(Toru POV – Near U.A.)
The morning should've been perfect. Clear skies, a light breeze, birds chirping… the kind of start that usually lifts your spirits. I'd showered, dressed, and set off early for school, deciding to keep my quirk active and stay invisible.
Because yesterday… had been a nightmare.
'Thanks to Kata, I can become visible now, but the attention—ugh!' I groan inwardly, remembering the swarm of guys hitting on me the entire walk to school.
It wasn't flattering. It was exhausting.
My face heats up at the thought, fingers fidgeting with my invisible hair. 'Although… if Kata did it… maybe I wouldn't mind so much…'
I sigh, letting myself daydream as I turn the corner—
—and freeze.
"K-Kata?!" A squeak bursts out before I can stop it. I slap both hands over my mouth and duck back behind the wall, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I risk a peek, knowing I'm invisible.
And my stomach drops.
There he is, walking casually toward U.A.… with a girl clinging tightly to his arm. She laughs at something he says, tilting her head up at him, smiling like they've known each other forever as she looks at him lovingly.
'W-wait… does Kata… have a girlfriend?'
My chest tightens painfully, heat rising to my face as my thoughts spiral. Panic, confusion, a sting of betrayal I don't even want to admit—
Then hands land on my shoulders.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Ah—!" My soul nearly leaves my body. I spin around, only to see Mina grinning like she's caught me red-handed.
"Y-you scared me!" I huff, pressing a hand to my chest. My heart's still trying to punch its way out.
"Sorry, sorry." She giggles, utterly unapologetic. "You looked super suspicious, crouching around like that, so I had to sneak up on you too."
Before I can stop her, Mina peeks around the corner. Her brows lift at the sight of Kata, then she looks back at me with a knowing smirk.
"You're spying on Kata?"
"N-no! Not spying!" My words come out too quickly, and way too loud. "I mean… sorta? I just… saw him walking with that girl and—" My voice drops. "I didn't know he already had a girlfriend…"
The word stings, and my throat feels tight as I speak.
Mina watches me for a moment longer than I'd like. Then she smiles, softer this time. "I didn't know he had a girlfriend either." She tilts her head, extending a hand toward me. "But hey. Maybe it's not what it looks like. Wanna follow them and find out?"
My stomach twists. "Isn't that… invading his privacy?"
"Oh, please." Mina waves her hand dismissively. "If they're acting all cozy out in the open, they clearly don't mind being seen. C'mon, Toru! Before we lose them!"
And just like that, she grabs my hand and drags me forward.
Each step is torture. The girl never lets go of Kata's arm, laughing, pressing close, and Kata… doesn't seem to mind.
My fists clench, chest aching. 'He's happy. He is dating her… isn't he?'
Beside me, Mina gives me a sidelong glance. Then, casually, she drops the bomb:
"So. You like Kata?"
"Yeah…" The answer slips out before I can think. My face burns as I snap my head toward her. "I-I mean no! Not like that! I'm just… grateful! He's helped me so much, and—"
Mina hums judgingly, unconvinced.
I turn away, my shoulders slumping. "…It doesn't matter anyway. He's clearly taken."
Her eyes narrow thoughtfully. "So if he wasn't taken… would that change things?"
My mouth opens, then closes. I can't answer. My feelings are a tangled mess of gratitude, admiration, something warmer that I'm scared to admit.
"…I don't know." I whisper at last.
Mina's smile returns. "That's a good answer. Better to be honest with yourself than to pretend."
I frown. "Honest about what?"
"About figuring it out before it's too late." Her grin widens mischievously.
My stomach flips. "T-too late for what?"
"Before some other girl snatches him up. Kata's got options, y'know." She says it lightly, but the words stab at me all the same.
"B-but he already has—"
"They're not dating." Mina cuts me off. "That's Himiko Toga. She lives with him. She likes him, yeah, but they're not dating… not yet." The way she stresses it makes my pulse spike. "Meaning, you still have a shot. If you want to try."
I stop dead, pointing at her. "You tricked me!"
Mina bursts out laughing, doubling over. "Sorry, sorry! You were just too easy to read!"
"You're the worst!" I whine, flailing my arms.
Still giggling, she wipes her eyes. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I needed to know if my hunch was right. And it was."
I squint at her. "…Wait. You like him too, don't you?"
Mina freezes, cheeks turning a deeper pink.
"And how do you even know about Toga?" I press on.
She groans, rubbing the back of her neck. "Okay, okay. Fine. I'll explain. Momo and I went to Kata's place and met Himiko and Eri. It was when we invited him to karaoke… and we kinda had dinner with them, too…"
She tells me everything. The delicious food Kata and Eri made, Himiko's… friendliness, and the shocking suggestion about sharing Kata. Even more surprising was how Momo calmly agreed to it, and how she herself got roped in after losing a stupid bet.
By the end, my head feels like it's going to explode.
"You—you guys want to share him?" I squeak.
Mina winces, blushing harder. "It wasn't my idea! Himiko started it, Momo agrees with it, and me… well, yeah, I got too cocky and made a stupid a bet." She grumbles.
I stare at her, completely lost. Relief that Kata isn't actually taken battles the crushing realization that I'd be competing against three amazing girls. And underneath it all, a small, dangerous thought whispers—
'I wish I'd been there too.'
"No, no, no!" I shake my head furiously. "That's crazy. Polygamy isn't right. That's… that's not—"
But Mina just watches me with a sly grin.
Then, casually, she says, "Want me to introduce you? Himiko's pretty chill once you realise she's just a bit… quirky? She'd probably love having you around."
My stomach drops, my cheeks flush, an my mind screams.
'Is she… suggesting what I think she's suggesting?!'
