A/N: This chapter is approximately 3,300+ words long. I hope you enjoy it!
Monday morning had started in the bitterest way possible, and its name was... SPINACH. Izuku stared at the green mass on his plate with barely hidden disgust while Himiko picked at hers with her chopsticks like she was examining toxic waste.
"This is a punishment," Himiko muttered, poking the spinach with one finger. "Izuku-kun is torturing me on purpose."
"I'm eating it too," Izuku said as he shoved a forkful into his mouth. He chewed, trying not to taste it. "We're in this together, Toga-san."
"Together in suffering," Himiko said, taking a bite. Her face immediately twisted into a grimace. "Ugh! It tastes like grass!"
Inko walked into the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hand, watching the scene with barely contained amusement.
"You know," she said as she sat down at the table, "I spent months eating spinach with Izuku to lose weight. The things we do for love."
"This isn't love, Midoriya-san," Himiko said dramatically as she forced down another bite. "This is a blood pact sealed with vegetables."
Izuku couldn't help laughing at that. He took another bite of spinach, swallowed with difficulty, and checked the time on his phone.
It's late. I gotta leave in fifteen minutes or I'll be late.
"Izuku-kun," Himiko said suddenly, her yellow eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Can I come with you today? I wanna see what your school's like!"
Izuku stopped chewing and looked at Himiko.
Is this a good idea? he thought with growing uncertainty. Bringing the girl who tried to stab me to the gates of the most prestigious hero academy in Japan?
"I don't think that's the best idea, Toga-san," he said carefully. "There are usually a lot of students around in the morning and..."
"Pleeease?" Himiko clasped her hands together with an exaggerated pout. "I promise I'll behave! I just wanna see where Izuku-kun spends his days!"
Inko smiled from behind her coffee cup. "I think it's a lovely idea, Izuku. Himiko-chan has been cooped up in the apartment, and a little fresh air would do her good."
Izuku sighed, defeated. "Fine. But you're coming straight back here after we get to the gates, got it?"
"GOT IT!"
A few minutes later, they were walking down the street toward U.A. Himiko had changed into the casual clothes they'd bought together after training: black jeans, a gray hoodie, and sneakers. She walked close to Izuku's side with her hands stuffed into her pockets.
"So many people," she observed, looking at the morning commuters. "They all seem really busy."
"Welcome to normal life," Izuku said with a small smile. "No hiding in alleys hunting poor boys to drain their blood. Just regular morning traffic."
Himiko bumped her shoulder against his playfully. "Boring traffic. Where's the fun?"
"The fun is not getting arrested for assault, Toga-san."
They turned a corner and U.A. came into view. The enormous gates rose at the end of the street, and a crowd had gathered near the entrance. Izuku could see cameras and microphones being waved in the air.
What the hell? he thought as he slowed his pace. Are those... reporters?
"Oh, a crowd!" Himiko's eyes lit up with interest. Her hand shot to her back.
Izuku saw the flash of metal before she could pull the knife out completely. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, stopping the motion halfway.
"Toga-san, we said no knives."
"But Izuku-kun," she protested, "they're blocking your way! I can clear them out fast!"
"That's not how we solve problems in civilized society," Izuku said as he carefully took the knife from her hand. He lifted the edge of her hoodie and slid the blade right between her panties and her skin.
"Ah...! Izuku-kun... you're being so bold."
"There," Izuku said, pulling his hand back. "No stabbing civilians. Got it?"
"Okay, I'll be a good girl for now... just because I like how you tuck things away for me. But later... you have to let me tuck something away for you too, okay?"
This crazy girl. Sweet one moment, full on sadist the next. At least she's been behaving, he thought as he saw the flush on Toga's face.
They got closer to the crowd. Izuku could hear questions being shouted at the students trying to get through the gates.
"What's All Might like as a teacher?" "How does it feel to be trained by the Symbol of Peace?" "Any comment on the rise of villain activity in the area?"
Izuku spotted a familiar head of brown hair near the center of the chaos. Ochako was being interviewed by a reporter with a microphone, her face glowing with enthusiasm.
"All Might is amazing!" she was saying cheerfully. "He's so muscular and inspiring!"
The reporter was scribbling notes frantically when Ochako's eyes landed on Izuku. Her whole face lit up.
"Izuku-kun!" she called, waving her hand over the reporters' heads. "Good morning!"
Several cameras swung in Izuku's direction. He waved back awkwardly and started pushing his way through the crowd toward the gates.
"I gotta go, Toga-san," he said to Himiko over his shoulder. "Remember what I told you: practice your meditation, no knives, and if anything happens, let my mom know."
