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Breathing heavily, Momo stares at the tent in front of her. Or... lack thereof. It's a bit disappointing, after all the lessons Jirou gave her, that this is what she was capable of coming up with.
She's not sure where her strange burst of confidence came from. Maybe it's because it made sense when Jirou explained it. Maybe she thought watching a few camping shows back when she lived beyond the wall would be enough. Maybe it was a mix of the two. Either way, it hadn't exactly worked out how she planned.
Instead of a tent, she has a... lovely pile of tent equipment.
Sighing, Momo looks at the collection of poles collapsed on the ground. She knows she needs to start over, but she's not sure where to begin. Whatever she tried before obviously did not work, so doing it again would just be a waste of her time.
"Ah, Yaoyorozu-san. Working on the tent?" Todoroki Shouto halts in front of her, carrying a large bundle of wood. Of course it's him who walks by. How embarrassing! Not... that Todoroki is doing a very good job of gathering the wood. He's holding the logs awkwardly, one pushing against his cheek. It doesn't look very comfortable.
"T-Todoroki-san," she stammers, jumping up from where she was crouched, "do you need help?"
"Ah... no," he says, shaking his head back and forth. "I'm fine. I need to—" As he goes to take a step forward, one of the logs slips from his hand and tumbles to the ground. The rest immediately fall after it as he desperately tries to scramble to pick them up.
Momo winces, the two of them staring at each other in silence. Pursing her lips, Momo gestures back at the pile that should be her tent. "My tent keeps falling apart, so... if you thought I maybe hadn't started..."
"Ah," he says, glancing down at the two piles strewn about the ground.
"Mhm..." she sighs.
"Neither of us are very good at this," Todoroki states bluntly, and Momo can't help but laugh. It really shouldn't be so funny, but quite frankly they’re both awful at this, and Momo wishes she could disagree, but it's true.
"No, it would seem we're really not." Walking to where he stands, she picks up a few of the logs. "How about I help you carry these, and then you can help me with the tent?" she offers, trying to keep the smile on her face.
"Alright," Todoroki nods, a small smile on his lips as well. He leans down to help her pick up the logs.
Momo tries not to be too hard on herself, it's not like any of them grew up preparing for the apocalypse (well, Mei may have, but that's because she's a bit of an odd one). Still, Momo doesn't like being a burden to the group. She's honestly surprised Jirou and Kaminari haven't kicked her out yet, but she supposes Iida has been around for far longer than herself and Todoroki, and he's somehow survived. Jirou, Kaminari and Mei are good people. Despite the hardships, they don't want to leave anyone behind. It's honorable, Momo respects it greatly.
She just wishes she could actually offer something to them.
Carrying the logs, she glances toward Todoroki, silent as usual. It's a mystery, what goes on in his head. She hasn't known any of them for very long, but Todoroki interests her the most. It's hard not to feel a kinship with him, since they both came from the other side of the wall. Neither of them expected to end up here, and though he hasn't told her much, she's happy she's not the only one having a bit of a struggle.
Todoroki doesn't seem phased by any of it though. Even when he messes something up, he usually stares blankly at whatever he's meant to be doing until he ultimately fixes the problem.
Momo decides it's admirable, since it’s difficult to not feel useless all the time. She's waiting to wake up in the forest, alone, left behind by the group.
"Here," Todoroki says, pulling Momo from her daze. He's already placed his wood down and he's holding out his hands to her.
Blinking, Momo hands him the logs. "Right, of course, thank you, Todoroki-san."
"I should be thanking you," he says. "You're the one who helped me."
"Hey guys!" Jirou waves. "Thanks for getting the wood, Todoroki. We're gonna get the fire started. Yaoyorozu, are you almost done with the tent?"
"Uh, y-yup! The tent is just about done! I-I was just—"
"She was helping me," Todoroki says, immediately turning the focus.
"Awesome." Jirou smirks. "We're gonna get dinner started. Join us by the fire?"
