Patreon Exclusive- When Nejire Found Out- Part 1

Ryukyu Agency, Early Evening The automatic doors swished open with their usual sigh, letting in the last rays of gold-tinted daylight—and Ne

Ryukyu Agency, Early Evening

The automatic doors swished open with their usual sigh, letting in the last rays of gold-tinted daylight—and Nejire Hado, windswept and humming.

“Hellooo, I’m back~!” she sang, twirling once on her heel before stepping inside properly. Her hero coat fluttered behind her, dusted with bits of gravel and scorched air from wherever the hell she just came from.

Inside the common room, things were...louder than usual.

Mirko was leaning over Ryukyu’s desk—again—with a toothy grin and far too much energy for someone who wasn't caffeinated. Ryukyu, by contrast, sat still as a mountain, elbow propped on her desk, cheek in her palm, expression stuck somewhere between resignation and divine patience.

“You’re the one who said he couldn’t last a week,” Mirko was saying. “And now you’re the one sighing when you pass the training hall like a dumped girlfriend.”

“I was sighing,” Ryukyu said coolly, “because I could still smell the fried garlic tonkotsu he insisted on every lunch break.”

“Oh please.” Mirko waved it off. “You miss him.”

Ryukyu didn’t respond immediately. That was all the ammo Mirko needed.

“He made you laugh,” Mirko added, practically bouncing. “Once. I heard it. Full three seconds. Historic.”

Nejire blinked, hovering near the entrance, unsure whether to announce herself or let the chaos unfold. But it was Mirko. The chaos would unfold either way.

“Ohh~ What’s this about laughing?” Nejire said, finally skipping in. “Are we talking about jokes?”

Both women turned.

“Nejire,” Ryukyu greeted with a gentle smile that immediately made the room feel less like a verbal battleground.

Mirko cracked a grin. “Hey, look who survived another week without getting vaporized.”

“Barely!” Nejire flopped onto the couch like she was melting. “You would not believe how hot that warehouse got. I swear my hair tried to abandon ship.” She tugged at one of her curls dramatically.

“You look like you rolled through a microwave,” Mirko offered.

“Thank you~!”

“Any injuries?” Ryukyu asked, shifting into mom-mode almost automatically.

“Nope! Just mild trauma and a broken vending machine,” Nejire chirped. “So what’s up? What are you two arguing about?”

“Not arguing,” Mirko said. “Just watching the Ice Queen pretend she didn’t like the intern.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like him,” Ryukyu replied calmly. “He was… efficient.”

“That’s how she says ‘funny little gremlin grew on me,’” Mirko said, already pushing off the desk. “Let’s go grab food. I’m starving and Nejire looks like she needs dessert and gossip.”

Nejire appeared next to the two like she'd just blinked into existence, hands grabbing both their arms with the precision of a sugar-powered teleportation jutsu.

“Little gremlin who? Him who? What did I miss? Tell me!” she gasped. Her curls bounced with every syllable. “Did we have a new intern?! Who?!”

Mirko’s grin widened into dangerous territory. “Oh-ho. Nobody told you?”

Ryukyu closed her eyes and let out a breath like this was a funeral for peace. “I assumed she’d be briefed.”

“I was supposed to be on a three-day rescue op! You know how fast those turn into week-long swamp sagas!” Nejire whirled on Ryukyu. “Who was he? Was he cute? Was he weird? Did he explode?”

“Not explode,” Mirko said. “But he did call me an old lady and survive.”

Nejire gasped. “That’s either brave or very dumb.”

“Exactly!” Mirko said, finger-gunning her approval.

Ryukyu stood with a sigh, already grabbing her coat. “I need dinner for this.”

“Nejire,” Mirko said as she herded the two of them toward the exit, “let me tell you about this intern. Name’s Ryuu Midoriya. Mouth like a back-alley delinquent. Bat like a home-run god. No fear. No license. All chaos.”