"I'll be good!" Himiko promised with a bright smile. "Have fun at school, Izuku-kun!"
She waved with both hands as Izuku disappeared into the crowd. She stood there for a moment, watching him walk between the reporters, and then turned around to head home.
That was when she saw him.
A figure standing at the end of the street, partially hidden in the shadow of a building. He was thin, wearing a black hoodie with his hands buried in his pockets.
Her instincts, honed by her hunting experience in dark alleys, screamed a single word: predator.
Ohhhh... she thought, and a chill went down her back and tingled low in her stomach. What are you?
She couldn't see his whole face. Just a strand of blue hair peeking out from under the hood. The stranger's gaze was fixed on the entrance to U.A.
He's covered in blood, she bit her lip without realizing it. I can tell from here.
Her hand moved to the knife at her waist. She drew it slowly, keeping the blade hidden against her forearm while her yellow eyes never left the stranger's silhouette.
Who are you? she thought with predatory focus. And what do you want with Izuku-kun's school?
Inside the U.A. gates, Izuku finally caught up with Ochako. She was pulling away from the reporters as they walked together toward the main building.
"That was exhausting!" she said with a laugh. "They kept asking the same questions over and over! 'What's All Might like? What's it feel like to be in Class 1-A?' I felt like a celebrity for five minutes!"
"At least you handled it well," Izuku said as he adjusted his backpack. "You looked really comfortable in front of the cameras."
"Thanks, Izuku-kun!" Ochako beamed. "Though I'm glad we're inside now. So many people asking stuff all at once was kinda overwhelming."
They walked down the hallways together, chatting about the upcoming training session, until they got to the door of Class 1-A.
The classroom was already half full. Kirishima and Kaminari were laughing near the windows while Momo read at her desk with a calm expression. Bakugo was slouched in his seat with his feet on the desk, staring at nothing with a scowl.
And standing right in the center of the room was Toru Hagakure, her invisible form only identifiable by her floating uniform.
The moment Izuku walked through the door, she pointed directly at him. Or at least, that's what it looked like.
"Don't think this is over, broccoli head!"
Izuku stopped in his tracks. He looked at the uniform sleeve pointing at him, then up to where Toru's face presumably was.
"Good morning to you too, exhibitionist girl," he said flatly.
"Exhibitionist?!" Toru's voice pitched up with indignation. "I'm invisible! It's not my fault people can't see me!"
"You could wear clothes with your Quirk," Izuku shot back as he walked to his desk. "I dunno, something besides just gloves and shoes. You literally strut around naked during training exercises."
"That defeats the whole purpose of my Quirk, you walking vegetable!"
Ochako giggled behind her hand as she took her seat. Momo looked up from her book with mild interest, watching the exchange with an amused expression.
"Besides," Toru continued as she crossed her arms, "at least I don't go around groping my classmates during training exercises!"
The classroom went silent.
Several heads swung toward Izuku. Kaminari's laugh cut off, Kirishima's grin faltered, and even Bakugo's glare shifted focus.
Before Izuku could put together a response, the classroom door slid open again.
Aizawa shuffled in with his sleeping bag draped over his shoulders and a mug of coffee in his hand.
"Everyone sit down," he said in his flat, tired voice. "Class is starting."
The class rushed to their seats. Izuku sat down quickly. Aizawa took a long sip of his coffee, set the mug on his desk, and pulled out a tablet.
"I reviewed the footage from last week's combat training," he said as he scrolled through the screen. "Overall, everyone did well. The hero team showed good tactical coordination, and the villain team demonstrated solid defensive positioning."
He paused and looked up from the tablet. His eyes landed directly on Izuku.
"Except you, Midoriya."
Izuku felt his soul drop into his feet. The smile that had been forming in response to Aizawa's praise froze on his face.
What the hell did I do now? he thought. The combat training was days ago! What could possibly be wrong?
Aizawa set the tablet down and leaned against his desk with his arms crossed.
"Are you an idiot?" he said bluntly. "You had the entire surface of Uraraka's body to grab for stability, and you decided the best tactical option was her chest?"
Most of the students had seen the video live during All Might's training session, so they knew exactly what Aizawa was referring to. But two people in the room had no idea what was being discussed.
Bakugo, who had been lounging in his seat with his feet on the desk, suddenly straightened up.
"What the hell are you talking about, Aizawa-sensei?" he growled with rising irritation. "What does Round Face have to do with any of this?"
Iida, sitting two rows away, looked equally confused. He had his hand politely raised.
"Aizawa-sensei, my apologies, but I'm not entirely sure which aspect of the combat exercise you're criticizing..."
