Dandadanx10

That's How Love Starts, Ya Know!

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Kami High School as Ben Tennyson adjusted his green jacket, unconsciously touching the alien device on his wrist. Another day of keeping his secret, he thought, when sudden shouting caught his attention.

"You want me to what?" A girl's voice rang out with barely contained fury.

Ben turned to see a beautiful auburn-haired girl confronting a tall boy in the hallway. Her crimson eyes blazed with anger as she clenched her fists at her sides.

"Come on, Momo-chan," the boy wheedled, "Just lend me some money for our date. We can go to that nice hotel afterward..."

Ben winced as he watched the girl – Momo – launch into a roundhouse kick that the boy barely managed to dodge. "We're through!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway. "Don't ever talk to me again, you creep!"

As the boy scurried away, Ben couldn't help but feel impressed by her spirit. He'd seen enough bullies in his hero career to recognize a sleazeball when he saw one.

Later, Ben overheard Momo's friends consoling her in the classroom. "I can't believe I dated him just because he looked like Ken Takakura," Momo groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"That's... kind of absurd," one of her friends said gently.

"I know, I know," Momo sighed.

Ben's attention was drawn away by commotion in another classroom. A group of boys were harassing a smaller student with glasses, shoving his books around. Ben was already moving to intervene when he noticed Momo had also spotted the situation.

They reached the classroom at the same time. While Ben positioned himself near the bullies with a warning glare, Momo simply walked over and sat at the harassed student's desk, fixing the bullies with such an intimidating stare that they quickly dispersed.

As Momo turned to leave, the bespectacled student called out, "Wait! Thank you for helping me!" He clutched a book about UFOs to his chest, eyes shining with enthusiasm. "I'm studying extraterrestrial phenomena and-"

"Oh great, another alien fanatic," Momo muttered, but Ben perked up with interest.

"Actually, I'd love to hear about it," Ben said, causing both to look at him. He tried not to smile too broadly – after all, most of the "mysterious UFO sightings" in that book were probably his own alien transformations.

The boy launched into an excited explanation about recent UFO activity, while Momo's expression grew increasingly annoyed. Ben noticed her patience wearing thin and was about to intervene when she suddenly stopped, looking guilty.

"I'm sorry," she said to the boy. "I shouldn't be rude. It's just... I believe in ghosts, not aliens."

The boy's face split into a skeptical grin. "Ghosts? Really?"

"Yes, really," Momo bristled. "My grandmother is a spirit medium."

Ben's eyes widened with genuine interest. "A spirit medium? That's fascinating! How does it work?"

Momo seemed surprised by his sincere curiosity, a small smile playing at her lips as she began to explain. However, the other boy cut in with a challenge.

"I'll prove aliens are real! Let's each investigate a location tonight – you check out the UFO hotspot at Nagi Hospital, and I'll go to that supposedly haunted tunnel."

"Fine!" Momo agreed heatedly. "Ben, you'll be our witness on the phone!"

Later that night, Ben sat in his room, phone connected to both Momo and the boy (whom Momo had dubbed "Occult-kun"). As they explored their respective locations, Momo opened up about her past.