Camie's phone vibrated against her thigh just as Mina finished an elaborate story about her dance club days. She glanced down, expecting another text from Izuku, but instead saw a Twitter notification lighting up her screen.
"Holy shit," she muttered, opening the app.
"What's wrong?" Momo called from across the expansive home theater where they'd gathered.
"You're gonna want to see this," Camie said, holding up her phone. "Our boys just broke Twitter."
The other girls immediately scrambled for their phones, but Camie had already pulled up the post on hers. It was a selfie from Izuku's account—all nine boys crammed into frame with Izuku dead center, his arm around Iida's shoulder, that rare, unguarded smile lighting up his face. The hashtag #UABoyzNight hovered beneath, along with a like count that made her eyebrows shoot up.
"Twenty-seven thousand likes? In an hour?" Jiro leaned over Camie's shoulder, her earphone jacks twitching in surprise.
"The comments section is thirsty enough to solve a drought," Camie said, scrolling through the responses. "Listen to this one: 'Is that Midoriya from the Sports Festival? I would climb him like a tree.'"
"Let me see!" Hagakure's floating pajama top pushed closer, the sleeve brushing against Camie's arm.
Mina snatched the phone, her black-and-gold eyes widening as she scrolled. "Damn, these girls are bold. Some of these are straight-up marriage proposals."
"Kero. They're saying similar things about all the boys," Tsuyu noted, looking at her own phone. "Though Midoriya-chan does seem to be getting special attention."
Uraraka peered over Mina's shoulder, her round cheeks pinking slightly. "They don't even know them. How can they say such... forward things?"
"Welcome to being a UA student after the Sports Festival," Camie said, reclaiming her phone. "Public property now, fam."
Hitomi sat apart from the group, legs folded beneath her on one of Momo's plush couches. Her dual-colored hair fell in a perfect curtain around her face as she studied her own phone, but Camie caught the slight narrowing of her mismatched eyes.
"Jealous, ice queen?" Camie teased, sliding onto the couch beside her.
"Don't be ridiculous," Hitomi replied, though the temperature around her dropped noticeably.
Yui Kodai, sitting cross-legged on a floor cushion nearby, glanced up. "Mm."
That single syllable somehow perfectly captured the absurdity of Hitomi's denial, and Camie bit back a laugh. She'd grown oddly fond of Kodai's minimalist communication style.
"Girls, girls," Mina called, clapping her hands. Her pink skin practically glowed under the soft lighting of Momo's home theater. "Let's focus on what's important here. The boys are having their bonding night, and we're having ours." She reached into her overnight bag and pulled out a bottle. "And I brought a little pick-me-up."
Momo gasped, nearly spilling her tea. "Ashido-san! We can't have alcohol!"
"Relax, Yaomomo," Mina said, rolling her eyes. "It's non-alcoholic. Just sparkling cider with some fancy herbs that make it taste grown-up."
"Oh." Momo settled back against her mountain of pillows, looking slightly embarrassed. "That's acceptable, then."
"Would've been more fun with the real stuff," Camie muttered, earning a sharp look from Momo and a tiny giggle from Hagakure.
"So," Mina continued, producing plastic champagne flutes from her bag, "who wants to toast to our success at the Sports Festival?"
As Mina distributed the drinks, the massive theater door swung open. A woman who could only be Momo's mother glided in, carrying a tray of elaborate pastries.
"I thought you girls might enjoy some refreshments," Mrs. Yaoyorozu said, setting down the tray. Her gaze fell on Mina's bottle, and one perfectly shaped eyebrow arched upward.
"It's non-alcoholic, Yaoyorozu-sama," Mina said quickly.
"What a shame," Mrs. Yaoyorozu replied with a conspiratorial smile. "When I was your age, my friends and I would sneak my father's plum wine during our sleepovers."
Momo's jaw dropped. "Mother!"