Nejire froze mid-step. “Ahhh! I watched him in the Sports Festival! He was so cute!”

She spun in place, hands gripping her head like the weight of missed opportunity might physically crush her. “Oh no! How can I miss this?! Ryukyu—it is all your fault for sending me to that damn mission!”

Ryukyu didn’t slow her pace. “It was a rescue op, Nejire. Lives were at stake.”

“My social life was at stake!” Nejire cried.

Mirko cackled. “Girl’s got priorities, and I respect that.”

The trio exited the building, the warm night air wrapping around them as they walked toward a local diner tucked just off the main street—one of those late-night hero haunts with mismatched booths and neon signs that flickered a little too much.

As they stepped in, the waitress barely looked up. “Back booth?”

“Always,” Ryukyu replied.

They settled in, Mirko sprawled like she owned the place, Ryukyu upright and composed, and Nejire practically vibrating in her seat.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Nejire said, tapping the table rapidly. “So. Ryuu Midoriya. Tell me everything. Did he flirt? Did he fight? Did he mess up paperwork so bad it made Ryukyu sigh through her teeth?”

Mirko grinned. “Day one, he tried to backtalk Ryukyu and punch me in the same hour.”

Nejire choked on her own air. “What?!”

“He called me ‘old lady.’”

Mirko picked up a sugar packet and casually tore it open. “And then said he’d dodge anything I threw at him.” She stirred it into her tea like she wasn’t remembering it fondly.

“Did he… dodge?”

“Hell no.”

Ryukyu, sipping water, added, “But he got up.”

Nejire’s hands slammed the table. “That’s it. I love him. I missed him, and I love him.”

Ryukyu shook her head slowly. “You don’t even know him.”

“I don’t need to! He’s reckless and mouthy and still alive after calling Mirko old? That’s at least three green flags.”

Mirko pointed at her with a chopstick. “Kid had some bite. Smart, too. Not ‘read a book’ smart. More like ‘improvise a distraction with a vending machine and a bottle of soy sauce’ smart.”

“That is the best kind of smart!” Nejire declared.

Ryukyu leaned back. “He also filed a mission report that referred to a thief as ‘ski-mask McDumbass.’”

Mirko choked on her drink, coughing. “I told you to keep that one!”

“I archived it,” Ryukyu admitted with a sigh.

Nejire squealed. “Oh my God, I would’ve bought popcorn just to watch the three of you in one room!”

Their food arrived—bowls of ramen, fried dumplings, and Mirko’s usual: a triple-patty rice burger with enough wasabi to end a bloodline.

Nejire pouted as she reached for her chopsticks. “Seriously though… you guys got to spend a whole week with him? And I was out fighting fires and digging through swamp water?”

Mirko smirked. “Next time, fight harder to stay on base.”

“Or at least schedule your missions around interns,” Ryukyu added dryly.

“I will!” Nejire nodded solemnly. “I swear on my quirk, next time we get someone that chaotic, I’m staying home and bonding with him.”

Mirko raised a brow. “You’re already planning the wedding, aren’t you?”

“No! I’m planning the team building. For work purposes. Professional hero stuff.”

Ryukyu, looking very much like she was reconsidering every recruitment strategy ever, said nothing.

Mirko popped a dumpling into her mouth. “You should’ve seen him when I told him to try and land a hit on me again.”

“Did he survive?”

“Barely.”

Ryukyu cut in, quiet but fond. “He never backed down. Annoying as he was… he never wasted a second of his time here.”

The table fell into a brief silence. Then Nejire, mouth full of noodles, mumbled, “So like… you guys do miss him.”

Mirko shrugged. “He made the week less boring. That’s rare.”

Ryukyu didn’t answer. Just looked out the window at the city lights and said, “Maybe I’ll keep an eye on his progress.”

Nejire smiled brightly. “So you do miss him!”

Ryukyu met her gaze. “I said no such thing.”

“Which means yes,” Mirko translated. “You’re not subtle, boss lady.”