Nabiel's bedroom was far too large for someone who essentially only needed a space the size of a mattress to lie down all day. Located in one wing of his family's fairly wealthy estate, which was a privilege he had deliberately arranged when choosing his reincarnation background in this world, the room was dominated by monochromatic colors and minimalist furniture. There were no superhero posters and no All Might merchandise filling the room of an average teenager. There was only absolute silence, exactly the way he liked it.
In the corner of the room, under the dim glow of a desk lamp, Nabiel sat at a teak wood desk. He was still wearing his oversized white shirt, and his long sleeves were left rolled up carelessly to his elbows so they would not sweep across the ink. Before him, a black leather-bound book lay wide open. His right hand moved constantly, scratching out notes in neat and precise handwriting. Subject: Midoriya Izuku. Status: Main Protagonist. Day One Observation: He has a high self-destructive tendency to achieve narrative resolution. Physical sacrifice of his index finger is used as a bargaining chip to gain recognition from an authority figure like Aizawa Shota. This is typical early shounen hero development. Growth potential: Exponential. Additional Note: Class 1-A is filled with character archetypes that are far too loud, and this noise level threatens my mental peace.
Nabiel was just about to write a new paragraph regarding how troublesome Aizawa was when the sound of a turning doorknob broke the silence. Without a knock or permission, his bedroom door swung open. Nabiel was not surprised. He did not even stop the movement of his pen. In this entire world, only one person had unlimited access to his comfort zone, and that person never cared about the concept of privacy when it came to him.
"You know, in a civilized society, there is a wonderful concept called knocking," Nabiel said flatly, his voice drifting softly without him turning around.
"And in a civilized society, a student should not lie to their homeroom teacher on the first day of school," a soft but firm female voice replied.
Yaoyorozu Momo stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She wore a simple yet elegant house dress, and her black hair, which was usually tied in a high ponytail, was now flowing freely past her shoulders. Her beautiful face radiated an aura of exhaustion that she rarely showed in public. Momo walked closer and, without hesitation, sat on the edge of Nabiel's tidy bed.
Nabiel let out a long sigh. He closed his leather notebook, hiding his cosmic observations from the girl's eyes, and then rotated his desk chair to face her. He pulled his knees to his chest, hugging them with his dangling shirt sleeves. "Buff Instinct? Really, Nabiel?" Momo looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "That is the most specific and fabricated excuse I have ever heard. You are lucky Aizawa-sensei did not make you fight one of us to prove it."
"It was not a lie, it was a script adjustment," Nabiel answered casually, resting his chin on his knees. "Besides, I did not lie completely. I really do not like wasting energy unless someone is trying to kill me. You know that better than anyone."
Momo snorted softly, and a thin smile finally appeared on her face. "You and your absolute laziness. I sometimes wonder how you have survived this long without falling asleep in the middle of the road."
"I have you to wake me up," Nabiel replied innocently, making Momo roll her eyes.
A comfortable silence enveloped them for a few moments. Outside the window, the night sky began to fill with stars, reminding Nabiel of the void of space where he usually monitored reality. But here, inside this room, reality felt very grounded. "A crazy day, was it not?" Momo broke the silence, and her voice sounded softer now. She looked down, staring at her interlaced fingers on her lap. "Midoriya-san... the power he unleashed at the end of the test. It was incredible, but also terrifying. Bakugo-san looked like he wanted to kill him as well."
"Standard rivalry dynamics," Nabiel muttered. "One is explosive, the other is naive but determined. Just let them resolve their own plots. Do not think about it too much, Momo."
However, Nabiel realized there was something different in his friend's tone. As an Outer, he could read the narrative structure of a world. But as Nabiel, he could read Yaoyorozu Momo just from the way she breathed. "They are not who you are thinking about, are they?" Nabiel guessed. His dark eyes, usually lethargic, now looked at Momo with a rare focus.
Momo fell silent. Her shoulders, which were always perfectly straight, slowly slumped a little. She squeezed the fabric of her dress, which was a small gesture indicating anxiety. "I am very proud to have gotten into U.A., Nabiel," Momo said, and her voice trembled slightly. "It has been my dream since I was a child. Being there, standing on that field with people who have the same determination... it felt amazing."
