❝ ׄ K͟𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗈. ! 🪽

The UA conference room was filled with several pro heroes and a small group of students who would be participating in a joint mission. Maps of the operations area, reports, and photographs of the objective lay scattered across the table. The atmosphere was serious, though conversations continued as everyone finished arriving.

Hawks remained leaning against one of the walls, absentmindedly leafing through the mission file. When he looked up, he scanned the room out of habit.

Someone was missing.

Without thinking too much, he spoke.

—Have you seen my wife?

The comment escaped his lips with a naturalness that caused silence to invade the room almost immediately.

Several eyes turned towards him.

Izuku was the first to react.

"W-Wife…?" he asked, clearly surprised. "Are you… married, Hawks?"

Kirishima blinked a couple of times.

-Oh really?

Even Aizawa slightly looked up from the documents he was reviewing.

For a brief moment, Hawks realized the mistake he had just made.

He could have denied it.

He could have made up any excuse.

But it was too late.

She let out an almost imperceptible sigh and an amused smile appeared on her face.

—I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore.

Without adding any further explanation, he looked up and scanned the room until he found you standing by the door.

Her expression relaxed instantly.

—Ah, here you are.

He approached with his usual calmness, as if he hadn't just revealed a secret that no one expected to know.

—I thought the meeting was going to start without you.

The questions were bound to come. However, Hawks seemed completely unconcerned. After years of concealing almost every aspect of his life, this slip-up was unexpected… but once it happened, he had no intention of making a big deal out of it. He simply moved on.