I might make some events deviate from cannon
Normal POV
As Bakugou and his gang cornered Izuku against a wall, I could see the pure, unfiltered fear on my dear friend's face. Bakugou's face was the direct opposite. Smug, arrogant, almost sadistic. Was that really the face to be making against a childhood friend?
Suddenly, I remembered. Izuku was often bullied for his quirklessness. However, I had long since forgotten when. I've been in this new world for almost five years already, so I forgot some details about the anime and manga. However, one thing was clear to me now. This is the day when Bakugou first started actively bullying Izuku.
My friend had never told me about anyone assaulting him in any way, always determined to become a great hero like his idol All Might. I was sure that he was not hiding anything from me either as his body was always void of bruises and his emotional state was stable. However, Bakugou was about to change that today.
Yeah, there was no way in hell that I would let that happen. I had only been friends with Izuku for a month, but I could already tell that he was a good kid. I wouldn't let anyone hurt him, even it it's Bakugou. Clenching my hands into fists, I could feel determination course through me as I sprinted towards my friend, backpack still strapped to my shoulders.
Izuku POV
Midoriya Izuku had always been friends with Katsuki Bakugou. They both admired the same man, had the same dream, but most importantly, they understood each other. So why? Why was the same person who was Izuku's best friend look at him with that face? Why did Bakugou direct that much aggression at him? Why did Bakugou radiate such killing intent towards him? Izuku had never done anything to enrage his friend like this so he simply didn't understand why this was happening.
Looking into those furious red eyes, Izuku couldn't help thinking,
"I-Is this really the Kacchan I know?"
The green haired boy couldn't help being frightened. It was if his old friend had been replaced by a raging demon. Izuku could only try to reason with Bakugou, hoping the boy who used to be his best friend would stop this. With clattering teeth and a shaking body, Izuku attempted to talk to his friend.
"P-Please stop this Kacchan!"
Izuku begged his friend to stop, to reconsider his actions. What had happened to the cheerful boy who aspired to be a hero? What happened to the great friend he had looked up to almost as much as All Might? Inwardly, the boy thought that Bakugou would stop. They were friends after all, there was no way Kacchan could actually hurt him right?
After Bakugou's face relaxed for a second, Izuku let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
"That's right, there's no way Kacchan would do anything to me. He was probably just blowing off steam from something that made him angry. Yes, that's it."
However, Izuku soon lost hope after Bakugou's face split into an aggressive smirk, winding up a punch for his childhood friend. The two children behind him watched with two smirks of their own, wanting to join in the beating after their leader delivered the first punch.
The green haired boy closed his eyes as he mentally prepared for the punch that would likely give him a black eye.
"Ya, that's right. It's because I'm quirkless isn't it? It's because I'm weak, isn't it?"
Izuku chuckled bitterly in his head.
"As I thought, this world really is unfair."
It wasn't until five seconds passed that Izuku opened his eyes. After his friend's promised punch was undelivered, he dared hope that Bakugou had a change of heart. However, the scenery he was shown depicted a raven-haired girl's backside, blocking him off from the bullies with her whole body mass.
Normal POV
What the hell Bakugou? What the actual hell? Seeing Izuku bullied in an anime by his best friend was one thing, but seeing the same thing happen in real life was something else entirely. Even if it's Bakugou, how could someone do this to their own friend? Especially someone as kind and gentle as Izuku.
However, I immediately understood why this was happening even though it was disgusting to me. Bakugou had an amazing quirk, Izuku didn't, end of story. It's the same thing that happened to my parents and it would have been the exact thing that happened to me if it wasn't confirmed already that I had a dormant mutated quirk.
This world was amazing, the possibilities seemingly endless. There's so much the human race could accomplish if they just used the right quirks for the job. Construction could be made much quicker if people like Cementos used their quirks to mold materials. Interstellar travel would made much easier if the astronauts had quirks that did not require them to breathe. The same could be said for underwater exploration. People with aquatic quirks would no longer have to wear scuba masks and have to worry about the time constraints of water tanks. In fact, several of these changes had already been implemented.
