Firstly, thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! I honestly wasn't expecting much support for Middle Ground but still, thank you!
Now onward to the story!
Passing time
Mom and the Ishikawa's didn't know about his meeting with All Might and he plans to keep it that way for a while.
Mirio still visits and he asked, in one visit, if he can actually join the entrance examination that most students enter despite being a recommended student, since he prefers going in fair and square than through recommendation, another reason being that he wanted to experience actually participating in the exam on his own eyes.
Mirio took to talking to the principal who gave the okay even though he would still be considered a reccomended student.
After the incident, he and Bakugou ended up coincidentally meeting more than once.
From grocery shopping, jogging, train rides to visit the Ishikawa's, and a few coincidences that he can't remember.
And often times, with some of his school mates.
It's official that the kids who used to be at the same grade as him in elementary school know of his return, but since the time he first activated his quirk, the bullying grew lesser till the day he left the neighborhood. That, and they don't approach him even if they saw him.
He recognize some of the old faces he often saw in his old school but they don't recognize him.
Something he is grateful for, because if they don't remember him, then it's best he pretend as if he doesn't remember them at all.
No need to bring back something that has long laid down.
Other than that, the passing months before the entrance exam went by smoothly.
Problem
Of course, it is not without a problem.
It comes from the training he had under All Might.
The first time he activated One For All, he broke some bones and so he had to take a visit to U.A to find Recovery Girl.
The sound of broken bones is scary, but he's used to even worse pain. Not to the point of getting broken bones but still, ouch.
It was at this same day that he also met Principal Nedzu in person, whose a... mouse, bear, badger person.
Principal Nedzu and Recovery Girl found out about the fact that he is inheriting One For All at the same day.
And he was questioned. "Midoriya-kun, is there a specific reason why you accept inheriting One For All? It's not that I am against it, but I want to hear you personally."
Midoriya answers. "To be honest, I had no intention of inheriting it at first. Mostly because of the nature of my very own quirk, Enmity. I was actually content with what I got despite conditions needed to activate it. But with everything that I faced in the underworld... my quirk only reminded me of everything that happened down there. Mastering the quirk just made me feel hollow. My alias, Leopard, and my quirk is a part of me as much as I am myself... but Leopard will never be perceived as anything but the king of the underground ring. It's a title that I never wanted to have. I'm not even a king..."
The problem of being the best is that most of the time, people find it hard to connect to you as a person and see you for what you have done and achieved.
He is not seen as the aggravating challenger when he is crowned king, he is seen as the champion and strongest. He is known as "Leopard". Not Midoriya Izuku.
"So during that day, I decided on my own, that I want to be seen as for who I am. Not as Leopard, but as Midoriya Izuku."
He admitted the next part with a sheepish nervous grin. "Besides that... All Might seems like he really needed me to be his successor and I can't help but agree."
It seems like a silly reason, but he can't really leave people in need of help be. Even if they aren't the most grateful person.
The principal seems to have taken his answer well and walked over to All Might. "You picked a good successor my friend. Despite what happened in his past, he still has a good heart."
"Thank you, and that, I can concur."
They have to visit Recovery Girl occasionally anyways until one training incident that results in more than just having broken fingers had them temporarily banned from the infirmary.
Dance
When he's a kid, observing heroes and quirks is something that he liked to do and is sort of his hobby.
While he still had that passion, it's less so than he used to and with the lack of notes to keep during the past five-six years, he eventually kept his personal observations on his mind until he came back home.
But if there's a new hobby that he took up other than this, and gaming, courtesy of the Ishikawa children, it's dancing.
So when he's free from training, chores, and online homework, he danced.
He had to take out some of his old All Might stuff to the storage room or sell them out to people who want it but in the end, it was worth it.
It started when he was learning boxing that there are different martial art styles. And Capoeira caught his attention because it's almost like dancing.
He did a lot of research about things he got interested in since he started staying with the Ishikawa's at twelve and took some liking to hip-hop and break dancing.
Plus, it's a nice and fun way to keep him fit other than doing jogs, stretches and some boxing routines.
Dancing, for him, is a lot like fighting. You just need to find a perfect rhythm and beat to catch people's attention, or catch them off guard.