"Mhm!" Momo says, eyes wide, her lips pressing together. "I just need to grab a few things, be right there."
"Cool." Jirou nods, carrying a few logs back over to the designated fire site.
The second she turns around, Momo and Todoroki immediately make their way back over to the tent, standing awkwardly in front of it. "T-Todoroki-san, I don't know what I was thinking! It looks like I've barely started!" She tries not to panic, pressing her teeth into her lower lip.
"It's okay." He nods. "We can figure this out."
"Okay," she whispers, and she stands with Todoroki, staring at the pile of poles and fabric, praying it will give her some kind of guidance.
~~
Momo knows she's lucky to have found the group. She remembers the first day in the camps by the wall, how alone she was, her parents gone. It was some miracle she ran into Jirou that day.
"Hey, are you okay?" The words echo in her mind, and Momo recalls the moment like a movie in her mind.
A girl with purple hair stands in front of her, hand on her shoulder. Her dark eyes scan Momo’s face, taking in everything. It only makes breathing harder.
Desperately she wheezes, trying to do anything to keep her balance. Tapping her fingers against her throat, she gasps. "I...I’m… I can’t breathe."
Maybe that’s the wrong thing to say, given the whole virus situation and all. Momo doesn’t like to think about the virus. She doesn’t like to think about her lungs constricting, unable to pull air into her body, or her head throbbing like someone is hammering on her skull.
She doesn’t want to think about it, but it’s next to impossible to ignore since it seems like all anyone wants to talk about is the stupid disease. Despite the camps beyond the wall being a virus-free zone, it’s everywhere; posters, radio reporters, quiet murmurs while people discuss what is coming next. It’s all-consuming and Momo wishes she could hide.
She tries to pull air into her lungs, her head whipping around as she looks in all directions. She places her hands over her chest, pressing her fingers against her clothes. She presses harder and harder, trying to force the air into her lungs, her shallow breaths making her lightheaded, dizzy.
How will she survive?
Yes, the camps are meant to be a safe zone, away from the infection, away from everyone else. But how do they really know?
The girl’s eyes widen, but then she nods. "C’mon, you’re having a panic attack."
"Huh-" Momo squeaks as the girl wraps her hand around her wrist and starts to drag her across the camp.
The camps are nothing like anything Momo has seen before. They're crowded, stuffy, and there are checkpoints with soldiers everywhere. Various tents are set up; communal areas for obtaining food and other resources, and private ones, where families and small groups stay together. They have these fancy machines that take people's temperatures and make sure no one near them is infected. She misses being in the safe zone, beyond the barrier. It was safe there, or at least, it had felt safe there. Though she was trapped in her own house, it was better than, well, this.
The purple-haired girl sits her down in the far corner of the camp. "Okay, just follow my lead," she says. She holds her hands up and takes in a deep breath, her hands following the motion of her inhale. When she lets go of the breath, she shakes out her hands, nodding to Momo to do the same.
Momo mimics her, taking a deep breath. She repeats it because, for the first time since coming here, she feels like she can actually breathe. "Thank you," she sighs, panting softly.
"No problem." She nods. "I"m Jirou Kyouka."
"Yaoyorozu Momo," she replies.
"You alone?" Jirou asks. It's not an unusual question. Given the state of the world, many people have been separated from those they love. Momo just... doesn't like to think about it.
She remembers the way her parents were ripped from her at the first sign of infection. She knew she should consider herself lucky but... "Yes," she whispers. "My parents were taken away. They were... infected."
Saying the words out loud is strange, like she's bringing them to life with her own voice. Before, as a memory, she could avoid it.
"Mine too," Jirou says softly. "They were some of the first actually. I've... been here since they started building up the camps. Me and Denki."
Momo nods. She knows her situation isn't unique, she knows she is not the only orphaned teenager in the world. "I came from the other side of the wall," she admits, before she can really think about what she's saying.
