The following day, Izuku woke up to the low buzz of his phone vibrating against the wood of his nightstand. His eyelids felt heavy as he blindly reached over and grabbed it, squinting at the screen.
Momo?
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at the clock. It's 6 a.m. The hell does she want this early? With a sigh, he swiped to answer and pressed the phone to his ear.
"Yo," he mumbled, his voice rough and deeper than usual.
On the other end, Momo froze for a second, her face turning pink just from hearing his morning voice. She cleared her throat quickly. "H-Hi Izuku, umm… how are you this morning?" she asked, trying to keep her tone formal, though her words stumbled.
"I'm alright," he said, stretching with one hand behind his head as he leaned back against the headboard. "What about you?"
"I'm fine. Actually, the girls and I decided we'd go study at the local library today," she explained, her tone more composed now. "So, I was wondering if… if you'd be interested in attending with us? It won't take long, just three hours or so."
Izuku blinked. Studying this early? He thought for a moment, then shrugged even though she couldn't see him. "Sure, I don't have anything planned, so why not. Which library?"
Relief colored her voice as she gave him the details—the time, the location, and even which floor they'd be on. Izuku typed it into his notes half-distractedly, still fighting the weight of sleep.
"Great, then… we'll see you there," Momo said before quickly hanging up.
The call ended, and Izuku let his phone drop back onto the nightstand. He flopped onto his bed with a groan.
' Well, I guess I'm not free anymore,' he thought, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
A beat later, he swung his legs over the bed and padded into the bathroom. The cold tile woke him up instantly as he flicked the light on, squinting at his reflection in the mirror.
His hair was a mess, his eyes still a little heavy, but a grin tugged at his lips. Momo calling me at 6 a.m. to study… she's definitely more nervous than she lets on.
With that thought, he grabbed his toothbrush and started his morning routine, already planning out what to wear so he didn't look like he just rolled out of bed when he saw her and the others later.
A few hours later, he arrived at the library. He could already hear chatter echoing inside—which wasn't a good sign, considering it was supposed to be a quiet place. But when he stepped in, his eyes widened. Security guards and staff lined the walls, politely ushering curious civilians out.
'Wow, she rented out the library. I didn't even know that was possible. Guess anything's buyable when you're a billionaire,' Izuku thought.
Upstairs, he spotted the girls already sitting around a long table. As soon as they saw him, they lit up. He climbed the stairs, giving a small wave.
"Hey," he greeted, slipping into the seat beside Tsuyu.
Almost instantly, the seating order shifted. Ochako slid to his left, Momo subtly moved to his right, Mina giggled as she scooted closer, and even Jirou—who tried to act disinterested—shifted her chair just a little. Suddenly, he was in the middle.
A sudden clink! startled him. A juice box floated across the table, plopping down in front of him.
"Finally! I've been saving you a spot," Toru's cheerful voice rang out.
Izuku chuckled. "Thanks, Toru. Almost didn't see you there."
"Ha-ha, hilarious," she huffed, before slurping loudly on her juice.
'Cool,' he thought, smiling as if the sudden attention was completely normal.
"So, what are we studying today?" he asked, pulling out only a notebook, pen, pencil, and ruler.
"That's all you brought?" Mina blinked.
"Yeah," he shrugged. "What more do you need?"
'He's so minimalistic, maybe I should try that,' the girls all thought at once.
Momo cleared her throat, regaining focus. "Umm… we thought we'd tackle math first, since it was the main subject most girls struggled with this week."
"Good idea," Izuku said, standing. "Why don't you do the honors, Momo? I'll back you up."
Momo smiled faintly, brushing her dress smooth as she moved to the whiteboard. She began explaining, her voice calm and steady. Izuku stood beside her, occasionally correcting small errors or rephrasing concepts so they made more sense.
"Ahhh, I get it now!" Ochako exclaimed, jotting notes furiously.
"I was lost until you explained it like that, Midoriya-chan," Tsuyu added with her usual calmness.
"Seriously, where were you when I almost failed last year?" Mina teased, leaning her cheek on her palm.
"Don't spoil him," Jirou muttered, though her ears twitched with interest.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Toru piped up suddenly. "So if x can change… does that mean it's like me changing outfits? Same person, different look?"
Izuku blinked, then smiled. "That's… actually a good way to think of it."
The girls burst into laughter, Mina giving Toru a playful thumbs-up.
After an hour, they moved to English. Izuku took the lead this time, his voice carrying confidence.
"Because of my… unique upbringing, I had to learn English properly. So trust me, I'll make this simple."
"You sound way too fluent," Mina said, narrowing her eyes. "Like… suspiciously fluent."
"Yeah, it's kinda hot," Ochako admitted before realizing what she'd said. She turned red instantly.
"Focus," Jirou cut in, though she was biting her lip to hide her grin.
"Ohhh~ Midoriya speaking English is like, super dashing," Toru added, clasping invisible cheeks. "Say something romantic!"
He smirked and muttered, "You're not paying attention, are you?"
"KYAAA!" Toru squealed, practically sliding off her chair.
Finally, they reached physics. Izuku sat back, resting his chin on his hand.
"I'll let Momo handle this one," he said with a shrug. "My quirk… doesn't exactly agree with physics."
"Figures," Jirou muttered under her breath.
"Good, because I'm not listening either," Toru said boldly, waving her arms.
By the time they wrapped up, the girls were exhausted, slumped against the table. Izuku clapped his hands lightly.
"Alright, you all worked hard. How about we go get some food? We're in the city, might as well enjoy it."
"Food? Yes!" Mina instantly sprang to life.
"Midoriya-chan treating us?" Tsuyu tilted her head.
"I'll chip in too," Momo added quickly.
"Festival food, maybe?" Ochako suggested, eyes sparkling.
"Ooooh! I call cotton candy with Midoriya first!" Toru shouted, punching the air.
They left the library together, the staff finally breathing sighs of relief.
Sure enough, a festival had sprung up in town—lanterns hanging above, stalls lining the streets, music filling the air. The girls immediately pulled Izuku toward a rental shop and tried on Yukatas.
"Don't peek yet!" Mina shouted as they disappeared behind a curtain.
"This feels a little tight…" Momo murmured.
"I think it looks cute on you," Ochako replied.
Tsuyu simply said, "Ribbit. It's fine."
"Ughhh, I can't wear one!" Toru whined from inside. "Nobody would even see the pattern!"
When they finally stepped out, Izuku blinked. Each of them looked radiant in their own way—except Toru, who posed dramatically in absolutely nothing visible.
"Well?" Mina teased, twirling. "Who wore it best?"
Izuku chuckled nervously. "That's… a dangerous question. You all look amazing."
"And me?" Toru demanded. "Can't you see my Yukata glow with beauty?"
"…Yes?" Izuku answered carefully.
She clapped her invisible hands. "Knew it!"
The girls giggled, clearly satisfied, and the group wandered through the festival stalls. Just like last time, they each found moments to pull Izuku aside—mini dates scattered throughout the night.
TO BE CONTINUED