Izuku's Diary — March 4th
Starting today, I'm going to train properly. I want to prove to everyone that even without a Quirk, you can still become a Hero!
Izuku Midoriya didn't just write those words—he acted on them.
On the very next day after being beaten by Katsuki Bakugo, he woke up early and went out for a run, beginning his training seriously. Even the beatings he received from Bakugo, he forced himself to treat as part of his training.
And so, those days continued.
Although he told himself that getting beaten was part of his training, Izuku was still afraid of Bakugo. Every time it happened, he could only endure it, curling up on the ground with his hands over his head.
"This is training… this is training…" young Izuku whispered to himself with his eyes shut tight.
"Tch. Trash is still trash. Hitting you is just natural," Bakugo scoffed before turning away.
"Kacchan…" Izuku called out hesitantly.
"What is it, you useless nerd?" Bakugo snapped.
"Can I… come with you tomorrow? On your outing?"
"Huh? Do whatever you want. Just don't slow us down," Bakugo said arrogantly before walking off with his friends.
This time, Izuku walked home with a smile, despite his injuries. His mother found it strange.
While applying medicine to his bruises, Inko Midoriya asked gently,"Why are you so happy today?"
"I'm going on an outing tomorrow—with Kacchan and the others!" Izuku kicked his feet excitedly.
"Well then, I'll make something nice for you to eat," she said, finishing the bandaging before tapping his forehead lightly."Going out is fine, but don't play with fire."
"I won't!"
The next day, Izuku ran happily to the meeting spot with a small bag on his back. Two boys were already waiting there.
"Oh, Midoriya, you're here."
"Huh? Why do you all have insect cages?"
"Didn't Kacchan tell you? We're catching bugs today."
"This Quirkless loser is just here to carry our stuff," one of them said, tossing a strap over Izuku's shoulder.
"Yeah, someone without a Quirk is just dead weight."
"Tch. Let's go," Bakugo said, lining everyone up and leading the way.
Izuku followed at the very back.
Watching Bakugo confidently use his Quirk to clear the path ahead, Izuku couldn't help but admire him.
Kacchan really is amazing…
Several years passed in the blink of an eye.
Izuku woke up right on time, as always.
"Five in the morning… just like usual."
He washed his face and stared at himself in the mirror.
"Midoriya, no matter what… you have to become a Hero who protects people's smiles."
After saying that, he put on his light green training outfit and headed outside.
"One, one, one, two, three… one, one, one, two, three…" he counted softly as he exercised. His body was still lean—far from muscular—but he kept going.
He ran along the river as the sun began to rise, its light falling over him.
"It's almost 6:30… I'll try a full sprint on the way back."
After warming up, Izuku picked up a small stone and tossed it into the air.
The moment it hit the ground—
He burst forward like an arrow.
Faster!
If I'm too slow, Kacchan will see me!
He sprinted past Bakugo's house just as the door opened. Bakugo stepped out, grumbling as his mother yelled at him to take out the trash.
"Tch… annoying old hag."
Izuku didn't stop running.
After finishing his run, he returned home.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back," Inko replied.
Izuku glanced at the clock.
"6:45… ten minutes faster than last week."
"Really? That's wonderful!" she said with a smile.
After showering, Izuku looked at his reflection again—his faint abs starting to show.
"Mom, is breakfast ready?"
"It is."
Inko watched him with quiet happiness. Even though Izuku didn't have a Quirk, he was kind, gentle, and always trying his best—just like her.
"What are you smiling about, Mom?" Izuku asked while eating.
"N-Nothing!" she said quickly, stuffing food into her mouth.
Over the years, she had worried constantly about him. To cheer him up, she had taken him to amusement parks and bought him countless snacks. Since Izuku didn't eat much of them, she ended up eating most herself—her weight had increased significantly as a result.
"Mom, can I have another bowl?"
"Of course. Are you walking to school again today?"
"Yeah. It's part of my training."
"Be careful on the way."
"I will!"
After breakfast, Izuku put on his middle school uniform and picked up his yellow backpack.
It was unusually heavy.
He had modified it himself—inside were metal plates weighing nearly 50 kilograms in total, along with his books. There were also water compartments built into the sides.
"See you later, Mom."
"Take care!"
Inside the bag, hidden carefully, was a small sword.
On his way to school, Izuku scribbled notes in his notebook.
"If a Quirk creates entanglement… maybe I can use that to block vision…"
"Huh? There's a Villain up ahead?"
"What? Really? Are there Heroes there too?!"
Izuku pushed through the crowd to get a better look.
The Villain was clearly someone with a Quirk—but using it recklessly.
"Look! That's Kamui Woods!" Izuku shouted excitedly as he watched the Pro Hero in action.
"Are you some kind of nerd?" someone nearby asked.
"N-No! I'm not!" Izuku replied quickly, flustered.