In a fight, you read on their pattern and rhythm of attacking and turn their rhythm back on them.
It's why he liked dancing as a hobby and as a knowledge to fight.
And so with one more day left before the entrance exam, he danced for the first time in a while since training with All Might took a toll on his stamina.
It felt refreshing.
Entrance
Wearing just his favorite combo of comfy clothes, a hoodie jacket with a shirt underneath and pants, along with his bag, he looked at the gate of U.A academy. Arriving just thirty minutes before the gates close because he wants to take his time.
Mom and the Ishikawa's keep saying that there's no need for him to join the entrance exam due to being recommended due to his circumstances but he still wanted to be here. To experience it all.
And so he walked in his first step.
Except, he was shoved to the side, and there was a familiar growl.
"The fuck are you doing here Deku!?"
Izuku looked at Bakugou and just... blinked at him. Tilting his head to the side. "Am I not supposed to be here?"
Bakugou fumed. "You wanna have a go y-"
"You're not the dictator of my life, Kacchan."
He stopped calling Bakugou "Kacchan" long ago, but will call the explosive boy by that name just for kicks and sarcasm. And he doesn't even have much fear on the ash blonde anymore. (The name Kacchan sounds like calling someone a mom so there's that)
Besides, if Bakugou's not even going to listen to him by much, then he's not going to listen to Bakugou either.
The first ever time he ever expressed his current thoughts about Bakugou was during their tense reunion just last year and just recently.
He had to admit they're both to blame. Bakugou, for not even wanting to listen. And him, for not having much of a spine to actually get him to listen to him for once before their friendship goes awry.
In a way, he was sort of happy for being away from Bakugou for five-six years. Now he had enough backbone to get Bakugou to listen for a bit and he plans to keep it that way until the day Bakugou is not spouting explosive anger and actually expressed his thoughts.
Bakugou grew even more angrier and sparks form at his hands. He would've attacked, but stopped when he heard whispers among the participants.
"Hey isn't that Bakugou Katsuki from the incident last year?"
"I think it is..."
Bakugou clicked his tongue and went on his merry way.
Izuku stood and adjusted the hood that he kept up.
Someone called him, and he turned to see a brown haired girl with a round face. "Hey there!"
"Oh, hello." He greeted back.
"Say why aren't you on an uniform?" She asked.
He replied. "Ah, I've been joining online classes since middle school so I was given a pass for not wearing it."
Not a lie, but not the truth either.
The girl nodded in understanding. "Oh! By the way, are you joining the entrance exam for the heroics department?"
Izuku nodded. The girl smiled. "Well, good luck to the both of us then!"
"Good luck to you too."
The girl waved and entered the building. Izuku following suit shortly after the girl walked a few steps into the building, a thin smile curved at his lips.
It was good to know that there are still good people out there in this world. Discounting those that he have met and be close enough on a personal basis.
Exam
Izuku kept his silence as he listens to Present Mic's explanation about the examination. Practicals first, written test later, or so he heard.
He just fiddled on the bandages at his hand.
He started wearing them since that one training incident which got him and All Might temporarily banned from U.A's infirmary since his left hand started to scar and almost disfigured from the damage and Recovery Girl insisted to keep it that way as a reminder.
He didn't object.
Bandages make nice makeshift boxing gloves anyways. And he wears them a lot in the days down the underground so it's comforting.
After that incident, he and All Might are on the consensus on not using One For All far too much while still allowed to practice it to come up with ways to utilize it. And since he already has a quirk, it's easier to mask and hide the fact that he inherited One For All, so he is now back to using Enmity.
Present Mic later gives everyone an assigned block for the exam later. He looked at his, and then looked at the other participants in the room.
There was one participant that caught his eye, however. One that looked like he is resigned to a certain fate.
That, and the guy looked like he hadn't sleeped in ages.
As everyone later went to the changing rooms to get changed for the exams, he approached the participant before the room completely dispersed.
"Hey."
Resolve
Shinsou didn't know what to expect when this green haired guy came talking to him. But he greeted him back. "Hey yourself."
"You look so depressed. Why?"
