Toji in My Hero Academia

All the students were gathered in the classroom after the test. Already changed and relaxed, they continued talking about how they had done. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and lively conversations, except for the corner where Toji Fushiguro was sitting. He stared into space with an indifferent expression, clearly bored.

Suddenly, a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Fushiguro, right?"

Toji turned his head and saw a boy with black hair and a carefree face looking at him curiously. He didn't respond immediately, merely fixing his gaze on him.

"Man, you were really amazing in your fight," the boy continued with a somewhat nervous smile. "I know you've probably heard it already, but I just can't get it out of my head. You handled everything like a pro. By the way, I'm Hanta Sero. Nice to meet you."

Toji tilted his head slightly, as if that gesture was all he was willing to offer.

Sero blinked, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the silence. "You know… the guy with the tapes on his elbows," he added quickly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh, yeah, the one who defeated Momo," Toji responded dryly, without much interest.

Sero let out a nervous chuckle. "Hahaha, yeah… uh, sorry about that. She's your girlfriend, right?"

Toji frowned, his gaze now more piercing. "Girlfriend?"

Sero blinked, confused. "Yeah… I mean, you call her by her name, and she calls you Toji-kun. Plus, we always see you two together…"

Toji looked at him as if he had just said the dumbest thing in the world. "She's just a friend," he replied coldly.

Sero's surprise was evident. He quickly bowed his head in apology. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean anything by it."

Toji averted his gaze, as if the topic no longer mattered.

Momo, unintentionally, had been nearby and overheard the conversation between Toji and Sero. At first, she stood still, trying not to draw attention to herself, but Toji's words echoed in her mind.

"Just a friend?" His response was so cold and definitive that, although it wasn't a surprise, something inside Momo tensed. Her chest felt heavier as she heard how he downplayed something that, to her, was much more than just friendship.

She knew he didn't share the same feelings, but the echo of those words made her wonder if, in any way, he ever would. She bit her lower lip and looked away, trying not to think too much about it.

When the conversation ended, Sero left quickly, leaving Toji lost in his own world. Momo remained there, in the hallway, watching as Toji walked away without even looking back.

She couldn't help but wonder if she really was that invisible to him. The truth was, he had never shown the slightest interest in anything outside his own world, and love didn't seem to be on his list of priorities. Momo knew this, and yet, the pain of being unrequited didn't fade.

She decided to walk to her seat, but she didn't go unnoticed. When she reached her desk, she realized that Toji was glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Something to say?" he asked, his tone as neutral as ever.

Momo looked at him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Why do you ask?" she replied, though deep down, she already knew the answer.

Toji observed her for a brief moment, his eyes holding a look that Momo interpreted as curiosity, but not in the way she wished. Finally, he simply shrugged and said, "Nothing."

Momo remained silent, and though her lips smiled, her heart felt empty. She knew that no matter what she said or did, she could never make him see her the way she saw him.

Toji walked toward the academy's exit, hands in his pockets and a relaxed expression. He had agreed to go to Momo's house to check out her inventions. Although he knew she had been interested in technology for a while, he had never paid much attention… until she mentioned that she could create something to make his work easier. Armor, weapons, accessories—whatever he needed. "A versatile weapon" was all Toji had asked for. He never imagined that conversation would lead to his current weapon.

When he reached the vehicle, Momo was already waiting by the car. She glanced at him and, without a word, got in. Toji didn't think much of it and followed suit, closing the door behind him. The driver, who always seemed on the verge of wanting to kill him, gave him a sharp look. Toji, unfazed, flashed him a mocking grin.

"Evening," the driver said in a dry tone.

Toji grunted in response, clearly annoyed, and rubbed his chin, stroking his mustache. He had never learned the man's name, nor did he care to.

The ride began, and soon Momo resumed her usual attitude of ignoring him. Something about her felt different, and the silence started to irritate him.

"What's wrong with you now?" Toji asked bluntly.

Momo glanced at him sideways—something she knew annoyed him—and simply let out a "Hmph" before looking straight ahead again.

Toji frowned. "Sometimes I forget you're just a kid…" he muttered dryly.

Momo shot him an offended look. "You're not much better, Mr. 'just a friend,'" she snapped back with a sharp tone.

Toji blinked, momentarily confused, until he remembered. "So you did hear… What did you want me to say? 'Yeah, Momo is my girlfriend'?"

She immediately turned red. "N-no, but I think I've earned the right to be more than 'just a friend,' don't you think?"

Toji rolled his eyes and smirked mockingly. "Fine. Next time, I'll say, 'She's my bestie. We do our nails and braid each other's hair every night.'" As he spoke, he exaggerated his gestures, mimicking overly feminine poses with deliberate exaggeration.

Momo couldn't help but laugh, though her face was still flushed. "D-don't be an idiot… I just thought I was someone more important than a friend," she finally said, lowering her voice and looking at the floor.

Toji sighed, slightly exasperated, and raised his hand to place it on Momo's head. Though the gesture was a bit rough, his words were not. "You are," he said simply, but with a sincerity that was rare for him.

Momo looked at him, surprised, and upon noticing the authenticity in his eyes, she simply nodded timidly. They didn't say anything else for the rest of the ride, but the atmosphere felt a little lighter.

Once they arrived at the mansion, Momo led him directly to a secluded area of the house. They stopped in front of a large metal door. Without a word, Momo approached what looked like a console embedded in the wall. She entered a password with precision, then leaned in for a retina scanner. A soft beep confirmed her identity, and the door began to open slowly, revealing a spacious laboratory.

"Leave your bag there," she instructed, pointing to a nearby locker while removing her tie. Toji obeyed with little interest and walked over to where she was working.

"Give me the bracelet," Momo said, extending her hand firmly.

Toji handed it to her without protest, watching as she walked over to a table covered in tools, lenses, and small instruments that looked like advanced magnifiers. Momo examined the bracelet under one of the lenses, slightly furrowing her brow.

"As I suspected, it's failing. I'll have to make a new one; this one is beyond repair," she declared with a sigh.

Toji scoffed, clearly laughing at her, but Momo shot him a reproachful look. "If you didn't use it like that, it'd be indestructible. Stop mocking me!" she exclaimed, puffing her cheeks in irritation.

Ignoring her comment, Toji crossed his arms, watching her work.

After a few moments of silence, Momo continued, "Anyway… we never really talked about this because I didn't care much before, but… are you really quirkless?"

Toji sighed, tired of hearing that question countless times. Before he could answer, Momo interrupted again.

"I know you've had all the tests done multiple times, but it's not normal… You're not normal. Is it something you know, or is it unknown even to you?"

Toji opened his mouth to give his usual automatic response, but when he looked at Momo, something changed. Old doubts, buried long ago, began to resurface.

The silence between them grew heavy before he finally spoke: "The world… what was the world like before all this?"

Momo blinked, puzzled by the sudden question. After a moment, she sighed. "Do you need to review history again?"

"No," Toji said, looking directly into her eyes. "Have you ever heard anything about... sorcerers or curses?"

Momo's frown deepened. Her confusion was evident. "What are you talking about? Toji-kun, are you okay?"

However, he wasn't joking. There was a gravity in his expression that Momo rarely saw.