Jirou's eyes widened. "Oh, so you're a rich kid!" A chuckle escapes her lips and she covers her mouth quickly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"No, it's alright. At this point, none of that really matters anymore," Momo whispers. She doesn't have many things to her name at this point. No material possessions, just a small bag of clothes and a few items of personal value, a small photo album of her and her parents.
Jirou nods, looking down. "Yeah, you're right. Everyone here is kind of on the same level. Limited resources and all that. Are you meeting anyone here? I know my way around pretty well, so if you have to get somewhere, I can take you."
Swallowing, Momo glances around the camps, seeing rows and rows of tents. Everything looks the same and she's not quite sure where to even begin looking for anyone she would know. Neighbors, family... the only people she had been in contact with were her parents and they are very much gone.
She pauses, taking a moment to pull in a slow breath, just like Jirou showed her. She needs it, to stay grounded. "No," she says on her exhale. "I'm alone. B-But thank you for all your help so far. I'm sure I can discover where I need to be. I-I wouldn't want to burden you any longer."
A small smile appears on Jirou's lips. "Yaoyorozu, do you want to come with me? Denki and I live with some other teens our age. We even have some other rich kids like you." She smirks, and for a moment, Momo feels safe with her, like she can trust this girl to help her.
Maybe she won't be so alone.
"I would really, really love that."
~~
Momo recalls how welcoming Jirou was back then, and she's certain nothing has changed. However, if they can't get this tent up, Jirou might change her mind.
It's been about a week since they left the main camp. The rations were getting low, and both Jirou and Kaminari agreed, for once, that they needed to move on to search for a new place to live. Momo wants to do anything to prove she belongs with them. This is her family now, and she doesn't want to... no... she can't lose them.
She can't be alone.
Jirou's group is a collection of an odd variety of people. As far as Momo can tell, they all come from different backgrounds. Iida Tenya is the brother of a former politician. He's apparently still alive, but hospitalized, far away from his family. Todoroki Shouto hasn't said much to reveal any information about himself, but it's clear, given the clothes and few belongings he and Iida have, they come from the other side of the wall, part of the upper-class elite.
Jirou Kyouka, Kaminari Denki and Hatsume Mei, however, are a different story. Jirou and Kaminari are somewhat of an odd duo. They have apparently been together since the outbreak started, but they seem to argue back and forth about the best plans of action. It's as if they both want to be the leader of their little group and they can't decide who is actually in charge. Hasume has definitely been preparing for the apocalypse her whole life, and Momo can never tell if the girl has showered or not.
"Okay," Todoroki says, breaking the silence between them. "I think we have to start with the poles."
"The poles." Momo nods, agreeing with him. She honestly has no idea, but he seems far more confident than she does.
"Here." He kneels down and starts pressing a few of the poles together, making them longer.
"Oh! This makes sense!" she says and grabs the box, gesturing excitedly to the picture. "See! This must be the long piece that holds the top up!"
Todoroki nods and twists two more of the poles together. Momo follows his lead, looking at the box. It would help if they had a set of directions. Momo would be able to follow along just fine if it was explained in detailed pictures, but of course those are missing.
"Did you ever go camping before the outbreak?" Todoroki asks, breaking Momo from her concentration.
"Of course! My father loved the outdoors. We would go fishing, boating, hiking, all those fun activities! However, we always had a very fancy RV. I've... never had to pitch a tent before," she says softly. "So I suppose you couldn't actually call it camping. My friend told me there was a word for it... glamping."
"Glamping?" Todoroki asks, raising his eyebrows at her.
"Ah... glamorous camping... so... glamping," she explains.
"Oh. Huh." He nods, sliding some of the poles into the slots of the tent tarp.
"H-How about you?" she asks, quickly changing the subject. Perhaps Todoroki wasn't as well off as she assumed.
"My family never had time for that."
"Oh, I see." She tucks a small piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, you seem to be much better at this than me, so I just... assumed."