Mrs. Yaoyorozu laughed, the sound like crystal bells. "Oh, darling, don't look so scandalized. I was young once too." She surveyed the room, her sharp eyes taking in the scattered phones. "What has you all so engrossed in your devices? Not school work, I hope. This is meant to be fun."
"The boys posted a selfie from their guys' night," Uraraka explained. "It's getting a lot of attention."
"May I?" Mrs. Yaoyorozu held out her hand, and Camie passed over her phone. The woman studied the image, a slow smile spreading across her face. "My, my. UA certainly grows them handsome these days." Her gaze lingered on Izuku. "Especially this one. The green-haired boy who won the Sports Festival, yes?"
"That's Midoriya," Momo confirmed, a subtle blush creeping up her neck.
"Ah, yes. Your date tomorrow." Mrs. Yaoyorozu handed the phone back to Camie. "Excellent choice, Momo. That face alone—"
"Mother, please!" Momo buried her face in a pillow.
Mrs. Yaoyorozu laughed again. "I'll leave you girls to your fun. Don't stay up too late, and do try those eclairs Kuroka made. They're simply divine." She glided out as gracefully as she'd entered, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
"Your mom is awesome," Camie said finally.
"And terrifying," Jiro added.
"She seems to approve of Midoriya-chan," Tsuyu noted.
Momo emerged from her pillow, her face still flushed. "She's been insufferable since I mentioned our... outing tomorrow. She's already asked the chef to prepare a picnic basket."
"Wait," Mina interjected, eyes widening. "You have a date with Midoriya? When did this happen?"
Momo fidgeted with the hem of her silk pajama top. "It's not exactly a date. We're just going to the art museum and then perhaps lunch."
"That's literally the definition of a date," Camie pointed out, taking a sip of Mina's fancy cider. It wasn't half bad.
"I thought..." Uraraka looked between Camie and Momo, confusion evident in her round eyes. "Aren't you and Midoriya together, Utsushimi-san?"
The room went suddenly quiet. Camie felt all eyes on her, including Hitomi's intense heterochromatic gaze. She took another slow sip before answering.
"We are," she confirmed.
"But then..." Hagakure's sleeves moved in what Camie assumed was a gesture of confusion.
"It's complicated," Camie said, then glanced at Momo. "Yaomomo, you want to explain, or should I?"
Momo took a deep breath. "Midoriya-kun, Utsushimi-san, Todoroki-san, and I have an... arrangement."
The silence that followed was so profound Camie could hear the ice melting in Yui's glass.
"An arrangement?" Jirou repeated slowly.
"The four of us are dating," Hitomi stated bluntly. "Or will be, once Yaoyorozu officially joins."
Mina's jaw dropped so far Camie worried it might detach. "You're in a relationship with Midoriya?"
"Yes," Camie said simply.
"All three of you?" Uraraka clarified, her eyes wide as saucers.
"That's typically what that means, fam."
"But..." Hagakure's sleeves twisted together. "How does that even work?"
Camie shrugged. "Pretty well so far, actually. We talk, we set boundaries, we respect each other."
"But aren't you jealous?" Mina pressed.
"Sometimes," Hitomi admitted, surprising everyone. "But I'd rather share him than not have him at all."
"Same," Camie agreed. "Besides, it's not like any of us could handle him alone. The man has stamina for days."
"Utsushimi-san!" Momo hissed, throwing a pillow that Camie deftly caught.
"What? It's true." She winked at the blushing Momo. "You'll both find out soon enough."
"I don't understand," Hagakure said, her voice smaller than usual. "Why would he want multiple girlfriends? Isn't one enough?"
Something in her tone made Camie look more closely at the empty space where Hagakure's face should be. The invisible girl's pajama shoulders had hunched slightly, her sleeves wrapped around her middle.
"It's not about wanting multiple girlfriends," Camie explained, gentling her voice. "It's about connecting with specific people. Midoriya cares about each of us individually."
"But why us?" Hagakure persisted. "Why not someone like... me?"