Nabiel remained quiet, letting the girl finish her sentence. He knew that pride always came with a dark shadow. "But," Momo bit her lower lip. "I entered through recommendations. Everyone in class knows that. Todoroki-san did too, but he seemed so ready. Meanwhile, when I saw Midoriya-san's strength, Asui-san's agility, or even Iida-san's speed, I started to think."
Momo raised her head, looking at Nabiel with onyx eyes that radiated vulnerability. "What if I do not deserve to be there? What if this recommendation track was only because of my family's big name?" Momo's voice grew even smaller. "My parents expect so much from me. Society expects a recommendation student from the Yaoyorozu family to be a perfect hero without flaws. I am afraid of disappointing them, Nabiel. I am afraid that when the time comes, I will not be able to meet those expectations."
Nabiel listened to everything without interrupting. In his eyes, he saw a classic character conflict. The weight of expectations, imposter syndrome, and the fear of failure were the ingredients that made a story interesting. However, seeing the girl he had known since they were infants look so fragile, Nabiel felt a slight distortion in his usually flat emotions. Something felt strange in his chest, perhaps as a side effect of wearing a human skin for too long.
Nabiel slowly lowered his feet from the chair. He stood up, walking with a sluggish pace toward the bed, and sat down next to Momo. They were close enough that Nabiel could smell the scent of lily shampoo from her hair. He raised his right hand. His oversized sleeve fell to cover his palm. Using the tip of the sleeve, Nabiel gently patted the top of Momo's head twice.
"You are overthinking," Nabiel said in his typical monotonous tone, though this time there was a hint of softness tucked inside. Momo looked at him, slightly surprised by the awkward touch. "Society's expectations are the most boring thing in this world," Nabiel continued, staring straight at the wall opposite them. "They always demand things from others because they cannot do it themselves. Your father and mother might expect a lot, but they were not the ones standing on the exam field today. You were."
Nabiel turned, looking directly into Momo's eyes. "You did not get in because of your family name, Momo. You got in because your Quirk is Creation, and your brain is a walking encyclopedia. You can make a cannon out of a pile of your own body fat if you want to. Midoriya might be able to destroy a building with one finger, but he destroys himself in the process. You? You can build that building back up."
Momo's eyes widened slightly. Nabiel's words sounded very rational and cold, yet somehow, they hit the mark in her heart. "Do not compare yourself to a character, I mean, to other people who have different roles," Nabiel corrected himself smoothly. "You are Yaoyorozu Momo. If you feel the path ahead is too heavy because of expectations, then make your own path. You have a Quirk to create anything, right? Just create your own footing."
Nabiel pulled his hand back and put it in his pocket. He resumed his lazy face and gave a small yawn. "Besides, if you fail, you can always hire me as your personal servant and give me a blind salary for the rest of my life. That sounds like a very attractive retirement plan for me."
Hearing that last sentence, the tension on Momo's face instantly vanished. She laughed softly, which was a sincere and elegant laugh. She wiped away a single tear that almost fell from the corner of her eye. "You really cannot be serious until the end, can you?" Momo said, and her smile bloomed again. The weight on her shoulders felt much lighter.
"Being serious is exhausting," Nabiel replied honestly. Momo stared at her childhood friend. Behind the lazy attitude, the poor posture, and the oversized shirt, Momo knew there was something very deep within Nabiel. Something that always made her feel safe.
"Thank you, Nabiel," Momo said sincerely. "I feel much better."
"That is good. In that case, you can go back to your room. I want to sleep. Watching people shout all day drains my mental energy."
Momo stood up and straightened her dress. "Alright, alright, Mister Lazy. Do not forget to do the orientation assignment Aizawa-sensei gave us before you go to bed."
"A akan kupikirkan," Nabiel murmured, already lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. When Momo reached the doorway, she turned back. "Goodnight, Nabiel. See you tomorrow."
"Hn. Night."
The door closed with a quiet click. The room was silent once again. Nabiel lay in silence for a few minutes. He then raised his right hand, staring at his own palm. Being an Outer meant he was not supposed to interfere too deeply, only to observe how the wheels of fate turned. However, comforting a very important side character did not break the rules, did it? Nabiel let out a sigh, rolled to his side, and closed his eyes.
"This story is going to be very troublesome," he thought, before the Observer's consciousness finally sank into the human sleep he so craved.