Chapter Text
It all started on a random Wednesday.
As a huge fan of the Hero Shoto, I had my routine down to the last minute. Wake early, line up at the convenience store for the newest magazine, go to school, scour social media for sightings, check the news for Shoto's exploits in real time, watch every TV show he graced with his presence. And even though I know he only posts once each evening, I still refresh his account page. Over and over. With that faint, incessant hope that there might be an update.
Then I go crazy, have a great time, and talk with friends who share the same affliction.
I was living a comfortable, unchanging everyday life.
However.
That one night, after I finished my bath and was drying my hair while humming some opening theme I couldn't get out of my head, I heard a phone call.
Future me would look back on this moment and say with absolute confidence: this was the beginning of the major incident.
Seeing my best friend's name flash across the screen, I ignored it at first. I had plans, after all—sleep, yes, but only after browsing through Y/N fics on a certain website that shall remain nameless. The call went off, silence returned.
Then the second ringtone rang immediately.
Thinking there might be an emergency or something, the hair dryer clattered to the sink. I yanked my half-dried hair into some semblance of order, which made the back of my half-red-half-white pajamas uncomfortably wet against my skin, and grabbed my smartphone instead of a brush.
This better not be about Gang Orca thirsting or I'll seriously harass you with Soba x Shoto R18 fanarts!
Thinking stupid things like that, I tapped the accept button. Before I could even press the device close to my ear, a resounding voice, beating even the speaker feature of the app, violated me.
"Hey!!! Hurry up and open Youtube!!! It's Shoto!!! Shoto's streaming right now!!!!!!"
At that moment, all thoughts of soba tentacles were kicked out of my head and blown away. Just a second after hearing my friend scream as she was on the verge of vomiting blood due to oversupply of emotion, I hung up.
My laptop!!! Where was my laptop!?!? There! I lunged.
Willing my trembling fingers on the trackpad, social media page, open.
"Ah—ahh, is this showing properly?"
The moment I tapped the link and the page loaded, Shoto’s voice echoed through my speakers. My ears experienced a moment of bliss.
Ah.
You sound great today too.
I focused my bloodshot eyes on the screen. Shoto was shown in extreme close-up, probably checking the camera angle. His face filled the entire frame.
Ahh.
What a magnificent face.
Feeling like I was going to vomit blood, I tangled my hair up with a nearby clip, quickly threw together some cushions to make a makeshift sofa situation, sat down, plugged in my earphones, put them in my ears to achieve a perfect viewing position.
Come! Come at me from anywhere!
"Alright, looks like it's okay now. Ah, the comments here... are flowing so fast I can't read anything. Hey, how do I…?"
Perhaps he didn't quite understand how close he was to the camera. Shoto was cut off. Only the right half of his face was visible on screen.
Even just half of him was enough. Enough to confirm he was a handsome guy. His grey eyes were beautiful. So close I could almost feel his breathing. My excitement meter, which I thought had already gone off the deep end, plummeted even further into the abyss.
My heart started pounding.
Woooooooooooooo!!! So precious! So precious!! Oh my gosh!!!
The image of me sitting upright with my laptop screen fixed in front of me, rapidly swaying my body from side to side and grinning, is probably very sad and creepy, but that's no longer of concern.
While I waited, sitting upright with bloodshot eyes, Shoto on the screen was leisurely tilting his head, asking a question.
Wait. Asking who?
"Oh, so I can read it like this. I see. Am I too close? Is that so? Ah, so the camera is here. Is this just right? Sorry. Thanks."
Apparently there was someone in the room with Shoto. Someone not visible on camera. Perhaps they pointed something out to him, because Shoto stepped back. The distance was adjusted until only his upper body was visible on screen.
Wow. It's dazzling.
My eyes scream with joy as I see his whole body. Maybe because just finished worked earlier, but he seems to have just gotten out of the bath— his hair a little damp and flat, which is also cute. Combined with the fact that he's wearing loungewear, he exudes a relaxed atmosphere that's dangerous for my heart.
