The next day, Ryukyu and the girls noticed that Micah was much more tense than normal.
He always seemed to have a tense look about him, especially when asked about the future, but it seemed amplified today. He, of course, brushed them off as they did their morning routine before heading out to patrol.
Ryukyu had even pulled him aside at lunch to privately ask him if he was ok. He told her that he was, and that everything was ok. What he didn't tell her was that today was supposed to be the day Izuku, Ida, and Shoto fought the Hero Killer Stain.
Of course, he could never say this without being asked how he knew such information, and who would believe him when he told them the truth? Maybe Nezu? Micah wasn't about to find out anytime soon, however, so he kept everything to himself during the day.
He did tell them about all the fun Sasha was having with the Wild Wild Pussycats. He showed them the various photos Sasha had taken of the countryside, and told them about the various things he'd shared with him the night prior.
Nejire ate up every scrap of information as she dug into her food with gusto. Momo and Ryukyu also listened politely as he regaled them with Sasha's adventures, but Ryukyu noticed that Momo was quieter today.
She could obviously see how excited Micah was to share everything that Sasha had told him, but she could also feel the sullen silence that Momo was stewing in as she ate silently. 'It could always be worse.' She reminded herself as she tapped Momo, "Wanna get some coffee with me? It's just down the street."
Oblivious to their departure, Micah and Nejire gushed all over the photos Sasha had sent. Each one pointed out their favorite as well as all the little animals they spotted in frame. "Wait, I just remembered!" Nejire suddenly gasped as Micah nearly dropped his phone, "What?!"
"I haven't taken any pictures with you or Momo-Chan! How am I going to be able to show you off to my friends!" She said dramatically as Micah got a bad feeling. As she fished around her costume for her phone, Micah took the chance to stuff his food into his mouth and bolt, not waiting to get caught by the crazy girl who chased after him, wielding her phone.
Ryukyu kept her eye on the pair chasing each other outside as she sat across from Yaoyorozu. For the few days she'd known her, she knew that she was a brilliant girl who was doing her best to make something of herself rather than rely on her family.
It was endearing to see, which is why she didn't want to let whatever feelings she was currently having spiral out of control. "So, mind telling me about your friends at U.A?" She started as Momo nodded.
She sat and listened as the girl listed off the various people she'd become friends with since starting school. A bubbly girl with an invisible quick named Toru. A pink-skinned girl who was the resident gossip queen. A quiet but very focused boy named Shoto, and the two she was closest to, Micah and Sasha.
Despite the smile on her face as she spoke of her classmates, Ryukyu could see the conflicted emotions in Yaoyorozu when she spoke about how inseparable Micah and Sasha were. Seeing the problem, but not wanting to scare the poor girl, Ryukyu asked another question.
"Sounds like your class is really close. Not surprising since you survived a villain attack together." She then leaned in conspiratorially, "Any couples yet? I'm sure that Mina girl knows all about it."
"That she does, Mina almost has a sixth sense for drama." Yaoyorozu grinned as she gave it some thought. "Not yet, I don't believe. I have noticed a few pairings that may happen later on during the school year. Midoriya and Ochako seem the most likely, with how close they are.
Mina and Kirishima seem to have a connection from their previous school, as do Kaminari and Jiro. There are also others I don't believe will find someone, at least not as they are. Bakugo is one of them."
Ryukyu hummed in agreement. She'd seen just how close to feral Bakugo was during the Sports Festival, one of the reasons she hadn't extended an offer. "What about Micah and Sasha? The way you talk about them makes them seem inseparable, not to mention how he talks about her constantly."
That seemed to hit the nail on the head as Yaoyorozu lost her smile again. "You know, it's not wrong to be attracted to someone," Ryukyu said softly as Yaoyorozu nodded. "I'm sure there are plenty of things you like about him, but you can't let your entire world revolve around him."
"He was the first real friend I made, then Sasha and Shoto," Yaoyorozu admitted, giving Ryukyu a clearer picture. "He was the first person to treat me like normal, rather than heir to the Yaoyorozu fortune. He saw me as a friend, not a door to fortune and fame."
Ryukyu nodded. "Sounds like a great friend to have. People like that are usually the best friends you can have; they see you as you are and never ask for more." She thought fondly of Nejire, right as the girl zoomed by with Micah right behind her.
"Those fools." She sighed as Yaoyorozu snorted. "Well, if you take anything away from this internship, let it be this. Sometimes the best friends are best just the way they are, as friends." She then leaned in once more and whispered, "And if you can't get over him, give it time; he may see you the way you see him."
After such an interesting lunch, the group spent the rest of their day patrolling the area around the agency. Since Ryukyu and her sidekicks did their jobs well, the most they did was take pictures with people and help a few elderly people cross the street.
Micah and Nejire did have to clean when they got back, however. Ryukyu didn't appreciate them running around like children while she was giving Yaoyorozu a pep-talk. She even had to separate them since neither could take anything seriously.
"So, you wanna tell me what's been bothering you all day?" Ryukyu poked her head in on Micah, cleaning the kitchen as he glanced at her and finally relented. "The Hero Killer. He's in Hosu according to the news, one of my classmates is there as well."
Everything made more sense to her when he revealed that, as she fully entered the kitchen. "That is concerning, but as long as your friend stays with the hero, everything should be ok." Micah didn't look convinced as he finished wiping down the stove.
"So what did you and Momo talk about? I noticed you two left Nejire and me behind at lunch." He changed the topic as she shrugged, "Just girl talk." He dropped it since he knew he wouldn't get more than that.
When dinnertime rolled around, Ryukyu made them a hearty meal for the day, as Nejire told them all about her friends who were also doing their work studies. She jumped from one to the other in a way that made their heads spin, but they ate happily as she told them all about Mirio and Tamaki.
As they were putting their dishes away, both Momo and Micah's phones buzzed several times. They checked them as Micah got a bad feeling, and it was as he feared. Both Shoto and Izuku were trying to reach Ida via the group chat and were asking others to call him.
Immediately, they showed their phones to Ryukyu who whipped out her own phone. She made several calls to the Heroes in the area as well as to the HPSC and Hosu police. Nejire rushed over to the TV and turned on the news, where they finally saw what was happening.
Hulking Nomu were rampaging through the city. Some were misshapen creatures that seemed more beast than human; others were bulky monsters like the Nomu from the USJ. A third type flew through the air, grabbing people before taking to the skies and letting them drop.
Momo gasped, seeing the carnage as dozens of heroes clashed with the creatures. Nejire and Micah seemed ready to leap through the screen into action as Ryukyu called even more people.
As the trio stayed glued to the news report, Ryukyu sent out an alert to all the sidekicks she had before getting their attention. "Go get your costumes on, we just got clearance to fly to Hosu. Hurry, before it's too late."