Staying the Night

"Ah, we've arrived."

The sudden sound from Momotani Hanawa snapped Uraraka Shige out of his self-reflection. He then watched as Momotani Hanawa went to the back door of the apartment building and pressed the doorbell.

From where Uraraka Shige and Momotani Hanawa were standing, there was a small alley not far to the side. It was through that alley that Uraraka Shige climbed over the wall to get into the courtyard of this apartment building, thus escaping the pursuit of that group of thugs.

On the other side was a street with several different shops, but only one convenience store, and two vending machines at the street corner.

Who is it?

As Uraraka Shige observed his surroundings, an old voice came from behind the small, inconspicuous door. Uraraka Shige recognized the voice; it belonged to the strange old woman who walked with her legs crossed and using only crutches, yet she could run faster than he could when he activated his 'Quirk' at full speed.

"Granny Songju, I am Momotani Hanawa. I met a homeless little boy and brought him here to stay for the night."

Momotani Hanawa, standing to the side across the back door, delivered these words to Granny Songju, completely ignoring the fact that afterwards, Uraraka Shige stared wide-eyed at her with a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

"Oh? It's Little Hanawa. You said you brought a new friend?"

Granny Songju's voice rang out again, accompanied by a creaking sound as the door opened. Granny Songju's aged face gradually grew larger as the back door slowly opened, eventually being fully exposed to Uraraka Shige and Momotani Hanawa's view.

"Hello, Granny Songju..."

Uraraka Shige took the initiative to greet Granny Songju first. After all, no matter what, Granny Songju was his elder in terms of race and age, both in his previous life and this life. He then bowed halfway and expressed his gratitude and apology.

I haven't yet thanked you for your help last time, and I really feel bad that you made a wasted trip last time.

When Granny Songju saw Uraraka Shige's actions, she was slightly taken aback at first, and then seemed to suddenly remember something, showing an expression of sudden realization. She then smiled, which made Uraraka Shige feel a little cold all over. Momotani Hanawa was standing next to her, seemed to quiet down a lot at once.

"Oh, it's you. You're the kid who hid in my apartment to avoid the thugs last time. I even went with you to rescue your sister afterwards, but when we got there, we found out she was already safe. That's good, so it wasn't a wasted trip."

Then, Granny Songju turned her gaze to the Little Hanawa she had mentioned, and Momotani Hanawa bowed respectfully to Granny Songju in greeting. Only then did Granny Songju speak again with a smile.

"Oh, no need to be so polite, Little Hanawa, you're really good with your manners. And this little rascal, I'd almost forgotten about what happened before, and yet you're thanking me here."

So both Uraraka Shige and Momotani Hanawa shook their heads repeatedly, saying, "No, no..."

"Well, in that case, why don't you come into the yard first? It's rather chilly out on the street; come inside and get some shelter from the wind."

Granny Songju, with a kind smile, called the two of them into the courtyard, which made them feel a little uneasy, but neither of them refused.

Taking advantage of this moment, Momotani Hanawa suddenly smiled brightly and said:

"Ah! By the way, Granny Songju, speaking of which, just now, this little boy had a fight with me."

Her words successfully drew Granny Songju's attention.

"Huh? You guys had a fight? Why did you fight? Was anyone injured? And who won in the end?"

Hearing Granny Songju's repeated questions, Momotani Hanawa first smiled brightly, then suddenly changed her expression, looking at Granny Songju with a pitiful expression.

"Granny Songju, it was my fault for causing this little boy to misunderstand, which led to the fight. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and as for who won or lost..."

Momotani Hanawa paused here before continuing.

"I didn't embarrass you; I just happened to win in the end."

Granny Songju heard Momotani Hanawa's words, she nodded and began to complain about Momotani Hanawa.

"You should be more careful so as not to cause any misunderstandings. Besides, you're older, so it's only right that you won. There's nothing to be ashamed of about you."

When Momotani Hanawa saw Granny Songju's reaction, she chuckled and then, under the astonished gaze of Uraraka Shige, began to fawn over Granny Songju.

"Granny Songju, I'm so sleepy right now, I'm going to go to sleep, okay? Grandma, why don't you chat with this little boy?"

When Granny Songju saw that Momotani Hanawa was indeed very sleepy, and even yawned while being affectionate with her, she smiled again and nodded with a smile, agreeing to Momotani Hanawa's request.

"Hmm, hmm, good. It just so happens that a few of you heartless little devils showed up today. Most of the rooms on the first floor of the apartment are empty. Just find any room without a sign, tidy it up, and go to sleep. I'll chat with this kid a bit more."

"Okay, Granny Songju, you and this little boy chat for a while, I'm going to sleep now."

Momotani Hanawa walked away with a bright smile.

After she left, Granny Songju suddenly changed her demeanor. Her expression looked much fiercer than before, almost like a villain from a movie, but strangely, it made Uraraka Shige feel safer than when she was smiling kindly and gently before.

"Oh ho ho, kid, I can't believe you've fallen into this old woman's hands again. We agreed to go with you to rescue your sister last time, but it turned out to be a wasted trip. And then there was the time you broke into my private apartment. Which two little treasures are you planning to keep this time?"

Seeing Granny Songju's appearance, Uraraka Shige couldn't help but feel a dark expression. He then realized that he seemed to have figured out Granny Songju's temperament, so he widened his eyes and actively cooperated with Granny Songju's performance, pretending to tremble.

"Granny Songju, I won't keep any of my little treasures, okay?"

Granny Songju couldn't help but laugh happily again and started joking with Uraraka Shige.

"Haha, okay, okay, if you're not leaving any little darlings behind, then you might as well leave yourself behind."

Moreover, this smile was different from the kind smile before. This smile did not make Uraraka Shige feel scared; on the contrary, it gave him a warm feeling of basking in the sunlight.