I can see his collarbone. It's amazing. His expression seems softer than usual. The fact that I'm watching it in real time is amazing because right now— right now!!!— I'm watching what Shoto is doing. Well, there might be a few seconds lag, but that doesn't matter. It's just like,
AAAAAHHHHH!!!
Can you understand? I have the urge to wriggle my whole body, jump up and down, and scream. Really, I feel like I can beat even Usain Bolt in a 100-meter dash right now. Anyway, maybe you don't understand what I'm saying, but don't worry— I don't understand either. So for now it's: SHOTOOOOOO!!!
Oh, my bad. That was Endeavor.
Calm down, me.
Shoto himself was just sitting there with a straight face, but to me it looked like he was surrounded by a bright halo. I let out a mysterious groan and jumped lightly while sitting, shaking my upper body from side to side and up and down.
Wow. Haaahhh. So handsome. So perfect.
Just then, I suddenly felt someone watching me. When I looked up, my eyes met with my 5-year-old brother's face, like a Noh mask, staring at me through the gap in the door.
"..."
"..."
The serious expression on my little brother's face pierced my heart deeply.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry your big sister is like this.
The sight of his sister, nested in a pile of cushions in the middle of the room, with messy wet hair, bloodshot eyes, grinning wildly, swinging around in a pendulum motion accompanied by a mysterious growl, must have left a deep scar on my brother's heart. And mine too.
"What's wrong?"
The frosty atmosphere was broken by my older sister's carefree voice. Seeing my younger brother turn around with a blank expression, she peeked into my room with a suspicious look on her face.
The moment she saw me, frozen with a grin, she quietly covered my brother's eyes, picked him up, and left the room.
"Lil bro, forget what you just saw."
"What was that?"
"Well... let's call it a dance of joy that only some people do..."
"A dance of joy...?"
That conversation continued quietly outside the room. I sensed the two of them disappear. Imaginary tears began to flow down my cheeks.
Ugh. My heart, which had been dominated by Shoto until just a moment ago, was now in turmoil. I was overcome by a mysterious sense of impatience, sadness, remorse, and shame…
"The reason I'm doing this today is because the other day when I appeared on Marumaru's TV show, the penalty game I received was to do a live stream on social media."
But.
The moment I heard Shoto's voice, all those emotions evaporated. My heart was once again filled with Shoto's colors.
Ah! That's the one. Where he appeared on the popular variety show Marumaru, which aired last Thursday night, October 5th, and lost a game. The penalty was to do a live social media broadcast. I never thought he would actually do it, but being honorable is one of Shoto's good points. Thank you so much, Shoto-sama! And to the show staff too, well done! You get it! I'm definitely sure there's people like me out there!
Excited, I grabbed a cushion and slammed it on the floor.
"I don't really understand this sort of thing, so I'm afraid it'll be a bit slow, but please bear with me."
Cute. No, no, no, I don't mind at all. Even if it takes ten years, I’ll listen. Ahh, really, so cute.
By the way, if I say this much, it might seem like I only like Shoto's face, so let me correct that.
Of course I like his face, but I also love everything else about him. He has an extremely powerful quirk called Half-Hot, Half-Cold, and I love how he uses it precisely to steadily fend off villains and save citizens. I also love how cool he is. I love the contrast between his cool appearance, calmly and steadily doing his job, and how he's actually a bit of a goofball. Often giving off-kilter answers, wearing slightly unfashionable clothes, being bad at taking photos.
Anyway.
I really love Shoto.
Ahem.
By the way, there's one thing that's been bothering me for a while now.
Who on earth is this person Shoto has been talking to?
Family…? Probably not. Shoto has moved out of his parents' house and is now living alone in Tokyo, so that means it could be a friend? Or maybe his family is visiting? The only possibility left is… I don't really want to think about it, but… could it be his girlfriend?
I can't hear the voice of the person Shoto is talking to. Perhaps because they're using paper and pen to communicate, or maybe they're just too far away for the microphone to pick up. But what's actually suspicious is Shoto's expression when he's talking to that person.
Eh, wait a sec.
No way.
Surely it's not really his girlfriend?
Ignoring all my unwarranted suspicions, Shoto continued talking at his own pace.
