(Kata POV – I-Expo)
"You recognised me?" I ask curiously, surprised.
"Yeah." Eri nods firmly, like there was never any doubt. My hand continues to move through her hair absent-mindedly.
"…How?" I ask, genuinely curious. "Everyone else looked like they were about to stop me."
A few of them flinch slightly at that. She tilts her head in thought.
"…I don't know." She admits after a moment, her brows knitting together slightly. Then she looks up at me again, and smiles. "I just knew."
"I'll always know it's you, Kata." She adds, and a warmth spreads through my chest, a smile spreading across my face naturally.
"You're smiling!" Eri giggles, making me blink in bewilderment.
"…How can you tell?" I ask, mildly exasperated, tapping the side of my helmet. "This isn't exactly see-through."
"Easy." She plants her hands on her hips, looking extremely proud of herself. "You always smile when I smile."
"…I do?" I ask after a moment. And in hindsight…
"Mmhm." She nods sagely.
"Pfft—" A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. "…I didn't know I was that predictable."
"Good job, Eri." I reach down and pat her head again, making her smile widen. "Anything you want as a reward?"
She doesn't answer immediately.
Instead, her gaze lingers on my helmet, then shifts toward my shoulder, and I immediately realise what she wants.
"I see…" I chuckle quietly. "Okay. I'd like that too."
I reach up, unlocking the helmet and lifting it off. The cool air brushes against my face as I crouch slightly. "Hold still."
I gently lower it over her head, adjusting it carefully with my quirk so it fits snugly, but comfortably. A small opening forms naturally around her horn.
"Oh!" Her voice brightens instantly as her small hands touch the mask, enjoying the feel.
'I'm glad Mei and I went through the trouble of making the costume extremely comfy.'
Then I lift her up and settle her onto my shoulder.
"I'm so high!" She gasps.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" I ask.
"Mhm!" She hums happily, already turning her head to look back toward the Villain Attack attraction, which resumes as a new hero takes stage.
I steady her with one hand out of habit, and she leans into it without thinking.
Only then do I turn back to the others, who are just staring blankly at me.
"…Is there something on my face?" I ask.
"S-since when did you get a new hero costume?!" Ochako blurts out, eyes wide as she looks me up and down. "It's… incredible." She adds quickly, cheeks faintly pink.
"Indeed." Momo nods, stepping a little closer as she examines the details more carefully. "The craftsmanship is exceptional. I'm not even sure what it's made of. It looks amazing."
"Obviously," Himiko chimes in, completely unfazed. "I knew it was him from the start."
"How?" Uraraka asks in confusion. "I don't get how Eri did, now you too. What's the secret?"
Himiko grins, hands behind her back.
"I knew his schedule." She says casually. "And he told me a while back he was making a new costume."
"…And?" Uraraka urges on.
"And…" She continues, rocking slightly on her heels. "I may have… timed things so we'd get here right when he started."
"Himiko!" Ochako groans. "You should've told us!"
"We could've recorded everything properly…" Momo sighs softly, though there's a hint of amusement in her voice. "The others would have loved to see his entrance."
"They still can." I gesture slightly to the side, and a phone appears midair—previously invisible—hovering just long enough to make its point before dropping neatly into Himiko's waiting hand.
The screen is already filled with photos and videos from multiple angles.
"…You're no fun." Himiko pouts, though she's already scrolling through them with a grin. "At least let me mess around."
'You mean mess with people.' I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
Momo immediately moves beside Himiko, eyes lighting up as she leans in. "May I see?"
"Sure." Himiko smirks, tilting the phone.
"That angle is amazing…" Momo says, as Uraraka squeezes in in Himiko's other side. "Send those to me later!"
They naturally bunch together, crowding around the screen.
"…I want the pictures too." Eri says quietly, peeking down through the helmet, hands resting lightly against it.
"Don't worry." I tell her. "I'll send them all to you."
