pouting. "Aren't you supposed to act like a gentleman right now and offer to lose for me?"
Allen smiled shamelessly. "You wouldn't like that, and you don't need it, right, Momo-sama~"
Momo laughed as her expression brightened. She didn't want pity. She didn't need special treatment. She wasn't a damsel in distress—she was a hero. And Allen believed in her more than she believed in herself.
"Though beating me is impossible," Allen added.
Momo laughed again before softening her gaze. "You're very arrogant..."
"Didn't we already go over this?" Allen raised an eyebrow. "I'm proud, not arro—"
Momo cut him off by kissing him.
Her eyes widened a second later as she realized she had lost her composure and acted on impulse. However, before she could pull away—and maybe run to the bathroom to scream—Allen wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.
Momo felt a jolt run through her body as Allen's tongue invaded her mouth. She was immediately overwhelmed as he flipped her over, placing her beneath him while deepening the kiss.
Momo gripped the sheets tightly but slowly melted, wrapping her arms around Allen's neck as she clumsily returned the kiss.
Minutes passed...
Allen pulled away, a thin string of saliva still connecting them. Momo gasped for air, her face flushed, as was the rest of her exposed skin—the towel covering her had loosened, nearly revealing her naked body.
Mesmerized, Momo looked at Allen with an expression that even the most clueless person would recognize as love.
"You look very beautiful when you're honest about your desires," Allen smiled, gently caressing her cheek.
Momo, her pupils dilated as if they might turn into hearts, looked at him with desire.
"Allen, I..."
Knock knock
The door sounded again. Momo snapped back to reality, her face turning completely red before her eyes rolled back—and she fainted.
Allen chuckled before getting up and walking to the door. When he opened it, a maid stood there, staring at him in shock.
"Tell Yaoyorozu-san that her daughter can't respond right now. Also, if there's any issue, she's free to contact me," Allen said, leaving the maid speechless.
Of course, she knew who Allen was—not just because of his fame, but because he had visited the house on more than one occasion.
...
In a massive building, on the top floor, a middle-aged woman who shared features with Momo set her phone down.
"Allen Walker..."
...
(Third day of exams)
"It's finally over!" Kaminari exclaimed, almost moved to tears.
"Yay!" Mina jumped in excitement.
Everyone had similar reactions. After all, it had been days of constant pressure—and beyond that, the uncertainty that if they didn't do well, they would miss the training camp.
"I did it!" Toru grabbed Allen's arm, breathing in relief.
"Yeah, you did," Allen laughed.
"Hehe~"
Momo, who normally would have snorted at Toru's boldness, remained silent, avoiding eye contact with Allen. This made Itsuka suspicious, but before she could look into it, Aizawa entered the classroom.
"Take your seats," Aizawa said in his usual lazy yet intimidating tone.
The previous sense of relief quickly faded. If this followed previous years, the written exams would be followed by a combat test—most likely involving villain robots.
"You should already know this, so I'll make things interesting," Aizawa said, his gaze sweeping across the classroom. "The next exam will be different. You won't be facing robots... but teachers."
Everyone was shocked by what they heard. Teachers? Did that mean the final exam would be facing professional heroes?!
====