Before Aizawa could answer, Kirishima turned around in his seat with a wide grin.
"Dude, Bakugo!" he said enthusiastically. "Midoriya's entrance was totally manly! The way he committed to the strategy without hesitating was awesome!"
Bakugo's eye twitched. "What strategy, shitty hair? Stop talking in riddles and say what you mean!"
Kirishima blinked, suddenly realizing Bakugo genuinely didn't know. His grin faltered a little.
"Oh, uh... you seriously don't know?"
"KNOW WHAT?!" Bakugo roared, slamming his palms against the desk.
Kirishima glanced at Ochako, who had gone completely red, then back at Bakugo. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Well... before we got into the building to fight you guys, Midoriya grabbed, uh... Uraraka's boob. To hold on while she used her Quirk to float us up to the fifth floor."
Bakugo's face went through several emotions in rapid succession before landing on volcanic fury.
"HE DID WHAT?!" he roared, standing up so violently his chair fell over backward. "ARE YOU TELLING ME THE DAMN NERD GRABBED ROUND FACE'S TITS BEFORE FIGHTING ME?!"
His palms started crackling with small explosions, and all the students in the immediate area edged away from him a little.
Iida had gone completely pale. He stood up slowly with his hand pressed against his chest.
"A... a perverse stratagem," he said in a horrified whisper. "We were defeated by tactics so shameless and inappropriate. This is a disgrace to the Iida name. To think that our loss came at the hands of such... such unprofessional conduct!"
Kirishima raised both hands in apology toward Ochako. "Sorry, Uraraka! I got carried away. I didn't mean to be that blunt!"
Ochako's face was bright red, but she waved her hands quickly. "N-no, it's okay, Kirishima-kun! You were just explaining what happened!"
Mineta was openly sobbing at his desk as he replayed the scene in his head. "It should've been me! This is the biggest injustice in U.A. history!"
"Dude, show some respect," Kaminari muttered. "Though I gotta admit... that took guts."
Toru's floating uniform was flailing frantically.
"See?! This is exactly what I was talking about! Broccoli head is a pervert!"
Aizawa raised his hand, and his eyes flashed red for a brief second. His hair floated upward.
"Everyone, quiet."
The class shut up immediately. Even Bakugo's explosions died down, though his whole body was still trembling with barely contained fury.
Aizawa's gaze went to Izuku. "Midoriya, you could have grabbed her by the shoulders, the waist, or the arms. Literally any other location that would have been less problematic from a professional standpoint. Using her chest was unnecessary and professionally questionable."
Izuku opened his mouth to defend himself, but the words wouldn't come out.
How do I explain this? he thought desperately. I can't tell him the real reason without sounding like a complete pervert! What kind of Quirk works by touching boobs?!
Ochako stood up abruptly, her face still flushed but her expression determined.
"Aizawa-sensei, wait! I was totally on board with the plan!" she exclaimed, her gaze firm and her fists clenched. "Izuku-kun needed a solid anchor point for his plan to work, and I agreed without hesitating! Seriously, I'm not upset and I wasn't uncomfortable at all! We were just thinking about winning as a team!"
The classroom erupted again.
"At least get consent before doing pervy stuff," Kaminari said with a shrug. "That's what a responsible pervert does."
Bakugo looked like he was about to detonate. "I DON'T CARE IF SHE AGREED! THAT DAMN NERD USED A PERVERTED STRATEGY TO BEAT ME! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"
"Bakugo, sit down," Aizawa said without raising his voice. "You're not killing anyone."
Bakugo stayed on his feet a moment longer, his fists clenched and shaking, before finally dropping back into his chair.
"Tch!"
Aizawa turned his attention back to Izuku and Ochako. "Uraraka giving her consent doesn't change the fact that your approach was inappropriate. Midoriya, you're going to see Midnight after classes today for some lessons on professional conduct in close quarters rescue scenarios."
Izuku's soul tried to leave his body. "M-Midnight-sensei?"
"That's right," Aizawa said without a shred of sympathy. "She'll teach you how to maintain professional boundaries even when physical contact is necessary."
He looked at Ochako. "And Uraraka, you're going to see her too for a counseling session. Just to confirm you're genuinely okay with what happened and not saying it to protect your classmate."
Ochako's eyes went wide and she waved her hands in front of her, visibly flustered by the teacher's insistence.
"B-but Aizawa-sensei! Seriously, I swear I'm fine with it!" she exclaimed with a light blush, her expression honest. "You don't have to worry, I'm not saying it just to help Izuku-kun! It's the truth!"
