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As Mr. Aizawa finishes detailing the work study program and begins to take questions, Momo’s gaze, as it so often does these days, wanders toward her right.
He’s looking down again.
Todoroki does not seem to notice her glancing in his direction, so Momo feels free to observe. His face looks a little more drawn than usual. She also notices that the corners of his mouth are turned downward ever so slightly.
Though the changes in her seatmate’s demeanor are subtle, they cause her some concern when Momo factors in his recent behavior. Todoroki has seemed more reserved than usual. Whereas he was starting to come out of his shell more, especially upon moving into the dormitory, he has as of late shown signs of retreating back into it.
At first, Momo attributed all of this to Todoroki's increased workload given that his and Bakugo's supplementary lessons began concurrently with the new school semester.
But she is starting to suspect that isn't it. Or, at least, it isn't only because of the additional workload. Even during meals and the rare moments he spends with others outside of class, he has seemed... different.
She cannot help but wonder whether it has anything to do with the results of the provisional licensing exam. Failing must have been troubling for him, given that he is used to doing well and bears the brunt of others' high expectations.
Momo would like to think she understands, if only a little. After all, she experienced a similar shock when she lost so easily to Tokoyami at the sports festival.
And when her confidence was shaken, Todoroki was the one who encouraged her, helped her get back onto her feet in a way.
She would like to be the person who can do the same for him.
That evening, Momo finds herself standing in front of Todoroki’s door, shifting from one foot to the other. She hasn't been able to stop thinking about the sullen look he had on his face in class earlier. It pains her to think that he might be feeling inadequate or down on himself when she only has the utmost admiration for him.
She would like to be able to lift his spirits somehow, ensure that he hasn't lost faith in himself.
But she cannot help doubting her instinct to intervene. What if he doesn't want to hear anything like that from someone who did pass the licensing exam? She fears that any attempt to help on her part, no matter how well-intended, might only serve as salt in the wound.
And, yet, she does not know that she can find it in herself to do nothing if her friend might be hurting.
Anxiety eats at her more and more the longer she hesitates. Finally, Momo forces herself to knock on the door before she can change her mind. If nothing else, she can at least offer him a smile.
A few moments later, the door opens. Todoroki steps out and his brows lift in surprise.
"Yaoyorozu?"
Her chest suddenly feels tight. She swallows and takes a quick breath.
"Good evening, Todoroki," she forces out as evenly as possible. Momo musters up the most genuine smile she can and says, "I hope I'm not bothering you. I was wondering, if you have a few minutes to spare, perhaps you could look over my answers to the questions Mr. Aizawa assigned? I think I could benefit from a different perspective."
He blinks.
"You want my help with the homework?" he asks skeptically.
Momo nods.
Todoroki stares.
"My help," Todoroki echoes. "Not Iida? Or Midoriya?"
Momo nods again, this time curving her lips into a true grin.
"You were the first person I thought of," she replies. "I trust your judgment, Todoroki."
She watches as he swallows, his face relaxing some as his surprise seems to lessen.
"Well, alright. Would you like to come in?"
He opens the door wider for her to enter. She hesitates, suddenly struck with nervousness at the idea of being in Todoroki's bedroom.
Being alone with Todoroki in Todoroki's bedroom.
She tentatively steps through, reminding herself to breathe. Todoroki doesn't seem to think much of her being here, which is reassuring in its own way.
Momo allows her eyes to wander briefly before reigning in her curiosity. She does not want to appear rude or prying. And, she must remain focused. The reason she is here is to ensure that her classmate does not lose confidence in himself unduly. She cannot forget that.
Even if she does feel an electrifying tingle of excitement at being invited into his personal space.
Todoroki settles himself onto the floor and Momo follows suit, careful to leave a respectable distance. She holds out the notebook that she brought with her, saying, "This is what I have written so far."
He wordlessly accepts the notebook and begins to read quietly to himself, eyes skimming the pages attentively.