"Mmm," he hums, shoving one of the poles in the ground, attempting to get the tent to stand upright. "No."
"Do... you miss them?" she asks. She's heading into dangerous territory. None of them talk about the time before the outbreak. It seems silly, to yearn for something they know they're not going to get back anytime soon.
"I miss some of them," he says, and doesn't seem to want to elaborate any more than that. "My mother was infected early on. My oldest brother left because he didn't agree with some of the choices she made. I have no idea if he's still alive."
"What?!" Momo gasps. "Have you thought about looking for him?"
Todoroki shakes his head, adjusting how the tarp of the tent is sitting on his side. Momo does the same, pressing the poles into the ground as hard as she can.
"I'd rather not," he says. "I'm... much more comfortable here."
Momo can't help but smile at that. She's grateful to these people for welcoming her in. "I'm glad!" Momo says. "I-I know I'm the newest arrival to the group, but if there's anything I can do to help!"
Todoroki's cheeks flush red and he holds his hand over the top of the tent. "Y-Yeah..." he mutters. "Thanks. Uhm... why don't you try the zipper?"
The tent is standing this time, and it looks far sturdier than when Momo attempted to lift it up. It also is a lot bigger than she expected. It won't be much of a problem for the six of them to fit inside.
Reaching forward, she starts to unzip the front of the tent and she steps in. "Not too bad, I think we—" It wobbles when she pushes on the pole crossing over the top and the tarp collapses, falling directly on top of her.
She screams, unable to stop herself from doing so, and flails her arms back and forth, fighting against the tarp resting on her head.
"Yaoyorozu-san!" Todoroki yells and she feels him yank the tarp off of her. Panting, she lays on the cold ground, staring up at Todoroki's mismatched eyes. He holds the tarp in his hands, tossing it to the side as he offers his palms to her. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine... it was really unexpected!" she gasps, grabbing his hands to stand back up.
"That was a failure," he mutters.
"I heard screaming!" a loud voice calls from the edge of the forest. Iida rushes through the trees at full speed. Momo has no idea where the guy learned to run so fast, but she's honestly intimidated by it.
"S-Sorry, Iida-san," Momo bows. "It was me. We were testing out the tent and... it collapsed." She gestures to the pile of tarp of poles. Well... they're right back where they started.
"Do you have any idea how to do this?" Todoroki asks.
"Hmmm... I was hoping to help rescue whoever was in trouble, but I suppose this is a problem." Iida leans down and picks up a few of the poles, analyzing them intently. He twists a few together and thrusts them into the ground intensely and then pulls them back out again. Momo has no idea if he's testing the best place to set the tent or what, but it seems odd.
Standing back up, Iida turns to both of them, a sharp look in his eyes. "I have no idea how to do this!"
He's confident about it, that's for sure.
Momo sighs. "I don't want to go back to the fire and tell Jirou we can't do this."
"I will go!" Iida says, thrusting his hand up into the air. He immediately runs off again, dashing straight back toward the camp.
"No! Wait! That's... not what I meant," Momo trails off sadly, knowing Iida is long gone and probably already telling Jirou what happened. "So much for doing this on my own."
"It's okay, we're a group for a reason, right?" Todoroki mutters, looking down at the sad pile of tent supplies. It's obvious he's not happy about it either. They stand in silence, disappointment hanging between the air, when Todoroki glances toward her. "What about you? Uh, your parents I mean..."
"O-Oh!" She blinks, surprised by the question.
"I didn't ask you before—"
"R-Right!" she stammers. "I miss them a lot. I really do. They were infected and immediately left, to spare me. With how bad things were getting on the other side of the wall, I assumed we all would be... I... I just wish I could've said goodbye..."
Todoroki moves closer to her, lacing their fingers together. "I'm sorry. I... I'm sure they're both happy you're still alive. I'm sure they would want you to survive."