...Okay. This guy is too observant it's sort of creepy and horrifying. "Because... I don't think I can pass this practical."
"Why do you think so?"
"My quirk isn't suited for this."
The kid went silent, and asked. "Do you want to be a hero?"
This, he answered immediately. "Yes of cour-"
"If you want to be a hero, then why aren't you even trying?"
Okay, that's it, it hit a nerve. "What do you know!? Most of you seem to have a perfect quirk to fight while mine isn't even suitable for combat!"
The green haired guy just raised his eyebrow at him with an incredulous expression. "Not all quirks are perfect, but are you seriously thinking that you can't pass just because of that? Being a hero doesn't always mean you have to be good at fighting. Can't you think out of the box? This is a hero school, so other than fighting, you're also expected to help and save people!"
Shinsou went silent as the guy's point hit his mind like a brick.
Save people?
Really?
"Yes really. Also, your expression says it all." He stated flatly. Continuing. "Having combative quirks isn't always great you know. Mine is risky, a strength enhancement quirk that gets stronger the more injuries I receive, but I still make the best of it, if I can make the best of my quirk by being a hero, then so can you. Stop being mopey and negative now, will you?"
"I... alright... I'll try..."
At that, he smiled. "That's the spirit. Uh..."
"Shinsou. Shinsou Hitoshi."
"Midoriya Izuku. Good luck to both of us, yeah?"
Shinsou nodded and Midoriya left the room.
Shinsou thought back to Midoriya's words, smiling with a brim of positivity.
They're almost alike, he thinks, he's always thought to be a villain because of his quirk by everyone around him, while Midoriya's quirk requires the boy himself to be placed in risky situations for it to activate.
But Midoriya is so optimistic when compared to him, that it made him see Midoriya in a far different light from his first impression of him.
And now he made up his mind.
He's going to be a hero.
Injury
When the practicals started, he went running with taking the attack meant for other participants first. A few hits to himself and then he punched it before he starts moving to find more robots to punch.
Many people would think that he has a death wish with this kind of action, but this is an easier way to activate his main quirk... if it's against a person, he'd need to taunt them to gaud them to hurt him, however.
He stopped himself once he felt like he got enough points from the robots and just run around to see participants who would be his potential classmates.
He recognized the nice brown haired girl that greeted him earlier.
As he was about to approach her, someone called. "You there!"
He turned, a tall bulky boy with glasses looking at him a good distance away. "Yes?"
"How could you get these much injuries and still be able to move!?" His hands motioned as he spoke, pointing at the injuries he received... bruised arms and body, legs are generally fine, but he's sure his head started bleeding from some of the painful but not the point of concussion head injuries he got. Because he felt his head throb from the dulling pain.
To be frank, he's used to having worse injuries back in the underworld that these look tame in comparison.
He shrugged. "I have high pain tolerance."
"That is no excuse! This maybe an exam but please, do not be reckless to the point of endangering yourself my fellow participant!"
...Well, that's a first. "It's alright really-"
There was rumbling, and a giant robot that fits the criteria of the spoken Zero pointer robot started moving.
The other participants are all stuck at where they are standing in fear, but he started to move.
Seeing that there are several participants that are close enough to the zero pointer bot.
Rescue
Iida Tenya wasn't able to call out the injured green haired boy to stop being reckless as he moved.
He was truly worried since he caught glimpses of the boy injuring himself trying to defeat the villain robots.
Yet this boy still managed to keep moving despite the injuries.
Why?
Those injuries, while not too fatal, would have put the boy out of commission sooner and so he approached him out of good will and worry.
But hearing the boy's dismissal at those injuries made him feel anxious on his behalf. What happened to him that he had grown so desensitized and numb to his own pain?
While his attempt to look strong in the midst of peril is admirable, but it won't mean anything if he died on duty. And that also made him angry. Angry that this reckless green haired boy would have made people worry for him due to his actions.
That worry was all gone when he saw the boy moving in front of some of the participants close and punched the arm of the bot.
Destroying it while the participants run away, under the boy's order.
However, one participant wasn't able to escape fast, falling as she tripped on a rubble caused by the robot's attack, and so the boy acted.
