(Kata POV – Kata's House)
I feel a weight on my chest and let out a tired sigh despite just waking up.
Opening my eyes, I look down and find Himiko clinging to me like a koala, her cheek pressed against my collarbone. She's fast asleep, breathing softly, her yellow pajamas slightly wrinkled from how tightly she's latched on.
'She must've snuck in,' I recall, watching her for a moment.
With practiced ease, I turn intangible and slip out from under her, replacing myself with a pillow. She murmurs something, hugging it with the same possessiveness.
'I hope this is just a one-time occurrence.'
I head to the bathroom, shower, and change into some comfortable clothes. When I finish, I check my phone as it vibrates with the subtle dread of too many notifications.
99+ new messages.
I raise an eyebrow and open my messenger app.
The class group chat is overflowing. I scroll up and catch a rough timeline: confusion when Midoriya dropped his location, rising panic when they realized it was Hosu, followed by anxious texts until Todoroki gave an update that we were alive and safe.
Most of the messages after that are directed at me.
"Did they have to tag me so much?" I mumble, bemused, but still scrolling.
Dozens of messages asking if I was okay. More asking if I was the one who killed the Nomu, and the newer ones from this morning telling me to check the news.
I respond to the people who messaged individually, Mina, Momo, Kirishima, and a few others.
I tell them that I'm fine, and that I was simply exhausted and... busy.
Finally, I ask the group chat what news they're referring to.
The replies come quickly, telling me to check online or on the TV.
I sigh, close the chat, and open a news site while walking to the kitchen. At the same time, I start thinking about breakfast.
'What would Eri like?' I pause for a moment. 'Pancakes are always a safe option, but I should research breakfast options.'
With a flick of my finger, I levitate ingredients to the counter and start mixing batter mid-air while skimming the news.
The headlines are... amusing.
"U.A. Student's dangerous quirk usage during Hosu Incident?"
"One misstep could've led to significant casualties."
"U.A. sending untrained students to battle. "
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. The articles aren't informative, just speculation wrapped in fear. Pages full of what-ifs and worst case hypothetical scenarios. There are some positive ones, but they aren't as popular.
'Is AFO behind this? What a waste of effort.' I think in amusement as I close the browser.
I send a final message to the group chat.
Kata:
It's all guesswork and hypothecals. It doesn't matter.
Then I go back to focusing on cooking, which is something that actually matters.
The pan is already preheated. I pour the batter in with measured precision, using my quirk to adjust the heat distribution and ensure the pancakes are slightly crispy on the outside, and fluffy within. The syrup is warmed separately.
'What a way to make use of Telekinesis.' I grin.
I make enough for all three of us. I keep them hot using molecular manipulation, then walk back to my room to wake Himiko.
She's still hugging the pillow I left behind, eyes closed, smiling peacefully.
I nudge her shoulder. "Wake up. Breakfast is ready."
She groans and rolls away from me.
"I guess you'll eat breakfast alone." I say casually.
Her eyes crack open. She blinks blearily at me, then suddenly stretches her arms toward me while grinning.
"Carry me~" She asks cheerfully.
I blink down at her and return her grin with a flat smile. "No."
I turn and leave. Behind me, I hear a dramatic groan of betrayal as she slowly drags herself out of bed.
Next, I head to Eri's room. She's curled up under the blanket, her body buried beneath the sheets.
I kneel beside the bed. "Eri. It's time for breakfast."
She stirs slowly, blinking up at me with sleep-heavy eyes. "Okay," she whispers, voice still drowsy.
I smile and gently pick her up. She wraps her arms around my neck without hesitation, nestling against me.
As I step out into the hallway, Himiko emerges from my room and freezes when she sees me carrying Eri.
Her mouth drops open.
"You wouldn't carry me, but you're carrying her?!" she cries with mock sadness.
'Eri isn't as heavy,' I think, but I'm smart enough not to say it aloud. Not that weight really matters with my strength.
"Someone who hijacked my bed forfeits their right to complain."
Himiko pauses, then nods slowly, seemingly deciding that she got the better deal. She skips into the kitchen humming a cheerful tone at her realisation.
I seat Eri at the table and pour a generous helping of syrup over her pancakes. Himiko takes her seat across from her, eyeing her own portion with a pleased grin.
I serve my own plate last, and sit.
The three of us eat together in a warm, comfortable silence.
Himiko hums happily as she eats, while Eri is quiet, but smiles after each bite, and mumbles a cheerful, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." I smile, and ruffle her hair, making her giggle.
Himiko's eyes follow my hand.
"Thank you for the food, Kata~" She says with a smile as she leans towards me expectantly.
I roll my eyes at her antics, but pat her head too, causing her to blush with a happy smile.
After breakfast, I finish cleaning up the kitchen while Himiko and Eri take a bath. The clinking of dishes is the only sound as I dry the last plate and place it on the rack.
'The news doesn't bother me—but that doesn't mean I shouldn't prepare since clearly someone's targeting me.' The thought crosses my mind.
With a sigh, I settle onto the couch and split off a second body, embedding half my consciousness into it. It teleports to Mirko's house for the internship, thanks to my newly acquired spatial manipulation, leaving my main body behind.
I lean back, staring at the ceiling for a moment, then sit up.
'I need to ensure Eri's safety. Especially since I plan to enroll her in school soon. It needs to be something simple she can always have with her.'
A watch comes to mind. It's cute, unassuming, but functional. I scroll through designs on my phone and settle on a soft pink one with a little unicorn designs. 'Eri will like that.'