Her face lights up immediately.
"Really?" She asks, and I nod. "Thank you, Kata!"
She leans forward and hugs my head.
"You're welcome." I say, letting out a quiet breath as I steady her. "But be careful. I don't want you to fall."
"I won't." She says confidently. "You'll never let me fall."
I don't argue. But I can't help but wonder…
'When did she get this bold?' I muse. 'But she's my sister. If anyone gets to be confident… it's her.'
I glance back at the others.
They've finished going through the photos. As expected, they've all split off into their own little follow-ups. Momo and Himiko are already sending them out, likely to the others back at the hotel, while Uraraka is typing away with suspicious speed.
"…You're putting those in the class group chat, aren't you?" I ask flatly.
She jolts slightly. "…Maybe? Should I not?"
"It's already too late, isn't it?" I ask, and she looks down guiltily. "I don't mind actually. Besides… if not you, the others would have anyway."
"If it helps, you're trending." Himiko giggles mischivously.
I let out a quiet sigh.
'…It's going to be a headache later.' I think, my phone already buzzing with a flood of messages that I'll ignore for now.
Seeing that they've all settled down again, I shift the conversation.
"So…" I start, glancing between them. "how much of the expo have you already seen?"
Momo answers first.
"We came almost directly from the hotel." She explains, gesturing back the way they came. "We explored a little along the way, but there's still quite a lot we haven't seen."
She pauses, then smiles gently. "We didn't want to do too much without you."
"Thanks." I give her a warm smile. But before I can say anything else, I feel a stare. A very pointed one.
Himiko is pouting… hard.
"…And thank you, Himiko." I add dryly. "You led everyone here at exactly the right time."
That's all it takes, and her entire mood flips instantly.
"No problem~" She beams, spinning slightly before leaning toward Momo. "Did you hear that? Kata praised me."
Momo exhales softly, though there's a hint of amusement in her expression. I shake my head, letting out a quiet chuckle.
Looking around, the expo stretches endlessly in every direction, with lights, displays, movement, and voices erupting all around.
"We've got time." I say, my tone shifting slightly. "But it's not unlimited." Eri's still perched on my shoulder, quietly watching everything around us through the helmet. "So let's see as much as we can while we're here."
"Yeah! Let's go!" Himiko immediately steps towards me, only to pause mid-motion as Momo lightly pulls her back and whispers something.
Himiko blinks… then huffs, but doesn't argue.
Of course, I hear it, and give Momo a brief, appreciative look.
'…Thanks.' I think.
She's giving me time with Eri.
It's been a while since I've spent time outside with her. Without her getting dragged away by others. Without others interfering.
"…Ready?" I ask, glancing up at her, and she nods eagerly. "Let's have fun, Eri." I smile.
"I will!" She says brightly. "I'll teach you everything!"
"Everything?" I raise a brow.
"About support gear!" She clarifies quickly, leaning forward slightly with excitement. "I learned a lot from Momo!"
"…Did you?" I ask in amusement.
"Mhm!" There's pride and excitement in her voice.
"Alright." I say, stepping toward the nearest booth. "Go ahead. I'll be relying on you, Eri."
And just like that, she starts explaining and pointing things out while repeating what she's learned in her own words.
Some of it is accurate.
Some of it is… slightly off.
But all of it is her trying her best.
But most importantly, she's excited and having fun.
So I listen eagerly, engaging enthusiastically.
"…So this helps them not get hurt when they use their quirk?" I ask, glancing at the display she's pointing at.
"Yes!" She nods firmly.
"That's super useful." I nod, and she beams.
Behind us, the others fall into step. Neither too close, nor too far. The group naturally splits, without anyone saying it.
Eri and I in front. Himiko, Momo, and Uraraka just behind, moving at their own pace, talking and laughing.
Occasionally, they drift closer when something catches their interest. We pause, rejoining each other and exchanging a few comments, before drifting apart again.