He ran under the robot and raised his arm for an uppercut.
An uppercut that utterly decimated the robot.
The pieces and parts of the robot started falling around in random places from the impact, the reckless boy stood still until it all landed to the ground.
Slowly, he went over to where the girl had been. Showing his hand at her.
"Are you okay?"
The girl was about to nod before her breath hitched at the sight of his injuries. "Y- you're bleeding and badly hurt!"
"Oh, this? It's nothing, but can you stand?"
The girl feebly nodded and took his hand, standing up.
It was at that time, that Present Mic's voice boomed in, signalling the end of the practical exams. And the boy collapsed, prompting himself to use his quirk to rush over to where he was before he completely fall to hard concrete.
He caught the fallen boy just in time.
"Hey! Are you alright!?" He shook the boy's shoulders. He observed that the boy's chest is still rising.
He's still breathing, to his relief, but unconcious, likely from the injuries he had succumb to.
Recovery Girl arrives soon after, asking if anyone's injured and started treating the boy's injuries in the form of first aid and brought a stretcher to let him rest for the time being and treating the rest of his injuries.
He then hears whispers. Of how the boy has an amazing quirk despite being so reckless.
But he digresses their points. This boy just saved his peers, why are they talking about what quirk he has-
Oh.
Could it be, that saving others is a part of the exam too?
Maybe this boy isn't so reckless as he thought, since he also focused on keeping the participants safe despite getting those injuries in the process.
Friend
He was let off free since injuries he had taken for his original quirk are faster and way more tolerable to heal than broken bones caused by using One For All. But he still got scolded, because, in Recovery Girl's words. "There's only so much injuries you can take before it turns fatal! You're lucky you didn't get a concussion!"
But he's still allowed to take part on the written exam which he had passed easily.
When everyone's done, he was about to leave. Until he was approached by the same glasses wearing tall boy.
"There you are! May I ask if your injuries are alright?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, they're okay. Nothing a good rest can't heal."
"But still, that was a very reckless move you did. Injuring yourself."
Izuku find it funny that his hands motioned unconciously as he talked. "I'm used to it. It's kind of a requirement for my quirk."
That caught the boy's attention. "Y- your quirk?"
He nodded. "To sum it short, I get more strength the more injuries I got."
To say that the tall glasses wearing boy was surprised was putting it lightly. "M- my word... such a risky quirk! Like a double-edged sword!"
He shrugged. "I just make the best of it."
"Even so! You need to take care of yourself too! You just passed out from those injuries in the practicals!"
He gave a nervous grin. "Thanks for the concern but... I'm really used to it."
The boy grumbled but accepted his reason, seeing that he wasn't going to budge. "Alright, but still. Take care of yourself more, alright?"
Izuku nodded.
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself, I'm Iida Tenya. You are?"
"Midoriya Izuku."
They walked out together and became fast friends as the conversation continues.
Acceptance
A letter from U.A arrived a week after the exam.
He was accepted either ways, but he promised he's going to open it together with Iida.
He did tell Iida of his status as a recommended student that personally wanted to take the entrance exam like everyone else. Iida take it to stride, and he quote. "Such humility!"
His phone rang, and he sees that it's from Iida and the message is on RIME.
Iida Tenya: I have opened the letter!
Iida Tenya: I have been accepted to the Heroics Department!
Midoriya Izuku: Congratulations Iida!
Iida Tenya: Thank you. Now have you opened your letter, Midoriya-kun?
Midoriya Izuku: Not yet. I'm opening it soon.
Iida Tenya: Then best of luck to you!
Izuku locked the screen and went on to pick up his letter.
The letter showed a hologram of All Might in his muscled glory.
"Young Midoriya! You may be wondering why are you getting this letter even though you could still get in through recommendations, yes? It's mostly about your results at the examination my boy! You did culminate several villain points during the practicals and while enough, the judges think that most of your actions are reckless. But that's where this comes in. What, you may ask? Wait and see!"
The camera shifts to All Might's right. A screen pops up. Showing a video.
