Izuku Midoriya's Diary — March 4
From today onward, I will train my body properly.I want to prove to everyone that even a useless person without a Quirk can still become a hero!
Izuku Midoriya wasn't just saying those words casually. The very next day after being beaten by Bakugo Katsuki, he woke up early and went out running, beginning his training in earnest. Even being beaten up by Bakugo and his friends was something Izuku deliberately listed as part of his physical training.
Days like this continued for a long time.
Although Izuku told himself that getting beaten by Bakugo was part of training, he was still deeply afraid of it. Every time it happened, he could only endure it helplessly. He hugged his head with both arms, curling his body tightly into a ball.
"This is training… this is training…" Izuku kept telling himself with his eyes tightly shut.
"Trash really is trash. You can't even take a beating. Let's go."
"Ka—Kacchan?"
"What is it, trash?"
"Can… can I go on your field trip tomorrow too?"
"Huh? If you wanna come, then come. Just don't slow us down, you useless brat." Bakugo said arrogantly as he led his lackeys away.
This time, Izuku walked home smiling despite his injuries. His mother found it strange. While applying medicine to his wounds, she asked gently,
"Why are you so happy today, Izuku?"
"I'm going on a field trip with Kacchan and the others tomorrow!" Izuku said happily, swinging his small feet.
"Is that so? Then Mom will prepare something tasty." After finishing the bandaging, Inko Midoriya put away the medicine box and tapped Izuku's forehead lightly with her finger."Going on a trip is good, but don't play with fire, okay?"
"I know!"
The next day, Izuku excitedly ran to the meeting spot with his small backpack. Two other children were already waiting there.
"Yo, Midoriya, you're here."
"Good morning! Huh? Why are you all carrying insect cages?"
"Didn't Kacchan tell you? We're going bug-catching today."
"This trash just needs to carry our stuff. He doesn't deserve to catch insects with us." Suddenly, a strap was slung over Izuku's shoulder.
"Yeah, that's right. Quirkless trash."
"Tch. Let's go." Once everyone had gathered, Bakugo ordered the kids to line up and led them toward their destination. Izuku walked at the very back.
Watching Bakugo at the front, skillfully using his Quirk to clear the way for everyone else, Izuku felt nothing but admiration in his heart.
"As expected… Kacchan is the coolest."
In the blink of an eye, several years passed.
Izuku woke up once more from his sleep. His internal clock had never failed him.
"It's five in the morning… same as always." Izuku walked into the bathroom, splashed water on his face, and spoke to his reflection in the mirror."Midoriya, no matter what, you have to become a hero who protects other people's smiles!"
After saying that, Izuku put on his light-green tracksuit and went out to train.
"One, two, one-two-three… one, two, one-two-three…" Izuku muttered quietly. His body was still far too slender—at a glance, he didn't look muscular at all.
He jogged slowly along the riverbank. By now, the sun had risen, its light shining down on him.
"It's about six-thirty now. When I head back, I can try sprinting at full speed." Izuku did several sets of high-knee exercises in place to loosen up. Then he crouched slightly, gripping a small stone in his hand.
He tossed the stone upward, tensing his entire body.
Tap.
The stone hit the ground—and Izuku shot forward like an arrow.
Faster, faster, faster! Izuku urged himself desperately, his legs moving like afterimages.
If I'm not fast enough… Kacchan will see me! Izuku ran past Bakugo's house at full speed with his eyes shut. Just as he disappeared into the distance, the Bakugo household's door opened. Bakugo Katsuki, who had been scolded by his mother and sent out to take the trash, walked toward the garbage area in front of his house.
"Tch. Damn old hag."
After passing Bakugo's house, Izuku ran a bit longer before finally returning home.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home." Inko Midoriya glanced at the clock hanging on the wall."Six forty-five. That's ten minutes faster than last week."
"Really? That's great!" Izuku took off his tracksuit and headed into the bathroom for a shower.
After finishing, Izuku stepped out, absently touching his clearly defined four-pack.
"Mom, is breakfast ready?"
"It's ready already." Seeing her Izuku grow up safely and healthily made Inko feel deeply relieved. Although Izuku didn't have a Quirk, his gentle nature—his refusal to fight or argue, and his innate kindness—felt very similar to her own.
Thinking this, Inko's face filled with a happy smile.
"Mom, what are you smiling about?" Izuku asked, puzzled as he ate.
"Nothing! I'm not smiling!" Inko hurriedly stuffed a few mouthfuls of rice into her mouth.
Over the past few years, she had worried endlessly about Izuku. To prevent him from developing dark thoughts, she had taken him to amusement parks many times and bought him piles of snacks. Back then, Izuku's appetite wasn't as big as it was now, so all those snacks couldn't go to waste—and ended up going straight into Inko's stomach instead. As a result, her weight had climbed past 160 pounds, when she used to weigh only 80.
"Mom, can I have another bowl?" Izuku handed over his empty bowl.
"Oh, sure. So, are you walking to school again today?"
"Of course! That's training too."
"Alright, alright. Just remember to be careful on the way."
"I know." Izuku replied with a smile.
After breakfast, Izuku changed into his middle school uniform and slung his yellow backpack over his shoulders. The backpack was large and extremely heavy—it had been modified by Izuku himself. There were four small compartments on the sides: the top two were filled with water, while the bottom two held iron plates weighing ten pounds each. Even the book compartment contained at least thirty pounds of iron plates. Including books, the total weight came to nearly fifty pounds.
"Then, Mom, I'm heading to school." Without drawing attention, Izuku slipped a small knife into his bag and smiled at his mother.
"Be careful on the way."
"Yes, ma'am!"
On the road, Izuku walked while constantly writing something in a notebook with a pen.
"If a Quirk involves binding… then maybe it could be used to block vision like this."
"Hey, hey, there's an enemy up ahead!"
"What? An enemy? Are there any heroes here?!"
The moment Izuku heard there was an enemy, he immediately moved forward. Struggling through the crowd, he finally saw the villain—a Quirk user who had chosen to use his powers for evil.
"Look! That's Kamui Woods!" Izuku shouted excitedly, having spotted the hero battling the villain with his keen eyesight.
"Are you some kind of shut-in nerd?"
"Ah—no, no, I'm not…"