My Hero Academia: Nightmare Mode

Kikidori woke up in his new apartment, sunlight streaming through the curtains. It was simple yet cozy—a stark contrast to the dorms at UA. The furniture was minimal, but the place already felt like home. He stretched, feeling the weight of his new responsibilities pressing down on him. The world now expected him to protect it.

After making himself some coffee, he sat on the couch, staring at the quietness of his new life. It felt... odd. No more Aizawa yelling at the class, no Kaminari zapping himself, and no Mina barging into his room uninvited. It was just him now.

Before he could sink too deep into his thoughts, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Todoroki:

*Villain spotted near Musutafu's train station. Could use backup.*

Kikidori sighed, setting his mug down and heading to his closet. His hero suit, now fully personalized, hung there. The black and dark gray tones of the suit gave off an intimidating aura, with subtle streaks of crimson that matched his quirk's energy.

As he suited up, he muttered to himself, "First day on the job, and I'm already getting dragged into something."

When he arrived at the scene, the chaos was already in full swing. Todoroki was using his ice to contain a powerful villain with a quirk that generated shockwaves. Kikidori jumped into action, using his quirk to cast waves of nightmares around the area, disorienting the villain and giving Todoroki an opening to freeze him in place. The fight was over quickly, but it left Kikidori exhausted.

"Thanks for coming," Todoroki said, his usual calm demeanor intact.

"Next time, maybe give me a heads-up before the chaos starts," Kikidori replied, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.

When he finally got back to his apartment, he threw himself onto the couch. His hero career had barely started, and he already felt drained. Before he could relax, there was a knock on his door.

Kikidori opened it, and there she was—Toga, standing in her usual schoolgirl uniform with that unsettling yet oddly endearing grin.

"Hey, hero," she said sweetly, stepping inside uninvited. "I figured you'd be lonely, so I came to keep you company."

"Toga, you can't just show up here. Someone might see you," he said, closing the door behind her.

She twirled around, ignoring his protest. "Aw, you're worried about me. That's so cute! I brought snacks, too. Well, they're technically stolen, but I thought you might like them."

Kikidori sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're impossible."

She giggled, plopping onto his couch and pulling him down beside her. "And you love it."

Before the conversation could get any stranger, Kikidori's phone buzzed again. It was a notification from the old Class 1-A group chat, which had been silent since graduation. The message was from Ochako:

*So... I guess it's official. Deku and I are dating.*

Kikidori smirked at the message. Even though he was usually quiet, he couldn't resist chiming in. He typed:

*Can you name the kid after me?*

The chat exploded. Mina immediately responded: *OMG KIKIDORI, I CAN'T BREATHE! LOLOL*

Bakugo, as expected, was less amused: *SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT.*

Ochako and Deku both started typing at the same time, but neither message sent. Kikidori stared at the "typing…" indicator for a few seconds before adding another message.

*I'll take that as a yes.*

The chat erupted again, and Kikidori found himself laughing quietly. Even Toga, who had been peering over his shoulder, was giggling.

"You're kind of funny when you want to be," she teased, poking his cheek.

"Don't get used to it," he replied, setting his phone down and leaning back.

As the evening wore on, the two of them sat in comfortable silence. For the first time in a long while, Kikidori felt like everything might actually be okay.

End of Chapter 41