"These are the footages we received of the practical exams. While you have taken to injure yourself during the test to make use of your quirk, the judges also noticed that most of the villain bots you're attacking are originally aimed at several participants who are caught off guard. And you made a lasting impression to the participants nearby the zero point villain robot! One of them even asked Present Mic after the exam to give you another chance! Therefore!"
The screen switched to a list. His name was placed first.
"Midoriya Izuku! You earn 40 villain points and 80 rescue points! Congratulations for your acceptance and welcome to U.A!"
When he heard that, his lips parted and formed a wide smile.
Costume
Ah, hero gears.
A costume requirement for people in heroics.
And since there's still time till April, he decided to deal with it early than procrastinating.
So far, he can only think up of two alternatives.
One is a green suit with a mask, white gloves, a belt with small pocket bags, a pair of knee guards and elbow guards, and red shoes.
The second and last was... based on what he wore during the fights of the underground fighting ring.
Sleeveless hood jacket in an attempt to have opponents underestimate him, a mask to hide his full face, a plain sleeveless shirt, bandages around his hands as a makeshift boxing glove, and plain black pants.
Now he's considering which of the two he would choose.
When he first designed the first one, he realized the design looked almost like All Might and changed it to a more tame design. But he isn't sure if he would like it.
The second one... while he felt more comfortable wearing it due to having it on for most of the time in the past six years, it just reminded him more of the underground days.
"Don't touch me you monster!"
"Mercy doesn't even exist in the underworld. Save it for someone else, will you?"
"Leopard is all the way at the top, he's not going to sympathize us low fighters."
There was a knock. "Izuku? Dinner is ready!"
He looked up from the table and turned to the door. "Coming!"
He opened the door, greeted by mom.
Dinner was quiet, but peaceful. Then mom spoke up. "Izuku, I saw some glimpse of your planned design..."
"Yes? What do you think, mom?"
"Well... Give me a moment, wait here."
Mom left and come back in a little while. In her hand was a costume held on both hands-
Wait a minute.
"You seem to be confused with picking the two designs the last few days of designing so I decided to combine both."
It is.
A sleeveless hood jacket with a green sleeveless shirt, and black pants.
"Ah, for the accessories, the elbow and knee guards will come by later along with the pocket bag belt. You already have bandages and the mouth mask will come by at the same time as the elbow and knee guards!"
"Mom..."
"Izuku... you've told me so much and I know some things that happened in the past five years have some scars... and now you're a hero like you always wanted as a child despite that... it makes me feel proud as a mother... I'm sorry if I wasn't such a good mother before..."
"Mom... you already are."
"Izuku...?"
He stood from the chair and walked to where mom was standing. "If there is one thing that still kept me going asides the Ishikawa's back then... it's you mom. You've done so much for me and still accepted me even after my screw up. Sometimes, I don't think I deserve you at all... but still, thank you mom. For the clothes and everything."
Mom smiled tearfully. "There's no need to thank me, family accepts each other Izuku."
I've officially decided to give the surrogate family a surname, because I can't keep calling them by surrogate family forever.
As a person who studied Japanese, I find the nickname Kacchan almost funny cause it sounded like "Kaa-san" and "Kaa-chan". Both words being synonyms to "Mother" in Japanese. ("Kaa-san" sounds more polite than "Kaa-chan" to my knowledge)
Shinsou was said to have applied for heroics as well as the general department, so my take is that he entered heroics first, but quitted and went for the general departments test when he hears the briefing of the practical examination. I could be wrong though.
RIME is a bland name product of LINE, an actual social media chatting account. It's mostly used and pretty popular in Asian countries. Especially in Japan. I don't live in Japan, but I live in an Asian country where people having a LINE app is common.
The things in chapter 117-120 of the manga got me thinking that a lot of the deterioration of their friendship is mostly because of poor communication problems with Deku (Forgive my inconcistency as I switch between calling him Izuku and Deku in these notes) and Bakugou in canon.
Deku wanted to speak out, but Bakugou refused to listen, and because of that, they never spoke out their thoughts to each other even once. Hence the dynamic of this Izuku and Bakugou.
Also, I don't plan on having this Izuku master One For All too fast, I want his growth to be in a reasonable pace.
- torinokomachi