Momo Yaoyorozu prided herself on being practical and methodical in all things, even matters of the heart. So when she noticed that her classmates kept hinting at a potential romance between her and Shoto Todoroki, she decided she needed to "prepare." Love was like any other skill, after all-it required practice.
She considered her options carefully before settling on Izuku Midoriya. He was kind, unassuming, and above all, harmless. Someone who wouldn't judge her if she stumbled through her attempts at romance.
"Midoriya-kun," she said one afternoon, her voice soft and uncertain. "Could I ask you for a favor?"
Izuku, ever the helpful friend, blinked in surprise. "Of course, Yaoyorozu! What do you need?"
She hesitated, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Well, you see, I've been thinking about... relationships. And I thought it might be beneficial to practice. Could you... help me with that? Like, pretend to date me?"
His face turned crimson as he stammered. "P-Practice dating?! With me?"
Momo nodded earnestly. "Yes, exactly. You're trustworthy and kind, and I think you'd make an excellent... trial partner. It's just pretend, of course."
Reluctantly, Izuku agreed. He didn't see any harm in helping a friend. But what started as a simple exercise quickly spiraled into something much darker.
At first, Momo treated it like a study session. She planned their "dates" meticulously, asking him about his likes and dislikes, analyzing his reactions to different scenarios. She even created small gifts for him-trinkets and tokens that she convinced herself were part of the practice.
But over time, something changed.
When Izuku smiled at her, her chest would tighten in a way she couldn't explain. When he complimented her, she felt a warmth that lingered far too long. And when their "dates" ended, she found herself wishing they wouldn't.
Momo began to act like his real girlfriend, despite knowing this was just an experiment. She'd wait for him after class, bring him lunches she'd prepared herself, and even gently adjust his tie before hero training.
"You're so thoughtful, Yaoyorozu," Izuku said one day, smiling at her.
Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to believe he meant it in a way that went beyond friendship, but she knew better. Still, she couldn't stop herself.
Eventually, Izuku approached her, his expression hesitant. *"Yaoyorozu, I think we should stop this... practice thing."*
Momo froze, the words cutting through her like a knife. *"Stop? But why?"*
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. *"I just think you don't need it anymore. You're amazing, and if you wanted to date someone for real, I'm sure they'd be lucky to have you."*
Her chest tightened, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe. Was this rejection? No, it couldn't be. He wasn't rejecting her-he was rejecting the gift she had given him, the time and care she had poured into him.
But she swallowed her emotions and forced a smile. *"You're right, Midoriya-kun. Thank you for helping me."*
She walked away, her composure unbroken. But inside, her mind was racing. She couldn't understand why it hurt so much.
And then, one day, she saw him with Ochako Uraraka.
They were laughing together, their smiles bright and carefree. Uraraka leaned closer to him, her eyes sparkling with affection, and Izuku blushed in that endearing way Momo knew so well.
Momo's heart plummeted, then twisted into something darker.
"Why is he smiling like that with her?" she muttered to herself, her hands clenching into fists. Her quirk, Creation, activated involuntarily, and she had to stop herself from forming something sharp and dangerous.
The jealousy was overwhelming. She had spent so much time with him, learned everything about him, and yet he was giving her the smiles that should have belonged to Momo.
Momo's behavior changed after that. She became more possessive, more desperate. She started creating small devices to keep track of Izuku-tiny cameras disguised as trinkets, a bracelet with a hidden tracker she gave him as a "thank you" gift.
"It's just a little something to remember our time together," she said sweetly as she fastened it around his wrist.
She began to show up wherever he was, always with an excuse. "I was just passing by," she'd say, her smile practiced and serene.
But inside, her mind was anything but calm.
"Why does he spend so much time with her? Does he care about her more than me?" she thought, her jealousy festering. "I need to remind him who really understands him, who's always been there for him."
One evening, she cornered him after class, her expression calm but her eyes burning with intensity.
"Midoriya-kun,"she began, her voice soft but unyielding. "I need to talk to you."
He turned to her, surprised. "What's wrong, Yaoyorozu?"
She stepped closer, invading his space. "You've been spending a lot of time with Uraraka-san lately."
Izuku blinked, caught off guard. "Well, she's my friend. We're just-"
"Friends?" Momo interrupted, her voice rising slightly. "Is that all she is to you?"
He took a step back, uneasy. "Of course! Yaoyorozu, are you okay?"
Her calm façade cracked, and she grabbed his wrist, her grip surprisingly strong."You don't understand, Midoriya-kun. You're... important to me. More than anyone else. I can't stand the thought of someone taking you away from me."
Izuku's heart raced, panic creeping in. I'm "Yaoyorozu, I'm not-"
"No!" she snapped, her voice trembling. "You don't get to walk away from me. Not after everything we've been through. You belong with me, Midoriya-kun. Only me."
From that day forward, Momo's obsession only grew. She began isolating him from others, subtly manipulating situations to ensure they spent more time together. She would "accidentally" interrupt his conversations with Uraraka, always with a perfectly reasonable excuse.
And when Izuku tried to confront her about her behavior, she would tilt her head and smile. "I'm just looking out for you, Midoriya-kun. Isn't that what friends do?"
But deep down, Momo knew this wasn't about friendship. It was about possession. And she would do whatever it took to keep him by her side.
Even if it meant breaking him entirely.