Momo watches him for a few moments before she feels self-conscious and then allows her gaze to carefully roam his bedroom once more. It is well-kept, just as it was when she first saw it the day they moved in. There are no superfluous belongings cluttering the surfaces and corners of the room. Whereas Momo's bedroom and many of her peers' rooms have posters, knick-knacks, and photos that provide hints at their personalities and interests, Todoroki's room looks as if it could be lived in by anyone.
The thought saddens her a little.
"Yaoyorozu?"
Momo jumps.
"Yes?" she answers, quickly snapping her gaze back to Todoroki. She flushes, worried that he might be bothered by her wandering eyes.
He meets her gaze and brandishes the notebook. "Your responses are all very thorough and well-thought-out," he tells her matter-of-factly. "I'm not sure what I can add to this."
"W - well -" Momo stammers, reaching for the notebook when he holds it out to her. She didn't really have a plan for how she might ease into a conversation about her concerns for him.
"Is there something specific you were worried about?" Todoroki then asks. "Or... do you need help with something else?"
His expression and tone are innocent when he asks this, but the question has Momo feeling so transparent, as if he must have realized that getting help with the homework was not her true purpose in coming here tonight.
Her gaze falls. Her heart pounds as she argues with herself silently. Ever since she realized that her feelings for Todoroki run deeper than friendly admiration, she has tried to put the utmost care in not imposing on him too much.
She takes a breath.
“I hope this isn't crossing a line, but you haven’t seemed like yourself since the exam,” Momo admits quietly as she stares down at his tatami mats. “You’ve been quieter and - and often when I see you, you look… unhappy.”
The silence of the room presses in on her as she contemplates what he might think about her saying all of this.
“I was worried that you took the exam results to heart and are disappointed in yourself," she further explains.
“I am disappointed in myself.”
Momo looks up quickly to see Todoroki staring calmly back at her. She opens her mouth to say something, to reassure him -
“But that isn’t a bad thing," he adds.
She stops, watching him carefully.
Todoroki averts his eyes. “The exam helped me better understand some of my weaknesses, some of the ways in which I am still holding myself back.” He looks back at her with a half-grimace, half-smile. “I won’t lie and say I’m happy about how things turned out, but if I hadn’t failed, I might still be blind to the things I need to overcome in order to become who I want to be.”
Momo's eyes slowly widen as she listens to Todoroki's startlingly candid response. He does not seem like the type of person to put up a front often, but she would not have expected him to be so forthcoming about his feelings on the matter. Whereas she would feel embarrassed for herself and might struggle to admit any of this aloud to another person, Todoroki does not hesitate to own up to his shortcomings and even expresses confidence in his ability to improve upon them.
Amazing.
Once again, she is reminded why Shoto Todoroki represents the kind of hero that she strives to be.
Her lips slowly form a smile and she glances down at her lap before meeting his gaze once more.
“You’ve grown pretty wise, Todoroki.”
He huffs a laugh under his breath. “Isn’t that what failure is supposed to do to a person?”
For a moment, Momo is caught off guard by the soft smile that remains of his exhaled mirth. She is glad to know that she needn't have worried so much. Even if he may be feeling down on himself about what happened, he isn't drowning in it, and is focused on working hard toward his goals.
"I am sorry if I caused you concern," Todoroki speaks up once more. "But I do...appreciate that you care..."
Momo blushes and looks away upon realizing that she's been staring.
"Of course I care," she murmurs.
The shy grin on her face falters. She wants to say more, but she is hesitant, wondering if it is too much, if her feelings will be made obvious, if -
'You had two votes, remember? One of those votes was mine, because I thought you would be best at leading our class.'
She can still picture his face as he said that to her, his eyes wide and piercing with sincerity.
Her fingers tighten around the hem of her skirt.
"I'm proud of you, Todoroki," she tells him determinedly, forcing herself to lock eyes with him even as she struggles to maintain a straight face. "I think all this alone shows that you will be a great hero."
Momo's heart pounds as they continue to look at one another for a moment.
"After all, we are just getting started," she adds, her lips forming a small smile.
Todoroki looks her over and then grins back, a very cute and genuine lop-sided grin that has Momo's stomach fluttering.
“So we are, Yaoyorozu.”