It's… easy, and unforced, like two currents moving side by side, separate, but always together.
And through it all, Eri keeps talking and explaining. Whenever she's uncertain, she asks the scientists at the booths to explain, before returning the info to me in simpler terms.
It's adorable. And every time I respond, she smiles.
It doesn't take long before we reach the Pavilion. A massive white structure rises ahead of us. It's sleek and polished, almost blinding under the sunlight. Its curved design and sheer scale make it feel closer to a stadium than an exhibition hall.
"This is it." Momo says, a hint of excitement slipping into her otherwise composed tone. "The Pavilion. The most advanced innovations on display are showcased here. And only those with an invitation can enter, even after it's opened to the public."
"…Whoa." Uraraka breathes. "That's huge."
"Looks expensive." Himiko adds tastefully.
"Very." Momo nods.
We start toward the entrance, when…
"D-Deku…?" Uraraka's voice cuts through everything. It's soft and shaky… almost mechanical.
I turn, slowly following her gaze, and a short distance away, see Izuku walking through the crowd.
He looks relaxed while smiling and talking animatedly with a blonde girl beside him.
She's laughing. He's laughing.
"…Oh?" Momo whispers, eyes flicking between them and Uraraka, who doesn't move a muscle.
She just… stares.
'…Is he on a date?' I wonder, before instantly dismissing it. 'No. He likes Uraraka too much for that.'
It's probably why everyone is still so calm. Izuku is too much of a "nice" guy. And as such, gets the benefit of the doubt.
Still, on closer inspection, the girl begins to look familiar. And slowly, I recognise her.
'…Melissa Shield.'
She only showed up briefly towards the end of the manga, during the final war arc. She was familiar with the cast, so… this is where they likely met.
"…Maybe we should say hi?" Himiko suggests gently.
Uraraka finally blinks.
"…Ah—yeah! I mean—of course." She says quickly. "I'm sure it's not what it looks like."
"What does it look like?" Eri asks curiously, making everyone freeze.
"It looks like two friends exploring the expo together." I say to calm things down. "They probably met recently." I add, more to Uraraka than Eri, who nods simply.
And as we begin walking towards them, my attention shifts.
'They met Melissa Shield here…' I analyse. 'Does that mean this was part of the plot?'
And if that's true, then something else probably happened. And it was likely quite dangerous.
A faint sense of unease creeps in.
'Is something going to happen?' I focus on my Radar. Slowly and carefully, my quirk sweeps across the island. Through the crowds, the structures, the systems beneath it all, looking and searching for anything out of place.
I even find All Might undergoing a physical with a scientist. But nothing really stands out as potentially dangerous.
I exhale quietly. '…Maybe nothing will happen, and I'm overthinking things.'
After all, not everything has to turn into a crisis.
Still, with this new information, I don't relax. At least not completely.
My gaze flicks back to Midoriya and the girl beside him, then to the entrance of the Pavilion.
'Just in case… I'll keep my guard up.'
Even higher than it was before. Because today… I have Eri with me.
********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? 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, this is the chapter. Some cuteness and bonding as they explore the island. So, besides: Eri is adorable!, I don't have much to say. I like how confident she's getting around Kata, and the level of trust and faith she has in him, plus the unspoken understanding. Eventually, it'll probably grow more, even when she's around others.
As for the end, Kata hasn't seen the movies, but Melissa appears during the final war, so with his memory, he can recognise her, but he doesn't know why she appeared or the events that happened. But it's enough to worry him.
And I probably phrased it poorly. Kata always has his guard up, like 99.99999% of the time, it's just levels. After finding out about Melissa, he's like at the level to react to anything at any moment, constantly scanning for danger, while before it was more passive danger sense. Dude probably put multiple layers of shields around him, Eri, and everyone else🤣. So yeah, super serious, even if it's unnecessary for now.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
So, anyway, hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night 😁