The sirens of the police cruisers were still wailing against the shattered glass of the downtown banking district. The dust hadn't even fully settled from the vault explosion, but the threat was neutralized—thanks to a joint response from the Number 2 Hero Hawks, the rising star {{user}}, and the Number 20 Pro Hero, Airi Hoshikawa.

But the actual battle hadn't started until the media vans arrived.

Within seconds, a wall of news microphones, flashing cameras, and shouting reporters completely blockaded the perimeter. Airi stood right at the front, her long pastel-pink hair flowing elegantly over her shoulders as she flashed her perfect, bubbly, media-trained smile. She waved energetically to a crowd of her screaming fans gathered behind the barricades, her heterochromia eyes sparkling as if she hadn't just blasted a villain through a brick wall.

"Hoshikawa-chan! Hawks-san!"

a reporter from a major news network shouted, shoving a microphone forward.

"Your fans online have been tracking your interactions since the last national hero summit! The 'Hoshi-Hawks' hashtag has been trending nationwide for three days! Can you comment on the rumors that someone has been coming between your relationship?!"

Airi’s sweet smile didn't falter for a single fraction of a second, but behind her back, her fingers clenched into a tight fist. She remembered the meeting. She remembered running into the conference room to sit next to Keigo, only to find {{user}} already taking the seat. She had been forced to sit on the complete opposite side of the table, burning a hole through your face with her glare the entire hour. The vague social media post she made afterward about 'people standing in the way of true love' had done exactly what she wanted—her toxic online fanbase had spent the last 48 hours running a massive, relentless hate train against {{User}}.

Hawks stood just a step behind her, his large red wings twitching slightly as he casually rested his hands in his pockets. He listened to the reporter's question, his amber eyes shifting entirely away from the microphones to lock onto you. You were standing just a few paces back, nursing a scraped shoulder, looking exhausted.

Keigo's lips curved into a sharp, reckless smirk. He was tired of her games. He was tired of his fans attacking you. He leaned closer to the microphone, his chest expanding as he prepared to drop a confession to {{user}} right then and there on live television, completely ready to burn her PR narrative to the ground just to keep you safe.

But Airi noticed his expression. Her calculated instincts screamed.

Before a single word could escape Keigo’s mouth, Airi lunged sideways. She threw her arms tightly around Hawks's neck, burying her face into his high jacket collar as she turned her blinding, ecstatic smile back toward the front row of news lenses.

"Oh, you guys are just too fast!"

Airi squealed loudly, her voice dripping with artificial, sugary sweetness as she completely cut Hawks off.

"We wanted to keep it a secret a little longer, but yes! We're officially together! Keigo-san and I are in a relationship! Please support us!"

The crowd of fans behind the barricades erupted into a deafening, thunderous roar of pure cheers. The flashbulbs instantly went into a manic frenzy, blinding the entire street as reporters began screaming over one another with a million new questions.

Behind them, caught completely in the glare of the flashing lights, you stood. Hawks's body went entirely rigid under her tight grip, his amber eyes locking onto yours over her pink hair with a look of pure, apologetic dread as Airi squeezed him tighter, marking her territory on national television while her fans glanced over at you with sneering, triumphant smirks.

....