Fireworks ~ TodoMomo

||Chapter 4||

Momo read over the text message again. "How does this sound?"

"Yaomomo, it's fine."

She looked up from her phone. Jirou was sprawled across her king-sized bed, flipping absentmindedly through a magazine advertising the latest guitar models. "You've read it over a hundred times already," Jirou added in a flat voice without looking up.

Momo's lips thinned. Then she glanced back down at the screen, scanning the text again. She was grateful Iida had graciously agreed to let her handle the details of the planning, but now that she was drafting the invite, Momo couldn't help but feel a bit anxious about the whole thing.

What if everyone hated the restaurant she chose? Was shopping for yukatas three weeks beforehand even enough time to find the perfect one? However, what worried her the most, sitting like a heavy, black piece of coal in the back of her mind, was what Todoroki would think of her plan - especially after telling her he'd escort her. And what exactly had he even meant by telling her he'd escort her again?

Momo bit her lip. "But what if someone has a question..."

"Then, they can ask you." Jirou finally looked up from the magazine and met Momo's gaze. She quirked an eyebrow. "What's really the matter? You've been fidgety all evening."

Momo sighed. "I just want the night to be perfect. I was talking to Todoroki-san earlier- "

"What did the Ice Prince say to you?" Jirou interrupted. The bed squeaked as Jirou sat up abruptly, and her eyes narrowed. "Do you need me to slug him?"

"No!" Momo sat back in surprise. As much as she loved Jirou, Momo was still not used to how quickly she would threaten violence against the guys of their class, especially towards her new boyfriend, Kaminari.

Jirou Kyouka and Kaminari Denki had begun dating at the beginning of the year, after what had been careful persuasion, and in Momo's opinion, an unreasonable amount of pining between the two. It had been Momo who had finally convinced Kaminari to confess to her friend.

"Todoroki-san didn't say anything. He was very kind. He just said that if I'm the one planning, then the event will surely be enjoyable..."

Jirou's expression relaxed. "Oh, is that it?" She sat back down and crossed her legs. "Then why are you overthinking this?"

Momo sighed. "I-I just feel so badly." She looked down. Her fingers fidgeted with her phone. "Last year, Todoroki-san was so kind and escorted me to Ennichi, but I was horrible and never even thought about his feelings on being there. He probably hated it..."

"You're not horrible, Yaomomo. And I doubt he hated it if he was with you."

"But last year he said - !" Momo hesitated, her heart sinking at the thought that her telling Jirou about him feeling out of place could be a betrayal of his confidence. "He just...didn't look like he enjoyed himself. And I'm scared that people won't enjoy this either..."

Jirou gave her a look. "Yaomomo, you're worrying too much. First off," she said, holding up her finger, "Todoroki wouldn't have stayed with you if he hated it." She raised another finger. "Second, everyone is going to have fun, no matter what happens. It will just be great to all be together." She dropped her hand back to her lap.

"Maybe..." Momo said, avoiding Jirou's gaze.

"Look." One of Jirou's earphone jacks rose in the air and pointed at Momo. "I know you are worried about Todoroki, but he isn't the type of guy who would do something he doesn't want to. And the fact that he stayed with you all night — when he was still just getting out of his early-roki stage — means that he wanted to see the festival just as much as you did."

Momo nodded slowly, and then looked away to stare down at her hands for a few seconds.

Jirou exhaled through her nose. "I know there is something else on your mind. Tell me," she coaxed, getting on her knees and crawling to the edge of the bed to sit by Momo's chair.

Momo bit her lip. "He..." She paused for a moment. "He also said that he was looking forward to escorting me again." Her voice was small. She could feel heat curl around her ears as she whispered the words she had been thinking about all evening.

Jirou's eyes widened faintly. "Oh, that's exciting," Jirou said, leaning forward. "And what did you say?"

She shook her head. "He walked away before I could respond...."

Jirou snorted. "Well, that's still exciting. Congratulations on finally moving forward with the Ice Prince."

Momo felt her face grow warmer. "Co-congratulations?" Her voice squeaked slightly at the end.

"Yaomomo." Jirou's lips curved up into a grin. "You don't have to be shy. You've liked him since forever, haven't you?"

"Eh?" Momo cupped her face. Her cheeks were burning. "I...I don't know what you mean."

Her chest felt tight.

Jirou's smile widened; she shook her head. Then she leaned forward and poked Momo's side. "Yaomomo, you're too cute."

Momo wanted to hide. Did she really like Todoroki? Well, of course, she liked Todoroki. But, like 'like'?

Was that why she had been thinking about Todoroki more? And was that why she had been overanalyzing his words all evening?

Momo's heart rate increased. She certainly admired him and thought him an excellent student and friend, and — okay, maybe she did like Todoroki, but only... if she was going to think about it scientifically, as much as a beaker. Well, maybe a little more than a beaker. Perhaps a flask. A tall, well-made flask ...

Momo hid her face in her hands. She was ruined. How could she have not known?

"Yaomomo, you don't have to get so flustered. Everyone knows." She could hear the smile in Jirou's voice.

"Everyone?" Momo asked in disbelief. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach.

"Well, everyone but Todoroki...probably. But it's okay, since he likes you too."

Momo dropped her hands. "You're wrong. He couldn't possibly like me."

Jirou smiled surreptitiously. "I don't know about that."

Momo shook her head. "Even if he did like me as more than friends — which he doesn't — he has never made any suggestions."

"What about him saying he will escort you again?"

"He didn't mean it like that," Momo said hurriedly. "He meant going as a class."

Didn't he?

Momo's heart fluttered like hummingbird wings in her chest. No. Jirou was wrong. She was planting ideas in Momo's head.

It was one thing for Jirou to know Momo's heart, she was her best friend after all, but it was entirely different for her to presume to know Todoroki's.

"Hmm," Jirou hummed, looking at her thoughtfully. "Why don't you just ask him, then?"

"No! I can't." Momo leaned forward and grasped Jirou's hand. "And please, you can't say anything either. Not to anyone."

Jirou's eyes softened. "Okay, okay. I won't say anything. I promise." She patted Momo's hand.

Momo felt her shoulders relax. That was right. Todoroki didn't like her, because if he did, that would mean Jirou was right and Momo was wrong — which wouldn't make sense. Momo was the smartest student of their grade. There was no way that she would have missed the signs that he liked her.

Would she?