"So, when I asked them what I should talk about, the program gave me a list of questions collected from everyone, so today I'm going to answer them. It looks like there's about 100 of them. Um, first— what is the vegetable that Shoto likes the most? Eh, why?"
Shoto, who read out one of the questions the program had apparently gathered, tilted his head with a skeptical expression.
Yeah. Well, certainly.
No, I want to know about it too, okay? I'd like to know everything about Shoto, and if I had to, I'd buy those vegetables and send them to the office, but if anything, I'd rather they ask a better question. I want to know something more useful. Like the shampoo he uses right now.
Who sent this? Why did the program choose this question?
Thinking there might be better questions, Shoto skimmed through the paper. Eventually, he muttered, "Where's the second page?" and began searching on the desk.
"Hey, sorry, I need help… Isn't it okay? Tomorrow's your off anyway… Yeah, do you know where the second page went? …I can't help it. I left it there, but the fact that it's missing probably means it got lost in your papers."
Here we go again.
Shoto suddenly looks away from the camera and speaks to someone in the same room. Judging from Shoto's behavior, it seems the other person is complaining to him, but even though he pouts slightly, his expression is soft, and… somehow sweet?
It seems the other person has found the paper. The microphone picks up the faint sound of snickering at the question written on it.
"Don't laugh so much," comes Shoto's sulky voice.
Wow…!?
What's going on!? Is today the last day on Earth?? Are all Shoto fans gonna die tomorrow???
Shoto, who normally has a blank expression and doesn't show much emotion, is...!! He's showing expressions that he doesn't usually show! A pouty, sulky Shoto. Thank you for the treat!!
At this point, I don't really care if the other person is his girlfriend.
To begin with, even though I like Y/N fics, I'm not so presumptuous as to think I'd end up with Shoto, so although I'm a little shocked, but it's not that bad. At least.
Whether it's a girlfriend or whatever, thanks for supplying us with Shoto!
Cheers!!!
Shoto had gotten the second piece of paper and was flipping through it, letting out a small sigh. It seems there aren’t any good questions. By the way, if this person was really his girlfriend, who could it be?
My thoughts then shifted.
Being at Shoto's house at this time made it highly likely they were living together. A girl he was that close to... who could it be?
"Hey, that's definitely his girlfriend, right!? I wonder who it is! Could it be Creati?"
A notification from a messaging app appeared on my screen, obscuring half of Shoto's face. Without any hesitation I turned off notifications from the group chat and continued to think.
Hmm, but that's right. Creati.
It's scary that it's such a plausible possibility. In fact, it actually makes the most sense. Creati, the pro hero who was a close friend of Shoto from their days at U.A., was also my first choice as his girlfriend.
"Do you like buckwheat flour? ...Well, I don't dislike it, but I like soba not only for its taste, but also for its texture, so buckwheat flour is just normal for me."
At that moment, Shoto's phone had a slight glitch. The video became unusually blurry.
Hmm?
Isn't it blurry? It's blurry. It's blurry, Shoto!
I joined everyone else in posting a comment to let him know. Perhaps Shoto noticed the blur, as he tilted his head and moved closer to the phone, saying "Hmm?"
This gave me a close-up of his face again.
I writhed in agony.
Ahh!
"Is it this one?" Shoto muttered as he fiddled with his phone. At the same time, the screen stopped shaking.
Oh, thank goodness. It's fixed.
Shoto is surprisingly not very good with machines, so I was worried about what would happen if he couldn't fix it. I definitely don't want this live to end just yet. Please talk to me for an hour. Or ten more.
And just as I was breathing a sigh of relief.
A major incident occurred.
!?!!?!??!?!!??!?
I don't know what happened, but maybe Shoto's finger accidentally tapped the wrong place. The camera suddenly switched from the front camera to the back camera.
No, it's fine up to that point. Up to that point, there is no problem at all.
Yes. The problem is— The problem is the person that the switched camera showed!
That's right. The mysterious person from earlier. His image was clearly captured on camera and broadcast nationwide.
"D-D-Dynamight!?!?!?!?!?"
The sound of my own scream brought me back to my senses. I blinked at the screen of my smartphone. The comments section flashed by faster than ever before. I tapped to take a closer look. It was overflowing with comments from people who were just as shocked as I was.
