Chapter 15: Star of the Show

The woman has shiny hair that's as black as charcoal, neatly braided around her head like a crown. A sky blue dress that reaches the ground accented her already amazing body features, emphasizing her perfect curves and her rather bouncy boobs (Midoriya internally gulps). As for accessories, she wears a pair of gloves the same color as her dress. Surprisingly, she doesn't wear any pieces of jewelry.

But honestly, her eyes themselves are diamonds.

"Momo," Todoroki gasps in such the sweetest voice, it made Midoriya's innards churn. He stands up from his chair and hugs the woman like a long-lost friend. Midoriya's eyes widen in shock. "I haven't seen you since you left for Venice! You didn't tell me that you've arrived."

"Well, I planned to surprise you!" 'Momo' chuckles a fucking teeheehee like some rich girl from an all-girls school. She probably is, to be honest. "I gave you an invite to this restaurant's grand opening but I was told you were busy. But here you are now."

"Oh," Shouto nods, his lips forming the tiniest smile. "That's why the name of this sounds familiar, I probably saw the invite lying around on my desk."

"Geez!" She pouts but both of them are laughing.

"Don't you have too many restaurants?" He asks quizzically. "This place is the 59th establishment that you opened this year if I'm not mistaken."

"My, my," Momo flutters her eyelashes, feigning amusement. "You've done your homework."

"Well, 40% of your business belongs to me, after all." He shrugs.

"Um," Midoriya interrupts. "Shall I leave you two alone for some catching up? Hehe..." He laughs nervously, threading dangerously on unknown territory.

This is the first time he's seen Todoroki look so comfortable. Well, he did see Todoroki interact with his editor, Aizawa-sensei, but he was still acting half-polite then. Now, he's just...

Un-Todoroki-kun.

"Where are my manners!" She pushes Todoroki unceremoniously away from her view and curtsies like a freaking princess to Midoriya. For some reason, Midoriya would believe it if you say that she is. "I'm Yaoyorozu Momo, Shouto's childhood friend and business partner. It's nice to meet you, Midoriya-kun!"

Midoriya opens his mouth to introduce himself, it occurs to him belatedly that she knows his name. "Eh?"

"Shouto has mentioned you to me, in fact, you're the only thing he talks about whenever we talk."

"Momo," Todoroki warns, blushing furiously.

"Ara," She daintily covers her mouth with her hand. "Aren't you two out on a date?"

"Friendly date," Todoroki clears his throat.

"That's no good!" She declares, like a mother reprimanding her child. "How long have you--"

A man wearing a tuxedo with shady black glasses emerges from the same shadow where Yaoyorozu came from. He taps her on the shoulder and whispers. She frowns, yet she nods in compliance.

"I must take my leave, some guests are meaning to give their congratulations." Yaoyorozu fake sobs, dabbing a handkerchief on her tearless cheeks.

"You are the star of the show," Todoroki says.

Midoriya eyes his companion. To a normal person, it might look like he's wearing his usual poker face. But Midoriya knew better. Eyebrows furrowing, eyes are covered with a glumness.

This was Todoroki's version of expressing sadness.

"You really know how to flatter a lady," She does that teeheehee laugh again. "It was nice seeing you again, Shouto. And Midoriya-san, I hope to see more of you soon."

"Yes?" Midoriya could only nod at her cryptic words.

She turns her heels. She disappears as soon as she arrives, like a mysterious shadow of the night.

Midoriya rings the bell situated on their table, calling the waiter. Todoroki raises an eyebrow.

"Wine," Midoriya answers. "I need it.Now."

The waiter arrives with their food. Their dinner consists of six courses. But honestly, by the time the main course arrived, Midoriya is too drunk to care what they were eating.

"Midoriya," Todoroki calls him reproachfully, gesturing to the waiter to stop putting more wine into the said man's glass. "Are you alright?"

"'fine," Midoriya slurs, slamming his glass on the table. "I want more...!"

Todoroki makes a signal for the waiter to leave. He bows and does so.

"Midoriya," He repeats, "you've been acting antsy ever since Momo--"

"I'm nottttt jealoushhhhh!" Midoriya shouts. The restaurant becomes abnormally still, all eyes on them.

He groans exasperatedly. "I didn't say that you were."

"You'reeeee implaaaaaaaaayiiiiiiiiiing." Midoriya crosses his arm, huffing angrily.

"You're such a child," Yet Todoroki doesn't feel a hint of irritation. "Let's leave now, shall we? Before the restaurant kicks us for making such a ruckus."

"Hey, Todoroki! Maaaaaaaaybe you can get me some wiiiiine," He sings, a bit off key. Todoroki confirms that they should really leave before Midoriya starts belting out the chorus.

Todoroki gestures to the waiter that they'll be taking their leave. Apparently, Yaoyorozu prepared a ride home for them. Nifty.

