Chapter Text
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
PROLOGUE
The blaring of the alarm clock made Yaoyorozu Momo groan in bed. She opened her eyes only to see her dim bedroom; the thick curtains save her from the morning sunlight outside the penthouse. Stretching like a cat, she got out of bed. She got an hour and a half to prepare for the office. Yes, the office and not being a Pro-Hero.
It has been years since they graduated from UA. It may sound absurd of her to study in a hero school but not end up becoming a Pro-Hero afterward. The answer for that would be her parents, whom indeed she bargained with when she was in high school to let her pursue studying at a hero school but didn’t promise that they would let her become one. Being the only child of her influential family, she should have known it from the start. Getting away from the clutches of her family name would be a pipe dream.
She reached the kitchen. Her eyes started to scan the fridge for a viable choice of breakfast. She’s not a good cook, so her mother told her to get a personal chef, but she declined. She thinks it’s a bit too much, and to be honest, even though she sometimes cooked monstrosities in her kitchen, she enjoyed it a lot. The sense of doing and acquiring things on her own is her solitude.
Momo opted for the pancake mix and some eggs. Noticing the telephone in the living room, she immediately checked it for any voicemail. Coincidentally, there are indeed various ones that came from work, but the familiar voice of a man suddenly made her stop.
“ I think I won’t be able to visit for a couple of days. There’s a mission given to us. Let’s talk when I get back. Take care.”
It was the aloof voice of Todoroki Shoto, her soon-to-be fiance. Ah, yes! I didn’t become a Pro-Hero, though I would be marrying one of the top 3 heroes in Japan instead! May someone notice that she’s being sarcastic right now! Of course, Shoto isn’t an awful choice; well, for her parents, that is. It’s been a year since they started dating because her parents wanted her to.
Her beloved parents even controlled the romance in her life. A year of dating Shoto is quite exceptional, but that doesn’t mean she’s already head over heels on him. Sure, she may like him back when they were in high school, but that’s it! When she graduated and was sent overseas to study for business, her experiences of youth were buried. She can’t even manage to find the dead butterflies in her stomach for the man when they met each other again after years of being away from Japan.
And his fan girls would be cursing me for the rest of their lives when they find out about our relationship!
She sighed and took the sizzling egg from the pan; on another pan beside were the almost cooked pancakes. Todoroki Shoto is a handsome man that girls would gladly dream of and drool. His matured look after graduating high school doesn’t even help. She should be celebrating instead of overthinking things like this in her mind, yet she couldn’t stop. It’s like he wasn’t enough for her to fall in love with.
I don’t know what, but something is just amiss between us.
What would that be? He may have trouble socializing with her because of his aloof self, but it does not bother her. She understands it since he came from a distorted family and had a rough childhood. They both have issues in life, which makes it simple to feel at ease with each other. They do dates frequently and spend time at each house,but still, something’s lacking.
The next voice mail beeped. The solemn voice of her best friend, Jirou Kyouka, started to play.
''Hey, Mo. I would like to inform you that we’re having a high school reunion for our batch this Friday. Everyone’s coming, and so are you. The venue would be UA’s gymnasium! No but’s and what’s, or else I won’t be inviting you to my wedding! I love you!''
She felt as if the world stopped; a reunion? The gnawing in her stomach intensifies as her anxiety kicks in. After she came back from graduating overseas, she decided to avoid even coming out of her house or office to not bump with her classmates who’ve become Pro-Heroes successfully (other than Jirou, whom she confided things to all the time). She felt this bitter feeling of being left out or embarrassed by the fact that she didn’t manage to be with them as a Pro-Hero.
The smell of burning food pulled her back to reality. She took the pan out of the stove and slapped her forehead. Come on, it's just one time. One night to be exact. I must be there for that!
Due to the sudden announcement, she couldn’t finish her breakfast. The cold shower didn’t help as her mind became more occupied with the negative things. She dressed in a crisp white ensemble of coat and slacks. She paired it with white stilettos and pulled her hair up in a twisted bun; her makeup look consisted of sharp winged eyeliner and bold red lipstick. She looked like a fine woman belonging to the upper-crust and corporate world, except that in her heart, she did not.
Her guards were already waiting for her with the sleek black cars lining up in the parking lot. One of them opened the door for her, and she settled herself inside. They all convoy to reach the tall tower that belonged to the Yaoyorozu. When they arrived at the building, the employees greeted her outside. Her secretary, Yuki, was also waiting for her with a bow.
She bowed to them for an acknowledgment before entering the building. Yuki’s fast on her heels beside her as she scans the tablet she’s holding. “We’re having a meeting today with our new investors, Miss. They would be arriving after an hour.”
“Oh, that new investor. Prepare the meeting room for them immediately. Is there any other significant work for today?”
“Other than this meeting and some proposals that needed to be signed, there are none,” Yuki said.
They reached the elevator, and Yuki immediately pushed the button for the top floor where Momo’s office was. After graduating overseas, she spent years starting from the bottom of the company, even though her parents didn’t want to. She may be a privileged person, but she doesn’t need that when she can do things with her expertise. Three years later, she’s now co-managing the company as the COO. Although, it’s like she’s the CEO since her father (CEO) is giving her all the work and decisions.
Yuki blurted out suddenly, “Weirdly, the investors are currently on their way here?”
The elevator pinged, and she got out with the same confusion as her secretary. The CEO occupied the top floor; her father told her she could reside there if she wanted to. This one, she didn’t interject since she loved the silence and privacy it offered.
Momo sat on the CEO’s chair. “What’s the sudden urgency?”
“I don’t know, Miss. Anyway, I’m going to prepare the meeting room right now.” Yuki bowed her head before heading out.
She was left alone, her bodyguards lounging a floor below since the top floor needed an access card in the elevator. If you do not have access, you’re automatically going to be dropped off the floor below and would not reach here by elevator. Momo checked the papers on her desk, reminding her of the proposals she must sign later. She sighed and twirled the chair to see the full view of the city beyond the tall glass walls. I wonder how my day would usually start if I became a Pro-Hero like Jirou.
Her musings were cut short she heard the elevator pinged. “What is it, Yuki?”
She spun around only to find an unfamiliar man clothed in a long brown trench coat. She immediately stood up, the anxiety rising in her head. The man’s face was void of emotions as if a lifeless doll were standing there instead.
“Fall, Yaoyorozu.” The man immediately pulled off his coat to reveal large bombs latched on his body.
Momo’s eyes went wide. Before she could react, the blinding spark of the explosion came. Since she’s fully clothed, all that she could manage to do was create a fabric akin used on EOD suits to protect her from the heat wave of the explosion. She used the advantage of taking off the button of her coat to create the material from her exposed chest, now only covered by a black lace brassiere. Although, it didn’t protect her from the explosion’s powerful shocks, making her slam into the glass wall with a thud and a crack.
“Ah!” She hissed as her back felt bruised by the impact.
She heard the loud cracks of the glass walls, and then the air was blowing on her. The next thing she knew, she was falling off the thirty-floored building. What should I do? Should I make something to keep me smoothly in the air or something to aid the impact of my falling? The gears on her head started to work but were interrupted when she heard several loud explosions nearby.
She pulled off the fabric wrapping around her to see her fall. It would probably take more seconds before she fell, but she heard a loud voice below her. A familiar voice of a crude man she has known in high school.
“OI! YOU BETTER BE NOT FUCKIN’ DEAD!!”
Bakugou Katsuki!
She gasped when large pair of arms took her from behind. The bright red eyes of the blond boy stared at her sharply, then came a surprised look on his face. “PONYTAIL?!”
With a strained smile, she greeted him. “Hi.”