Ah. There it was. So she decided to not be a burden.
"Do you like Midoriya, Hagakure-chan?" Tsuyu asked directly.
The floating pajamas seemed to shrink. "Maybe. Yes. But what's the point? He can't even see me."
"That's not why," Camie said firmly. "Izu doesn't care about looks."
"Easy for you to say," Hagakure retorted. "You're gorgeous. All three of you are. I'm just... nothing."
"That's not true," Momo said, moving to sit beside the invisible girl. "You're vibrant and kind and brave."
"And loud," Jiro added with a small smile. "In the best way."
"Midoriya-chan notices more than you think," Tsuyu said. "He commented on your new perfume last week."
Hagakure's sleeve moved to where her face would be. "He did?"
Camie leaned forward. "Look, Hagakure, you're not invisible because of your quirk. Not to us, and definitely not to Midoriya. The arrangement thing happened organically. It wasn't planned."
"It certainly wasn't," Momo murmured.
"If you like him, tell him," Camie continued. "He deserves to know, and you deserve an honest answer."
"But what if he rejects me?"
"Then you'll know," Hitomi said simply. "Uncertainty is worse than rejection."
"Spoken like someone who's never been rejected," Hagakure muttered.
Hitomi's mismatched eyes hardened slightly. "I've faced plenty of rejection. Just not from him."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Yui broke it with a quiet, "Mm," which somehow perfectly captured the tension.
"Look," Camie said, "this night is supposed to be fun, not therapy. Hagakure, if you like Midoriya, shoot your shot. The worst he can say is no, and trust me, he'd be super nice about it."
"And if he says yes?" Uraraka asked. "Would you all be okay with that?"
Camie glanced at Momo and Hitomi. "That's something we'd discuss together. Like adults."
"This is the most bizarre conversation I've ever been part of," Jiro declared, flopping back against a beanbag. "Can we please talk about something else? Like how Kaminari almost electrocuted himself trying to charge Sero's phone yesterday?"
The tension broke as Mina launched into the story, complete with dramatic reenactment. Soon the girls were laughing again, the awkwardness fading as they shared class anecdotes and training mishaps.
Later, as they settled in to watch a movie, Camie found herself between Momo and Hitomi on one of the plush couches.
"That went well," she whispered sarcastically.
"Could have been worse," Momo replied.
"Hagakure's feelings are unexpected," Hitomi noted quietly.
"Not really," Camie said. "Midoriya has that effect on people. And they did have that moment at USJ."
"Do you think she'll tell him?" Momo asked.
Camie shrugged. "Fifty-fifty. But if she does..."
"We'll handle it," Hitomi finished.
On screen, the movie's heroine faced down her nemesis. Camie glanced around at the circle of girls—some now friends, some still just classmates—and felt content.
She'd spent most of her life alone, crafting a carefully curated image of the perfect, trendy girl. No roots, no attachments, just the next illusion. But somehow, she'd stumbled into something real—not just with Izuku, but with these girls too. Even Hitomi, who she'd initially seen as competition, was becoming someone she genuinely respected.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Izuku: Boys night winding down. Hope girls night is fun. Miss you.
She typed back: Drama exploded. Tell you tomorrow. Miss you more.
=======
I take another swig of my Monster Energy—my third today—and adjust my blue Stitch kigurumi as I peer through the viewfinder. The studio lights are hot, but I refuse to take off my comfy onesie. It's my lucky charm.
"Okay, guys! Remember what we talked about!" I call out, my voice cracking from too much caffeine. "Be yourselves, but like, the version of yourselves that makes people want to read about you!"
In front of me, Xavier Valentine leans against the wall, arms crossed, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. His snow-white hair falls perfectly across one eye, and those purple irises practically glow under the studio lights. Beside him, Calypso fidgets with the hem of her silver-blue dress, her pink eyes darting between Xavier and the camera.
"This is ridiculous," Xavier mutters, but loud enough for my mic to pick up.