After much struggle, Todoroki manages to drag a drunk Midoriya ("Noooooo, you'll do something lascivious to me once we're inside!") the car. Thankfully, it isn't a limousine or anything fancy like that (Yaoyorozu knows Todoroki tends to shy away from extravagance), just a decent car that can drive them home safely.

"Where to, Todoroki-sama?" The driver asks. A familiar face, probably one of the Yaoyorozu's long termed employees that he saw back when he still visits their manor.

Which reminds Todoroki, he doesn't know where Midoriya lives.

Luckily, he has Uraraka's number on his phone. He rushed out his phone from his pockets and started dialing. After the third ring, the receiver picks up.

"Yoooooooooo! Howzzzzzz da daaaaaaate?"

Todoroki sputters. "Are you also drunk?"

She giggles in reply. Great, now what? A deep sigh can be heard in the background and some rustling, the phone is taken away from Uraraka.

"Hello? Todoroki-kun?" A deeper, manlier voice calls.

He blinks. "Iida? Are you with Uraraka? Drinking with Uraraka?"

"Uh--- yes." Iida clears his throat, sounding uncomfortable with the sudden phone confrontation. "I assume you're going home with Midoriya-kun?" He says, changing the topic.

Todoroki doesn't know why he knows and why the heck are they drinking (Is it even legal for Uraraka to drink? Not because of her age, he knows full well that she's 22. But she's Uraraka, for Christ's sakes!) but he doesn't pry any further. "Yeah, do you know his address? He's too drunk to be coherent right now."

Mismatched eyes sideglance the curly haired man. Midoriya gazes at the bright light outside the car as if he's hypnotized by it. If only he isn't singing with a broken falsetto on the top of his lungs, the sight would've been perfect.

Iida promptly gives him the address, Todoroki relays it to the driver and the engine starts. Midoriya perks from his seat, realizing what's going on as the car stars moving to a direction Midoriya is all too familiar with.

"We're going home?" He asks, innocently.

"Yes," Todoroki stifles a yawn.

Midoriya jumps on his lap, like a predator pouncing on its pray. "No! Don't sleep!" Todoroki eases him back to his side of the car, Midoriya begrudgingly follows.

"I'm not sleeping, just sleepy." With that, he yawns again. Midoriya follows.

They were enveloped by a comfortable field of silence. Beside him Todoroki could hear a faint snoring sound. The irony. He focuses on the view outside the window, counting each street light that they passed like it is some lonely sort of game.

"Hey, Todoroki-kun,"

Midoriya purs, rubbing his forehead on his shoulder like a fucking cat or something. Todoroki lightly pushes him away, not enough to shove him off but enough to give him his own private space. The curly top pouts. "Who is that woman?"

He gawps at Midoriya for a second before he realizes who exactly does he mean.

"You mean Momo? Didn't she introduce herself already? She's my childhood friend. Our families have close ties with each other since we're one of the top scions in Japan."

"Childhood friend," Midoriya repeats, his body noticeably relaxes.

Todoroki nods. "She is,"

"She said you're her business partner?" Midoriya resumes rubbing his face against him. At this point, he's too tired to stop him. Not that he would personally admit that Midoriya acting like a cat is cute, anyway. "I thought you despised the prospect of being an entrepreneur."

"I never said that."

"You implied."

Todoroki shrugs. "She told me that I should invest the royalties from my books to long-term business assets. I have more than I need so I decided to play along with her silent plea to give her funds since her parents doubted her capabilities to run a business on her own. But look at where is now."

"59th restaurants opened this year. Wow."

Midoriya must be really drunk because Todoroki doesn't catch his sarcasm. "I'm so proud of Momo,"

"So are you in an arranged marriage or something...?"

Todoroki's eyebrows knit together. "Where did you even get that?"

"I had this gut feeling that this is where the conversation is going."

He makes a quiet huff of laughter. "Thankfully, my father isn't crazy enough to do something like that."

"Thankfully," Midoriya hums in agreement.

Todoroki acts like he didn't hear anything.

"You're not promised to any other person, right?"

"Not that I'm aware of, no." The thing with Todoroki Enji, he's anti-social like his son so you won't expect him to marry off any of his children over a bottle of sake. Not like he has someone to drink with, anyway.

"No girlfriend?"

"Why the sudden...?" Todoroki adjusts his position that suddenly feels uncomfortable.

"Boyfriend?" Midoriya adds. Upon seeing the look on Todoroki's face, he chuckles. "Glad to know you have neither."

Todoroki opens his mouth, then closes it. He is aware that he looks like a stupid goldfish right now but for some reason, his whole bodily function isn't cooperating with him. Maybe it's because Midoriya's drunk right now but he's acting extra flirtatious and interested in him right now.

"You know the first time I realized I wasn't straight was back in elementary," He says, leaning his head on the curve of Todoroki's neck.