Chapter 62: DealAuthor: Geraint
Inside the long, luxurious car prepared by the Yaoyorozu family, Ichika and Momo sat together in the back seat. Both of them looked exhausted after their marriage meeting—and now, they were officially engaged.
Momo seemed furious at her parents for forcing her into this.
"Mom and Dad! I can't believe they did this to me!"
"It can't be helped. Your family's being targeted. A Quirk that can create things from nothing is exactly what those shady businessmen desire," Ichika explained calmly. "With the rise of Yamagi Industries, which no one thought could be challenged, the only way to compete is with your family's Quirk. But it's just a matter of time before they get crushed. That's what they get for supporting the corrupt regime. They'll go down with it."
Momo watched Ichika smirk cunningly. That expression... it looked strangely familiar. She had been suspicious since the beginning. Ichika looked exactly like the man who once saved her from rebels. She thought he might just be a fan, but his name was the same too. The only difference was that the Ichika beside her now looked younger.
"You look just like the famous musician 'Fujiwara Ichika'. I wonder what your relationship is with him?"
Ichika had already prepared for this question.
"You probably know this already, but some singers use stage names that are completely different from their real ones. A lot of idols do that too—to hide their identities."
"Oh, you're right..."
Momo's excitement deflated. She looked sad upon realizing it was probably a fake name.
Ichika leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes.
"Anyway, you're really against this engagement, right?"
"Of course I am! I'm completely against it!"
Momo crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
"Instead of complaining to our parents, how about we just take advantage of it?"
"Huh?"
Momo frowned at his suggestion.
"The engagement guarantees your protection and helps you avoid all those annoying marriage proposals from other business leaders."
"Wait, what? I didn't hear anything about these proposals!"
"That's automatic, Momo. Your father must be tired of dealing with the pressure."
"...Okay."
"Let's help each other out. We can still be friends and take advantage of this situation."
"Oh, I see... Then what do you want?" Momo asked, narrowing her eyes seriously.
"I swear I'll protect you from anyone targeting you. In exchange, I want your help with my work. I'm an inventor, and you can provide materials for my prototypes."
Ichika noticed her expression tightening and quickly clarified.
"Hey! I'm just talking about the prototype! I won't make you handle the production!"
Momo sighed in relief. "Fine. As long as you don't abuse my Quirk, I can help a little."
Ichika lifted his hand for a handshake.
"Huh..."
Momo hesitated at the idea of touching a boy's hand, but she forced herself to do it, shaking his hand quickly before pulling back.
"Then it's a deal! You've got potential to be a great businesswoman like your dad. I'm looking forward to working with you."
Surprised, Momo felt something stir inside her when she saw Ichika's smile. It reminded her so much of the man who once saved her. They looked exactly alike. Her face turned red.
"WAAAH!!"
Suddenly, the driver stomped on the brakes as someone stood in the middle of the road.
"Kyaaah!"
The car shook, and Momo fell forward. Ichika instinctively caught her in his arms.
"Hey! What was that?!" Ichika snapped.
"Someone's blocking the road!" the driver replied, clearly shaken.
They were under a bridge now, and from the shadows emerged a group of rough-looking men who surrounded the vehicle. Their grins alone told Ichika they were here to cause trouble.
One of them approached, turned his arm into solid rock, and shattered the window with a punch.
"Gyaah!"
"She's here! Jackpot!" one of them cackled.
"Grab her!" their leader commanded.
One of the thugs peeked inside the car and was immediately smitten by Momo's beauty.
"Come out, little miss! Oh wow, you're quite a beauty—ARGH!"
Ichika's fist struck him clean in the face, sending the man flying.
"ARRRGH! That hurts!"
The man rolled on the ground, blood gushing from his nose.
Momo, still shaking, looked up at Ichika in surprise. He calmly stepped out of the car.
"Stay here, Momo."
He loosened his necktie and cracked his knuckles.
"Sorry, guys—but she's off-limits. She's already engaged to me."
Momo blushed deeply. That line—it was just like him.
"GET HIM!" the leader yelled.
But Ichika was already gone. In the blink of an eye, he was above them.
<
His axe kick crashed into the leader's face, knocking him out cold.
"Who's next?" Ichika grinned.
Before the others could react, he rushed forward with graceful but powerful strikes.
<
In just seconds, they were all knocked out.
Momo watched in awe from the car. She had just seen the strength of All Might's son—and it amazed her.
When Ichika returned to the car, Momo and the driver were both speechless.
"Hey! Call the police already!"
"Y-Yes!" the driver stammered, snapping out of it.
Eventually, they arrived at Might Tower. Momo's eyes sparkled.
"Wow! This is Might Tower! The No. 1 Hero's—"
"Momo, there's nothing interesting about it."
Ichika cut her off.
They didn't enter through the main entrance, but the back door.
"Eh?"
They took the elevator to the top floor. Ichika casually yawned as silence filled the space.
When they arrived, he turned to her.
"There's a room in my workshop you can use for now. I'll prepare your permanent room tomorrow."
He opened the door.
"Huh?"
"Welcome home, Darling!"
What greeted them was a silver-haired little girl wearing only an apron, acting like a flirty wife.
"Would you like dinner? A bath? Or... me, perhaps~?"
Ichika's cheek twitched. Momo stood frozen in shock.
"Who is this girl?!"
Then Ichika remembered. She was one of his creations. He patted her head and walked past her.
"This isn't funny, Hecker. Roboco! I haven't even tested her AI yet, and you two already installed it?! What if she explodes out of nowhere?!"
"Eh?!"
"Hey! I'm not a robot! I'm a goddess!" the little girl shouted indignantly.
"Yeah, yeah. Those two must've added something weird to her program. I'm gonna go scold them."
Momo stood there, confused and speechless.
(To be continued)
A/N: I'll fix my mistakes later.