Now for the hard part.
I begin by gathering air in my palm. The molecules swirl, and I transmute them—breaking atoms down, rearranging particles, creating heavier or lighter elements as needed. My focus sharpens as I start shaping the resin and plastic, forming a sturdy but lightweight casing. I sculpt it carefully, sanding down the edges with fine control of my quirk until it's smooth to the touch.
The wristband comes next—flexible but durable. I add 2 unicorn-shaped charms, more to make her smile than functionality.
The display follows. I craft it with delicate precision, piecing together the inner structure like assembling a puzzle. Once the outer shell is done, I move on to its core.
Powering it with a battery would be simple. But I don't want simple.
Instead, I use my Telekinetic Energy and bind it to the watch. That way, it's not only safer but far longer lasting. No need to worry about it dying ever.
'Alright... now the actual safety features.'
I close my eyes, and mold the energy into layered protocols—each tailored to a specific threat. Malicious intent generates a reactive shield. Sudden force or impact creates counter forces. If she's injured, it'll emit healing energy.
Just in case the shield breaks, I embed a full intangibility for evasion, short-term flight for escape, and an emergency teleport back home.
Finally, I infuse a communicator system, linked directly to me. No matter where I am, she can tap the watch twice and talk to me. I'll hear her instantly. It'd be useful in emergencies, or if she just wants to say hi.
I charge it fully—pure Telekinetic energy coursing through its circuitry. The glow fades into a soft shimmer. I frown at the white glow, and with a thought, change the energy pink. Now, it'll glow pink in the dark.
'At full charge would last a few years if used at max power the entire time. I don't feel it's enough, but it should work for now. Besides, I can always upgrade it later.'
I inspect the final product. Compact. Lightweight. Cute. Overengineered beyond reason.
'Even my hero costume didn't get this much attention.' I smile at the thought. 'Another task for later, I suppose'
I can already imagine Mei's enthusiasm if I ever asked for her cooperation.
Just then, Himiko and Eri step into the living room, after getting changed. Himiko's wearing one of my shirts, clearly too big for her, and obviously stolen.
'She's gotten quite comfortable after last night.' I note. 'Is she just banking on me not stopping her?' I narrow my eyes at her, but issue isn't worth pursuing, so I just sigh.
"Eri, come here," I call.
Her ears perk, and she runs over with a wide smile. I scoop her up into a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around my neck.
"I have a gift for you." I produce the watch and hold it out in my palm.
Her eyes sparkle. "For me?" she asks, voice hushed with disbelief. She glances between me and the watch, like she's afraid to take it.
I nod with a smile. "I made it just for you. It'll keep you safe—and you can talk to me anytime with it. Want me to put it on?"
She beams and offers her wrist shyly. "Yes, please…"
I gently strap it on, securing the clasp and tapping the display. It glows with a soft pink light. She stares at it in awe, eyes wide, then hugs me tightly again.
"Thank you so much, Kata!" she says, her voice full of pure joy.
"You're welcome," I reply, patting her back. "You're important to me. I want you safe."
From behind us, a distinct groan breaks the moment.
"Ugh! You wouldn't even carry me, and she gets a custom-made magic watch?!" Himiko pouts with her hands on her hips, though her voice is more playful than annoyed.
I glance at her. "I was going to make you something too. I just didn't know what kind of design you'd want."
Her eyes light up mischievously. "So... I get to choose?"
I nod slowly. "As long as it's reasonable."
She leans closer with a sly grin. "Anything at all~?"
'She's scheming something.'
"...If it's reasonable," I repeat.
She pouts, then perks up. "Okay, okay. What about a ring?"
"No," I answer immediately.
"Whyyyyy?" she whines loudly, as she plops down on the couch next to me.
"Because I know you'd spin it like I just proposed."
She clicks her tongue, then chuckles. "It was worth a try."
"You can take your time picking something," I say, stroking Eri's hair as she sits on my lap, happily tapping the watch and giggling at the light. "No rush."
"Fine~" Himiko hums, reclining next to us. "But now the bar's been set high. Better make mine cooler than hers."
"You want a unicorn too?" I deadpan.
"…Maybe." She smirks, crossing her arms.
I shake my head with a slight smile, warmth rising in my chest.
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A/N: Hello Everyone. NGL, I'm disappointed in myself this chapter for a few reasons. Firstly, it's only 1.9k words long, and I normally strive for 2k+ always. But stretching it feels unnatural. Secondly, I wanted to achieve more stuff this chapter in terms of plot, but failed. Anyway, such is life.
I finally sorted some things out. Eri is now 100% safe (Kata doesn't think it's enough though), and he'll be doing the same for Toga, and a few others soon. As well as the house eventually. Finally got that out of the way. There's a lot of stuff I wasn't to do, but don't want to drag out. Actually, I just realised that I'm stressing too much for no reason. I can fit it in later, so nvm.
Next chapter is one to look forward to (in my opinion at least). It'll offer a... Fresh perspective, if I dare say. Internships will be over soon too, and we can jump back into canon. In about 4 chapters I guess. Maybe 5.
I'm also extremely sleepy rn (not that anyone cares💀), so I'll probably only respond to messages in like 6 to 8 hours.
I would appreciate feedback, advice, or general commentary though. Also, please leave me some comments, reviews or powerstones if you enjoyed the chapter and book so far. It really helps the book.
That's all from me, have a great day😁.
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