Dynamight!?
Eh, Dynamight's here!!
So that was Dynamight earlier!?
And they were roommates???
I thought it was his gf… but Dynamight? XD
What does this mean!? Why Dynamight?!?!
#ShoDai wins
It's Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight yall
So it's true they're friends?
He wasn't wearing a mask so I couldn't tell who it was for a moment, but this is Dynamight, right!
Wtf lolol
The internet was in an uproar for an instant, but the people involved seemed completely unaware of it.
How could he not notice!? Shoto, please!!!
My mind was racing with thousands of thoughts and questions, but his next statement made me understand the reason.
"Oh, my face isn't blurry. It's fixed."
"…"
That's when I realized.
It's a bug. Yeah, it's a bug! Shoto's own face is probably still visible on his smartphone screen. But for some reason, footage from the back camera is the one circulating online.
What kind of bug is this!?
No, whatever! The fact that they themselves are unaware means that their private lives have been completely exposed. Shoto! Please notice!
Of course, some part deep inside me wants a glimpse, but as a proper Shoto fan, I don't want his and Dynamight's private lives to leak without them knowing.
Even if we ignore Dynamight, Shoto's house is still on full display.
Ah, I'm drooling…
And because Shoto had initially given up reading the comments because they were moving so quickly, he was still unaware of the occurrence that had just happened.
This is bad! This is a broadcasting accident!!
Good job! Do more!!
With bloodshot eyes, I grabbed a nearby tablet and opened social media. While Shoto was nonchalantly answering questions, words like "ShoDai," "DaiSho," and "cohabitation" were already trending at the top. The number of tweets about them was alarming.
My eyes flicked back and forth on my laptop screen and the app I was scrolling vigorously on.
Dynamight on the screen seemed to have just returned from an interview or something. He was wearing a black dress shirt and slacks, sitting in a chair facing a laptop. His suit jacket hanging on a hanger on the wall nearby.
The fierce expression I usually see on the news was gone. He was typing quietly, his posture perfect.
A mug cup sat next to him, steaming slightly. A pile of documents lay neatly arranged beside it.
I was stunned for a few seconds by his beautiful profile, focused on his work through thin-framed reading glasses. His real face, usually hidden by a mask, looked incredibly sculpted when he wore this calm expression. His surprisingly pale skin and collarbone were visible through the gaps in his loosened tie and shirt, unbuttoned to the second button. An indescribable sex appeal that made me swallow quietly.
The handsome man with translucent white skin and pale blonde hair had sharp red eyes that were fixed intently on the computer screen through the lenses of his glasses. The sight of him made my heart churn so much that it felt like I was drowning in a flood.
So handsome…!
What's with this handsome guy!? Who the heck is this!?
Wait, was Dynamight always this cool!?!?!
Ero!!!
My brain was screaming at the sight of Dynamight's off-duty appearance, a stark departure from his usual self as he slays villains with a smile even more villainous than theirs. It's been said for quite some time that he's surprisingly handsome under that mask, but with no definitive proof (as Dynamight was a very private person outside of work), they were all just rumors.
However.
It really was true…!
He received a lot of criticism when he first debuted, but his high arrest rate, his single-minded demeanor, and his stoic dedication to training himself to the top have led to a surge in admirers, both male and female, especially the elderly. Now, Dynamight is currently constantly competing with Shoto for popularity, but I think his new side will help him gain even more female fans.
Right now, two parts of my brain are fighting: the big me who insists I'll stick with Shoto, and the small me who modestly insists that Dynamight might be good too.
Seriously, what's with this gap…!? Ugh!
While I was thinking like that, I noticed that the comments section was also in a state of chaos, moving at an incredible speed. If you take a closer look, you will see that it is filled with similar comments.
Isn't this gap too damn crazy??
Was Dynamight really this good-looking!?
Damn I'm sorry for doubting yall Dyna fans
What a big difference just from him being silent…
He's so cool!!!
Yeah, he's cool, but can we address the elephant in the room please??
Weren't there quite a few rumors of a rift between them? Was it all propaganda!?
