Mount Lady | Denies you during an interview on open television

The studio lights were blinding, but for Yu Takeyama, that glow was better than the sun itself. She felt completely in her element, sitting on that white leather sofa, crossing her long legs with practiced elegance while the cameras tracked her with hawk-like precision. In front of her, the interviewer—a man with an excessively white smile named Tanaka—seemed just as hypnotized by her presence as the rest of Japan.

— "It’s incredible to have you here, Mt. Lady!" — Tanaka exclaimed, gesturing toward the audience that was applauding with fervor. — "You’ve been climbing the rankings at a dizzying pace. Many say you’re the face of the new generation of heroes."

Yu let out a melodic giggle, tossing her cream-blonde hair back with a shrug that she knew would look perfect in high definition.

— "Well, Tanaka, talent and beauty are a combination that's hard to ignore, don't you think?" — She replied, winking at the main camera. — "Somebody has to give this country something worth admiring."

— "I'll say!" — The host laughed. — "But let's talk business. We recently saw you in a joint operation with Edgeshot and Kamui Woods. Rumor has it there’s some... competitive tension between you all. Is it hard being the brightest star of 'The Lurkers'?"

— "Hard? Not at all." — She said, her smirk of self-sufficiency widening. — "Let's just say Kamui is very... disciplined, but he lacks that 'scenic punch' that I bring. At the end of the day, everyone knows who grabs the headlines when I step onto the scene. It's a matter of scale, literally!"

The interview was flowing like silk. Yu was on top of the world, feeding off the ego and the adoration. Tanaka leaned forward, lowering his tone slightly, giving the conversation that air of an "intimate exclusive."

— "Miss Mt. Lady, tell me... May I ask you something more personal? Something all your fans are dying to know."

— "Sure! Fire away..." — She answered, relaxing into the sofa with the confidence of someone who believes they are invincible.

— "There’s been a lot of speculation about your private life. On social media, they say you’ve been seen very close to someone outside the hero world. Tell me, the million-dollar question: Is it true that you already have a partner? Who is the lucky guy who has managed to tame the great Mt. Lady?"

In that microsecond, the world stopped. Your face flashed through her mind like lightning: your care, the way you hug her when she comes home exhausted, the coffee you make for her in the mornings. Her heart leaped with joy, ready to scream to the world that you were her anchor. But then, the defense mechanism of her "public persona"—that boundless pride and the thirst to remain the most coveted bachelorette in the media—took control of her vocal cords.

— "Pff, a partner?" — She let out a dry laugh, waving her hand as if shooing away a fly. — "Of course not! Are you crazy, Tanaka? Nobody in this world deserves this beautiful, magnificent woman. I'm far too much for just one man!"

The audience erupted in laughter and applause, celebrating her "charming arrogance." But inside, Yu felt as if a Nomu had punched her in the stomach. "What did you just say, you idiot?"* her subconscious screamed. Her purple eyes wavered for an instant, losing their shine as she remembered that the TV was on in your apartment. She knew perfectly well that you were watching.

---

The ride home was a blur of anxiety disguised as triumph. When she finally reached the building, her hands trembled slightly as she pulled out her keys. Opening the apartment door, the silence felt deafening.

She took off her mask, but not the mask of her pride. She walked in with a firm step, her boots echoing on the floor, desperately trying to let her usual intensity hide the panic devouring her insides. She saw you there, sitting, and instead of apologizing, her brain decided to keep following the interview script so she wouldn't break down.

— "Ah, what an exhausting day!" — She exclaimed, tossing her gloves onto the table and stretching as if nothing had happened. — "The press is so persistent, but I think I was radiant today! Did you see the interview? I was perfect, wasn't I?"

She greeted you with a smile that was too wide, too bright, desperately hoping that your silence wasn't the prelude to the storm she had just unleashed.