Nodding, Momo tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. Todoroki's palm is warm against hers. She understands what he meant by it being comfortable here. "I know they would," she agrees. "Thank you..."
"Oi!" Kaminari's loud voice calls through the trees and both Momo and Todoroki jump, splitting apart from each other immediately.
Both Jirou and Kaminari run up, neither all that surprised by the scene in front of them. "Iida said you guys were having issues," Jirou chuckles. "I didn't expect the issue to be... this." She gestures to the pile in front of them.
"Go back to camp," Kaminari says. "We got this."
"Uh, don't you mean I've got this?" Jirou snorts. "The tent has collapsed on us every time you've been the one to put it up!"
"No! That was Hatsume. Kyouka, please. I am a tent master," Kaminari boasts, pressing his hand against his chest all proudly.
"Sure, sure," Jirou says. "I'm going to watch you and fix all your mistakes."
The blond swallows and quickly backs away. "On second thought, I'll just... be your assistant!"
"That's what I thought," Jirou smirks.
The two continue to bicker, not paying attention to anyone else. It's cute, how much they fight like an old married couple. Momo is certain the two of them won't be without the other for a long, long time.
Todoroki and Momo trek back to the campfire where Iida is piling the logs into the pit. Mei babbles away, pacing back and forth.
"Hello, Kaminari-san and Jirou-san decided to pitch the tent themselves. It seems it wasn't the job for me," Momo giggles awkwardly.
"Oh, another one bites the dust!" Mei yells dramatically. Leaping over to Momo, she grabs her hand and pulls her down to sit on a tree stump. "Here! Try carving some utensils." She hands her a knife and a piece of thick wood. "We need a few more forks. I already marked this one up, so just follow my blueprint."
"O-Okay," Momo whispers, taking the knife and wood from the pink-haired girl. She's always enjoyed making things, arts and crafts, etc. This seems like something she can handle.
"I'll grab some kindling." Todoroki nods, helping Iida set up the fire.
Mei is going crazy over by the small fold-out table they took. She's sorting through their rations and picking out what would be best for dinner.
Taking the knife, Momo begins to carve at the wood. It's relaxing, letting the wooden pieces fall away from the branch, crafting it based on the design Mei laid out. It actually does look like a fork, more than she anticipated. She rounds off the prongs, not wanting them to be too sharp.
It's strange, Todoroki's words about feeling comfortable flash back into her head. She agrees with him. Despite everything about this situation being the exact opposite of what she knows, she enjoys being with their group. She doesn't feel on edge, sitting with them while they set up for the evening.
In front of her, Todoroki is intent on looking at the fire. He clicks the flint together, sparks shooting onto the kindling, a few tiny flames catching. He fans them, getting them to grow enough to sustain themselves, and a small smile pulls across his lips.
He glances up and their eyes meet. She smiles back at him, giving him a small wave with her crafted fork. It doesn't look perfect, but it looks better than her tent, that's for sure.
Todoroki pushes himself up and takes a seat next to her, the two of them watching as Iida dumps water over some of the vegetables, rigorously cleaning them.
"Your fork looks nice," he says, gesturing to the utensil in her hand.
"Thank you!" she smiles. "Your fire looks... warm."
"Thanks," he nods, staring at the flames flickering in front of them.
"I guess, we're not so bad at this stuff after all," Momo says softly.
"No. We just can't pitch a tent," he says, and both of them laugh while they stare at the flame. "I'm really happy you're here, Yaoyorozu-san," Todoroki says quietly. "I think you help a lot."
"R-Really?"
"Mhm. You're smart, resourceful, and you work really hard. This group needs someone like that," he says, picking up the fork from her hands. He gently brushes his fingers over the top, touching at the prongs.
"Thank you," she breathes out, genuinely complimented.
"The tent has been set up, no thanks to Denki," Jirou calls out, the two of them stomping through the woods together. They're holding hands, despite Jirou's playful teasing.