"Just thirty seconds," I plead, pushing my round glasses up my nose. "Thirty seconds to tell people about KamiKowa, then you can go back to your apartment and do whatever gods and assassins do in their free time."
Calypso perks up. "Oh! Can I start?"
"Sure! In three, two—" I point at her.
Calypso steps forward, somehow making the simple movement look ethereal. "Hi everyone! I'm Calypso Valentine, Goddess of Reincarnation, and this grumpy but gorgeous man beside me is Xavier!" She tugs Xavier's arm until he reluctantly steps into frame. "We're the stars of KamiKowa, the next big webnovel you absolutely need to read!"
Xavier sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Do I really have to do this?"
"Yes," I hiss from behind the camera. "Tell them why they should read about you!"
He locks eyes with the camera, and I swear the temperature in the room drops ten degrees. "Fine. I died. Got shot in the head. Then this divine menace—" he jerks a thumb toward Calypso, "—decided I was interesting enough to get a second chance. Now we're stuck together trying to close seven gates to hell while pretending to be students at some magical academy."
"It's not hell, it's dimensional rifts," Calypso corrects. "And Catalyst Academy is the most prestigious hunter school in the world! Tell them about your ability!"
"My ability," Xavier says, his voice flat but eyes sharp, "is basically a fighting game meter. I hit things, I get power. Revolutionary."
I groan. "Xavier! Put some effort in!"
He shrugs one shoulder. "What do you want me to say? That I'm an ex-assassin with a gambling addiction who's now bound to a goddess within two hundred meters or we both die? That I'm building a "harem" because apparently that's how my power system works?"
"Yes!" I exclaim. "Exactly that!"
Calypso giggles, stepping closer to the camera. "What Xavi is trying to say is that KamiKowa has everything! Divine politics! Monster hunting! Academy drama! A former killer learning to actually care about people! Me being fabulous! And yes, the best romance."
"It's not a harem," Xavier interjects. "It's a power system based on forming soul bonds with people I care about. Which is problematic since I spent my entire previous life avoiding attachments."
"So you admit you care about me?" Calypso teases, pink eyes twinkling.
Xavier's mouth twitches. "I admit nothing."
I tap on the camera. "Guys! Focus! Tell them about powerstones!"
"Oh right!" Calypso clasps her hands together. "If you want to read about our adventures, check out KamiKowa! Support with powerstones so I can get more sweets!"
Xavier glances at my Stitch onesie, ink-stained fingers, and the collection of empty Monster cans beside me. "Look at her. She needs the support. I'm pretty sure she hasn't slept in three days and I'm not getting on Lycoris' bad side."
"Four," I correct, taking another swig. "But who's counting?"
Calypso moves toward the camera, her movements graceful despite her excitement. "The story has everything! Gates with monsters! Soul bonds! Divine politics! Me being trapped as a mortal! Xavier's journey from heartless killer to reluctant hero! The Seven Primordial Gates that could destroy reality!"
Xavier steps forward, suddenly engaged. "And if you like stories where the protagonist isn't some wide-eyed innocent but someone who's seen the worst of humanity and still managed to find something worth fighting for..." He pauses, his voice dropping. "Then maybe you'll find something worthwhile in my story."
I blink in surprise. That was... actually perfect.
"Cut!" I call, setting down my camera. "That was great! Xavier, I didn't know you had it in you."
He shrugs, already turning to leave. "I didn't. I was channeling what Dominic would say."
"Well, it worked," I say, scribbling notes in my butterfly-covered notebook. "Thanks guys!"
As they head for the door, I hear Calypso ask, "So, about that admission that you care about me..."
"I was acting," Xavier replies, but there's something in his tone that suggests otherwise.
I smile to myself, pulling another Monster from my backpack. Please don't tell Lycoris. Time to edit this footage and get back to writing. The story of a goddess and her reluctant champion isn't going to tell itself.
And maybe, just maybe, I'll finally get some sleep.
After one more little chapter.