In the end, Momo Yaoyorozu couldn't withstand Igarashi Masata's relentless coaxing—both soft persuasion and shameless persistence—and agreed to take a walk around campus with him after school.
Which led to the current situation.
Masata was in an exceptionally good mood.
It had been almost a month.
Finally, he had an opportunity—time alone, undisturbed.
"Heh… should we go to the little grove behind the dorms? Or maybe the empty teaching building? Just thinking about it is exciting."
"Behave yourself."
Yaoyorozu nudged him irritably.
This was still school grounds. Someone might see them at any moment.
But was Masata the kind of person who backed down that easily?
Absolutely not.
He could go head-to-head with Kirishima's hardening without flinching—why would he retreat now?
His eyes focused ahead, and he casually reached out to take Yaoyorozu's hand.
She tried to dodge.
But not too forcefully.
He tightened his grip just enough.
Observation Haki really was convenient.
Compared to Masata's single-minded enthusiasm, Yaoyorozu was visibly nervous.
It was dismissal time. Though this area was relatively quiet, students passed by occasionally. Some slowed down, whispering.
"Look, it's Igarashi!"
"Seriously? The legendary Class A demon, Igarashi Masata? He actually has a girlfriend?"
"Ugh, I was hoping to get to know him…"
"Please. Look at you, then look at the girl next to him. Be realistic."
The murmurs drifted through the air.
Yaoyorozu stiffened, her breath catching.
"Let go… people are watching."
She tried to pull her hand free.
She tugged once.
It didn't budge.
She tugged again.
Still firm.
"You—"
Her cheeks puffed out in frustration as she glared at him.
Masata, however, found it adorable.
"The campus roads are complicated," he said solemnly. "If you get lost, where am I supposed to cry? It's safer if I hold your hand."
What nonsense!
This was a straight path.
It was obviously deliberate.
"If you don't want everyone staring, just walk faster."
Masata calmly led her forward.
Because of his reputation, more students gathered nearby.
Yaoyorozu had no choice but to follow.
Curious glances. Envious looks. Jealous whispers.
It felt almost like public execution.
Unable to endure it, she quickened her steps, moving closer to him.
Head lowered, she walked in his shadow, wishing she could disappear.
And yet—
Beneath the embarrassment and nervousness, there was something else.
A faint warmth.
A sense of pride.
Sweetness.
Her breathing steadied.
They eventually reached a quiet corner beside a teaching building.
No one around.
"Alright. Let go."
Now that they were alone, Yaoyorozu regained her usual composure.
When it was just the two of them, she typically held the upper hand.
She assumed he would obey.
But she forgot one thing.
Masata was no longer thinking rationally.
"Not letting go."
"Eh?"
She waited.
Nothing happened.
"…?"
Opening her eyes, she realized he was teasing her.
Wasn't everything just implied a moment ago? She hadn't resisted much.
Why had he stopped?
She glared again—only to notice something strange.
Masata wasn't looking at her.
He was staring behind her.
His expression was… odd.
A bad feeling crept up her spine.
She quickly stepped away from him and turned.
"What is that?!"
A shriek echoed through the corner.
Masata winced, covering one ear.
"Must be your Quirk. Don't yell like that."
Embedded in the wall in front of them—
Was a face.
Actually embedded.
Seeing they'd been discovered, the face looked slightly embarrassed, then smiled brightly.
"Hahaha! Sorry, sorry! Looks like I interrupted something!"
"This is awkward!"
The expression was as goofy as Kaminari's at his worst.
Masata's mood darkened.
"What do you want?"
There was no man alive who wouldn't feel irritated being interrupted at a moment like this.
Masata was no exception.
He even considered punching that smiling face off the wall.
"Ahahaha! Great question!! Even I don't know what I want! Isn't that strange?!"
"I just came to see that energetic first-year student. That's you, right?"
Despite Masata's obvious irritation, the face remained grinning, completely unbothered.
"But you'll find out who I am soon enough."
"And seeing you so lively—that's better than anything!"
"Boom!"
Masata threw a punch without hesitation.
His fist passed straight through the face—
And slammed into the wall behind it, leaving a deep crack.
"Sorry again! I'll be going now!"
The face began to shrink back into the surface of the wall.
Then it vanished entirely.
Leaving behind only silence—
And a cracked wall.
...
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