The mansion was quiet, the soft hum of the system almost like a heartbeat threading through the walls. Outside, the last hints of the evening sun faded, leaving the world bathed in a muted, golden glow that filtered through the large windows. Shoko Todoroki lay in the guest room, under a thick quilt, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts were restless, replaying the scene she had glimpsed earlier—Ochaco leaning close to Izuku, their fingers intertwined, the soft warmth and tension radiating between them.
She swallowed hard, feeling her own body respond despite the distance. A subtle shiver ran down her spine, her pulse quickening as the faint buzz of the system tickled along her nerves. The warmth pooling low in her abdomen and the tingling along her skin were unfamiliar but not unpleasant. Her ice-ice quirk stirred slightly under her control, a subtle shimmer along her arms and legs, responding to her emotional arousal.
"Why…why does it feel like this?" Shoko whispered to herself, the words barely audible over the soft rustle of blankets. Her hands traced the curves of her body almost unconsciously, fingers brushing against the warmth of her thighs. Each small touch made her pulse quicken further. The system hummed faintly, recognizing the rising metrics: devotion, curiosity, and physiological responsiveness. Awakening potential for her quirk had begun its slow, deliberate ascent.
A faint noise from the hallway—Ochaco's soft giggle, a whisper—made Shoko's breath catch. She imagined Izuku there, so near, and the heat in her chest surged again. Her mind flitted between nervousness and longing, the sort of heady mix that left her dizzy, her thoughts clouded with desire and admiration.
Finally, unable to resist, she shifted slightly, feeling her body respond instinctively, the system noting every reaction. Her breathing quickened, a soft shiver running down her spine as the tingling sensation intensified. The awakening pulse of her quirk coursed gently through her, making her muscles tense in an unfamiliar but thrilling way.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, Ochaco quietly tiptoed back from checking on Izuku, unaware of Shoko's internal turmoil. She whispered softly to herself, "He…he's just so…kind, and strong…" Her words carried a mixture of awe and affection, further feeding the system's metrics for emotional resonance.
Shoko's mind drifted to Izuku's face, his soft expressions, the way he had smiled at Ochaco earlier. Her pulse quickened. She imagined what it might feel like to have him notice her in the same way, to have that warmth directed at her. The system buzzed faintly, sensing the mix of longing, devotion, and physiological arousal.
Unable to sleep, Shoko shifted again, the quilt slipping slightly off her shoulders, revealing the subtle shimmer of her ice-quirk in the lamplight. Her hands moved unconsciously along her arms, tracing the lines of muscle she had trained for months, the soft skin reacting to her touch. She let out a soft, breathy sigh, almost imperceptible, but enough that the system logged it as awakening potential spike.
Her thoughts returned again to Izuku. He's…so good to them. To Ochaco…to Momo. I want…no—I need to be close to him too… The internal realization hit her like a physical jolt, sending a shiver down her spine and igniting the last bits of hesitation she had been holding onto. Her ice quirk pulsed slightly stronger, responding to her emotional surge, and the faint humming of the system grew more pronounced.
Hours passed in that quiet tension, Shoko lying awake, lost in the heat of desire and longing, fingers tracing lightly over her skin, thinking of Izuku, imagining how it would feel to finally be seen by him the way Ochaco was. The awakening pulse deepened, subtle but steady, promising the next stage of devotion and emotional integration.
By the first hints of dawn, she had made a silent promise to herself, whispered beneath the quilt: I will…be worthy of him. I will…earn his attention…his devotion… The system buzzed faintly, marking her emotional and physiological state as primed for full awakening upon her first intimate interaction.
The chapter closed with Shoko lying quietly, flushed, her quirk pulsing gently beneath her skin, and her mind spinning with the slow, intoxicating realization: she was ready to take her place in Izuku's harem, her awakening only beginning.