"Hey! I helped!" he says. "And now, I'm starving. We gotta eat!"
"Yeah, yeah." Jirou rolls her eyes and takes a seat on the log next to Momo. She kicks her feet up, relaxing on the makeshift bench.
"Kyouka-chan," Momo begins softly. "I'm so sorry I was unable to set up the tent."
Jirou turns toward Momo, raising an eyebrow at her. "Hey don't sweat it! I know you're a rich kid," she teases playfully. "If you wanna learn, I'd be happy to teach you. Both of you," she says, nodding toward Todoroki. "I'm sure you'll be better than Denki."
"I heard that, and I'm stealing your food."
"Don't you dare!" Jirou yells, chucking a twig at the back of his head.
Momo can't help but laugh at the lively group. Despite the large amounts of death surrounding all of them, they're so lively. It makes Momo feel warm, like the flames from the fire are heating up her soul. She knows she should feel guilty for being happy with them, given the state of the world, but she clings to this moment of peace.
She doesn't want to lose this.
Iida and Kaminari give out the plates of food, dividing it up evenly. Momo takes the plate, thanking both of them. She clutches the fork she made, holding on to the shaved handle. Swallowing, she slams the plate on the stump next to her and stands up.
"I have something I need to say!" she calls out, glancing down at Todoroki. All of them are staring at her, looking like surprised animals. "S-Sorry, I just... I wanted to apologize," she begins, and all of their expressions quickly shift to confusion.
"Yaoyorozu-san—" Todoroki whispers but she shakes her head and holds up her fork.
"This fork! This... is all I'm good at. B-But I want to get better. I want to be useful for our group and I... I want to stay with you all so... so please don't leave me. I-I promise I'll... get better at helping out!" she says, clutching the fork to her chest, her hands trembling.
"Momo-chan!" Jirou bursts out laughing. "Why would you think we would leave you behind!?"
"I-I don't know! I haven't been very helpful! I ruined the tent multiple times... and... and..." She sniffles, a few tears trickling down her cheek. She doesn't mean to be so emotional, but she's terrified of losing the only people she has.
"Yaoyorozu-san." Todoroki stands up, pulling her into a hug. "You're not going to lose us." She wraps her arms around him, gripping his shoulders, clinging to him hard. She doesn't want to let go, already so embarrassed.
Jirou immediately stands too, gently rubbing her back. "We're in this together. We decided that when we left the main camp, okay? And don't worry, even if you don't get better at anything... you can be our official fork... maker."
Sniffling, she pulls back "R-Really?"
"Yeah!" Jirou giggles. "You don't have to worry about anything."
Todoroki gently pats her shoulder. "It's like I said, you're a hard worker, Yaoyorozu-san."
"We're all stumbling through and figuring things out!" Kaminari cheers. "We're gonna figure it all out together."
"Hell yes!" Mei laughs, giggling. "I think you might be better at carving stuff than me! I can totally teach you how to make other tools!"
"Thank you," Momo whispers, wiping her tears away from her eyes.
"We are a team!" Iida says, thrusting his hand down emphatically.
"We are," Momo smiles. "Thank you all. I can't... tell you how much this means to me."
Jirou smirks and nudges into her side. "It's cool. I think we all understand." Reaching over, she grabs her plate and hands it to Momo. "Now use your fork and eat before it gets cold."
"A-Ah!" Momo gasps, taking it back. "Of course!"
Laughter fills the air as the group chats and eats their dinner. They talk of times before the outbreak, remembering how different life was without the fear of disease. The stories are filled with nostalgia, but Momo tries her best to feel hopeful. They're all experiencing the same frustrations and fears.
They have no idea where they're going, but at the very least, they have each other. And none of them are going to be left behind. Clutching at her fork, she leans against Todoroki, her head resting against his shoulder. She feels the light pressure of him leaning against her.
Momo is grateful to have found comfort, and people she can call a family. With them, even in these strange times, she believes she can feel at home.