"Then the session will be short," Aizawa answered dryly. "Both of you, after class. No arguments."
He picked up his coffee and took another long sip, making it clear the conversation was over. Ochako stayed quiet for a second, puffed out her cheeks in a gesture of resignation, and finally nodded energetically.
"...Okay! Understood!"
"Now, on to actual school business," Aizawa said as he set the mug down. "We need to pick a class representative. Standard procedure: everyone votes for whoever they think would be the best leader. You've got two minutes to write down a name."
The classroom erupted into chaos again as students immediately started campaigning.
"VOTE FOR ME!" Kaminari yelled as he climbed onto his desk. "I'D BE THE COOLEST CLASS REP IN HISTORY!"
"No way, I'm voting for myself!" Kirishima shot back with a grin. "A real man has to lead Class 1-A!"
Iida shot to his feet with his arm raised in a stiff salute. "SILENCE! The position of class representative is a sacred responsibility that requires unwavering dedication, impeccable organization, and an absolute commitment to one's peers! We must approach this election with the utmost seriousness!"
"Then shut up and sit down so we can vote," Bakugo growled from his seat, still shooting daggers at Izuku with his eyes.
Aizawa activated his Quirk again. "Everyone, write down a name. Start now."
The class went quiet immediately. Students pulled out scraps of paper and started writing. Izuku stared at his blank paper while his mind was still reeling from the lecture.
Who should I vote for? he thought as he tapped his pencil against the desk. Iida's organized and responsible. Momo would be a great choice too, she's smart and balanced...
He wrote down a name and folded the paper. Aizawa collected all the ballots in a box and counted them while the class waited in tense silence.
Finally, Aizawa looked up. "Results: Yaoyorozu, five votes. Midoriya, four votes. Everyone else got one or zero."
Momo's eyes widened slightly, and Izuku's jaw dropped.
"Therefore," Aizawa continued, "Yaoyorozu is your class representative, and Midoriya is your deputy. Congratulations. Now sit down so I can start the actual lesson."
Momo stood up with perfect posture and bowed gracefully to the class. "Thank you for your trust. I'll serve Class 1-A with dedication and excellence."
Izuku was still processing the announcement when Toru's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Don't get any weird ideas, broccoli head!" she yelled from her seat. "I only voted for you because the deputy has more work and responsibilities! That means you'll have less time for pervy stuff!"
Izuku's eye twitched. He turned to look toward where Toru's face presumably was.
Damn it, he thought with frustration. The exhibitionist's right. Now I've got actual admin duties on top of everything else.
Momo walked over to his desk and extended her hand with a professional smile. "Looks like we'll be working together, Izuku-kun. I look forward to our collaboration."
Izuku shook her hand, trying to ignore Bakugo's murderous glare burning into the side of his head.
"Yeah," he said with a tired smile. "Me too, Yaoyorozu-san."
Aizawa cleared his throat loudly. "If everyone's done with the drama, we have material to cover. Open your textbooks to page forty seven."
The class settled down reluctantly. Izuku opened his book while his mind kept racing.
First day back and I've already been publicly humiliated in front of Bakugo and Iida, assigned mandatory counseling with Midnight, and given extra responsibilities as deputy, he thought as he stared at the page. This week's off to a fantastic start.
He glanced sideways at Ochako, who was focusing determinedly on her book despite still being flushed. Then he looked at Momo, who was already taking detailed notes.
At least I've got good people around me, he thought with a small sense of comfort.
Bakugo was still staring at him from across the room, his jaw clenched and his hands letting off small explosions every now and then.
And at least Bakugo can't murder me during class, Izuku added mentally. Always a silver lining.
Well... I'll figure it out, he promised himself. One embarrassing incident at a time.
Outside U.A., Himiko finally lowered her knife.
The stranger in the hoodie had disappeared into the crowd of reporters, melting back into the city's shadows like he'd never been there. But Himiko had memorized every detail.
For now, though, she had to go practice her meditation. Izuku had given her instructions, and she wasn't about to let him down.
She slipped the knife back into her waistband and headed home, her yellow eyes still scanning the street for any sign of danger.
Izuku-kun's world is more dangerous than he thinks, she thought with grim satisfaction. Good thing he's got me watching his back now.
But... that guy would be such a pretty mess to watch, she thought before cheerfully vanishing into the crowd. I wonder what color his blood is...
*********
For those of you who can't wait — who read today's cliffhanger and immediately thought "there's no way I'm waiting seven days" — the next chapters are already live over at patreon.com/itszeroo. Every chapter comes with a custom cover. Early access or the weekly schedule: that choice is yours.