Shoto did say they were good friends before?
But his skin is so pale! I'm jealous!!!
Calm down! They’re probably just roommates!!!
Shoto! Notice us please! Read the comments! It's crazy!
Tabloids are gonna have a field day with this
That's right! Shoto notice us please! Things are getting out of hand!!!
I wholeheartedly agreed with the comments, but also kept taking screenshots.
Furthermore, at the same time as this visual attack, my ears were also being violated by the cool voice of Shoto, who was still stoically answering questions, unaware of what was happening. I raised the white flag to the assault of my eyes and ears.
Stop! No, don't stop! But wait! Wait a minute! Ugh!!!
There's so much happening, I'm getting overstimulated.
I looked at social media, and it was overflowing with tweets from my comrades.
Right, right! Many of them were like screams that made almost no sense, and seeing everyone's collective mania actually helped me regain some composure, so I took a deep breath and focused on the screen again.
As I watched closely, it seemed his work was nearing completion. Dynamight finished by taking the last sheet from the pile of unprocessed documents and placing it on top of the pile he had already processed. He then neatly stapled the finished documents together and filed them away, quickly tidying up. He lined up the papers with a tap and carefully placed them in what appeared to be a work bag nearby.
He let out a deep breath. Stretched. Took off his glasses. Wiped the lenses. Put them back in their case. Put away his laptop.
Then, crunching his neck, he seemed to be taking his empty mug to the sink, as he disappeared from the screen and the sound of water could be heard.
And then.
The screen flickered again. Shoto's handsome face flashed onto the screen. The live stream returned to normal.
Watching Shoto calmly go about his day, he looked so handsome that I nearly cried. Two handsome men of different types ambushed my heart one after the other.
I'm saved!!!
It seems like the bug has been fixed. Phew, good for them both! Well, they themselves don't seem to notice at all.
And isn't the timing too perfect? What's with Shoto's smartphone? It's actually our greatest ally!?
"Okay, that was the 100th one. Thanks for all the questions. Well, there were a few I didn't quite understand, but I hope I lived up to your expectations. Thank you for your continued support. Please take care of me in the future too."
Yeah, well, I did hear Shoto's answers properly, but...
To be honest, this time I seriously couldn't concentrate on the content at all.
Then, although it wasn't shown on screen, there was the sound of footsteps approaching. They were probably footsteps from Dynamight. Shoto turned his face in that direction, and smiled gently. With that sweet smile, which would make flowers bloom, he looked towards the camera and whispered, "Good night."
And then the screen cut off abruptly.
Huh?
Normally, with a five-year-old in the house, I wouldn't curse. Really, I shouldn't curse. Especially this late at night. It might bother the neighbors.
However!
However!!
"WHAT THE FUCCKKKKKKKK!??!??!?!"
What the fuck!? What the fuck just happened??? What was that!?!?!?! Can someone please hold my hand and tell me what happened please!?!?!? So many things just happened that my brain can't process it at all!
Letting out an inexplicable scream, I slammed my face against the pile of cushions and writhed in agony.
He usually has a cold, cool, expressionless face!!! But then he was smiling gently, with a soft, relaxed, sweet expression!!! And saying, "Good night."
What the heck!?!?!
Damn!!!
Holding my nose, which was bleeding, I immersed myself in this moment of bliss, thoroughly enjoying it. The image from earlier played over and over again in my head at high speed.
Ahhh, I'm so happy. What is this place? Maybe I died? Am I in heaven!?
Despite not regaining any composure, I suddenly came to my senses and realized that that smile Shoto gave was clearly directed at Dynamight on the other side of the screen. Just as I was frozen with a ton of question marks floating in my head—
The second major incident of the day occurred.
"Wait, haven't you dried your hair yet!? I told you you'll catch a cold! How many times do I have to tell you, you idiot!?"
"Yeah..."
I heard Dynamight's nagging voice and Shoto's languid growling voice coming from the earphones that were still in my ears. I straightened my back and froze for a moment. Then I gathered up the scattered cushions and built the nest again. I closed my eyes and got into a position where I could concentrate on my ears.
It seems that what happened earlier was just the beginning.