I don't even know whether to run away… or secretly hope she does.
(Kata POV – Near U.A.)
'Oh? They're finally going to show themselves?' I muse, sensing Mina and Toru sneaking up behind us with my Radar. They're not very subtle.
"Hey! Kata, Himiko!" Mina's voice rings out as she skips over, practically dragging a nervous Toru along. A wide grin is plastered on her face.
"Hello." I answer simply, giving them a small nod and smile.
"Himiko!" Mina beams.
Himiko perks up immediately, releasing my arm and bouncing forward to wrap Mina in a tight hug. "Mina! Good to see you again!" She glances at the empty air beside Mina, where Toru's head should be, and tilts her head. "And who's this?"
"H-hi! I'm Toru Hagakure! Nice to meet you!" Toru blurts, her words tripping over themselves at first before her usual bubbly energy kicks in. "You're Toga, right? Mina mentioned you."
"Yep, that's me." Himiko says, staring at Toru. "You're also in Kata's class?"
"Yup. We're all in 1-A," Mina confirms. "Wait—you're a student too, Himiko?"
"I'm new. I start today, but… Ugh, you're so lucky!" Himiko pouts, crossing her arms. "You guys actually get to sit in class with Kata. I'm stuck in…" She freezes mid-sentence and slowly looks at me. "Wait… what class was I in again?"
I pinch the bridge of my nose. "You're in 1-C. General Studies. How do you forget this?"
She blinks innocently. "Because you'll remind me when I ask. Isn't that obvious?"
I roll my eyes, while Mina chuckles under her breath.
But while they banter, I notice a reaction only I can see. Toru's body is stiff, her hands twisting nervously, her gaze flicking between Himiko and me like she's watching a bomb tick down.
"You okay, Toru?" I ask, meeting her invisible gaze.
"H-huh? Of course! Why wouldn't I—" She cuts herself off, her face heating up as realization strikes. She just remembered that I can see her. Our eyes lock, and she immediately looks away, cheeks burning red.
Mina catches it instantly, her grin turning sly. Himiko narrows her eyes at Toru, suspicion dawning as her smile sharpens.
And then Himiko strikes. "Sooo… you two know where the classroom is, right?" Her voice is super sweet, but her grin radiates mischief. She loops her arms through both Mina's and Toru's before they can react. "Perfect! Be my tour guides. We can have girl talk on the way."
Mina giggles, playing along without hesitation. "Sure. I'm sure Kata's busy with class president stuff anyway."
I raise a brow but say nothing.
"W-wait, what?!" Toru squeaks as they drag her off, her form stumbling helplessly between them.
'Too bad no one else can see her face right now.' I think, smirking faintly as I turn toward the building. 'And I forgot to give Himiko the accessory I made. It's probably for the best. Handing it over in front of Mina and Toru would've made them want one too.'
Just as I take a step, more voices burst onto the scene.
"Kataaa! You traitor!" Kaminari suddenly appears, throwing an arm dramatically around my shoulder. His smile is wide, but his eyes are glossy with tears.
"Congrats, man!" Kirishima pounds me on the back with enough force to rattle bones. "That's super manly! I'm so proud!" His own eyes shine suspiciously as he wipes at them with the heel of his hand.
"Here we are, still single." Kaminari wails, clutching me with a look of betrayal. "And you're already living with a super cute girl! Why didn't you tell us?!"
I'm about to correct them when Todoroki passes by. He halts mid-step, staring at us blankly. His expression doesn't change, but I swear his soul leaves his body. "…Congratulations on your engagement." He says at last. "I didn't realize. I should have prepared a gift."
A flicker of irritation sparks.
"I'm not engaged." I state firmly. "What makes you think that?"
Todoroki tilts his head. "Kaminari said you live with a girl, and everyone's congratulating you. That usually follows engagement or marriage. But you're young, and I'd strongly advise waiting before having childr—"
"Stop." I hold up a hand. "We're just living together. Nothing else. There's no engagement, and certainly no marriage."
Todoroki actually exhales in relief. "Ah. That's good, then."
I turn my gaze on Kaminari and Kirishima. Kaminari has a bit of hope in his eyes, while Kirishima seems disappointed.
I could also explain the situation clearly, but…
"I give up." I mutter, peeling Kaminari off me. "Let's just go to class, Todoroki."
He nods crisply and follows without another word.
Behind us, Kaminari groans dramatically while Kirishima pats his back.
"You probably went a bit too far, Kaminari. Kata seems pissed." Kirishima laughs.
'Everything is so chaotic…' I sigh internally.
*************
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, yeah. This is the chapter. To be honest, I struggled here. Mainly on how to get Toru integrated with everyone and the harem, as well as her own feelings. So, I tried this, and I'm not sure if it was successful.
It's kinda hard balancing her personality when she's still shy and insecure, vs her trying to be okay, while dealing with foreign emotions (since she's not even sure if how she feels completely yet). So it might've been a bit awkward, and if so, please forgive me for that🫠.
The next thing, I suppose, is that I'm thinking of doing a Timeskip here. What do you guys think. I'll summarise reactions, as well as the training Kata and the rest of the class undergoes until the final exams. He'll mainly work on his powers, while preparing, and so on. I guess it's time plot actually moved forward. And I had some fun ideas so that the final exam is actually interesting.
Or, would you prefer I do a more indepth reaction to Toga (like her visiting during lunch, or something), which was my original idea, but it ain't necessary 😅, hence why I'm considering skipping it entirely, and just giving a summary. There's always more time to develop relationships after the exam, and after I-island.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead, and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
So, anyway, that's all from me. I hope everyone enjoyed, and that you all have a great night/day😁