However, this wasn't enough. Logically thinking, humans have only achieved a small fraction of the achievements possible with the use of quirks. For example, mining would be meaningless if the government simply employed someone who could transmogrify organic materials into metal. There would be unlimited gold and an infinite amount of building materials. For the issue of deforestation, a quirk like Kamui Woods' would be helpful. After all, what's the point of chopping down trees in a forest if there was someone who could generate an infinite supply of wood?
These are all ideas that the countries in the world could implement to better the world. However, they still squabble amongst themselves, going on and on about quirk regulation laws. Truely, this world had yet to see quirks as what they truly are, extensions of the human body.
Restricting someone's quirk would be like tying their arms behind their back. Even without a quirk, I could imagine how chained someone would feel if their quirk was to be kept under lock and key. Well, the government does this to keep order and to instill equality upon society. Still, I always wondered if there was a better way.
However, in this world, there was an even greater issue than quirk regulation, treatment towards quirkless citizens. In a world where the majority of people possessed some sort of superpower, someone without that ability could be likened to a handicapped person.
In my old world, it was common to treat a handicapped person with respect befitting anyone else. Anyone who failed to do so was heavily looked down upon. That is why the treatment towards quirkless people surprised me. Only a select few honorable individuals gave the quirkless the respect befitting a member of society, even then, looking down on them. To me, this behavior was unacceptable. Often, my teeth would clench when I saw someone being mistreated for being quirkless, slightly shaking in anger. It was just too cruel for me. Maybe I was spoiled thanks to all of the kindness my parents have given me, taking it for granted, but I still believed that the world would be a much better place if the the quirkless was treated with less disrespect. After all, even the quirkless can contribute to society. Coming from a world where everyone was devoid of powers, I could certainly prove that fact. Overall, I absolutely despised the act of looking down on someone who's quirkless because of the simple fact that they're quirkless.
Therefore, I was really pissed off that the first person that I would call my friend was being subjected to the thing I hated the most, by his best friend no less. I know in the MHA storyline, Bakugou's bullying shaped a part of Izuku's character, and that without it, Izuku would be changed for better or worse. If I were to change anything, it could cause a completely Izuku to emerge, making some events diverge from cannon.
But you know what? I honestly didn't care.
Izuku wasn't just a fictional character to me anymore, he was my friend. What kind of friend would I be if I stood by and watched as he was bullied? Screw the timeline, screw character development, I was determined to find a way to stop Bakugou's bullying, and possibly befriend him if I could.
Besides, I haven't collected enough evidence to say for sure that the events of this world would go completely according to cannon. After all, the main storyline didn't even start yet. Therefore, there was a chance that Izuku would be dragged into a pit of darkness by the endless onslaught of belittling he was going to receive from everyone around him instead of staying true to his ideals and keeping himself determined. It could go very wrong very fast. I'm no stranger to villain Deku fantheories. If my friend was just the tiniest bit less dedicated than his anime self, then there was a high chance that he would become a villain or commit suicide.
I would never let him walk on either of those paths. As a villain, Izuku would never be able to truly rejoin society, and would be hunted down and arrested if he wasn't lucky. The other path, well… there wasn't much to be said was there?
Concrete determination flashed in my eyes, replacing the rage that came before it. This was no time to be angry. I had to save Izuku from being constantly bullied by his best friend. Randomly lashing out would do me no good. I would get my butt kicked as my quirk remained dormant. Besides, having it awaken during a fight could possibly injure someone. While I was seriously pissed at Bakugou and his two henchmen, I didn't want to actually hurt them.
As the blonde reared his fist back for a punch, I sprinted to Deku, standing in front with my legs wide and my arms open. Staring straight into Bakugou's eyes, I stated calmly,
"Stop this right now. I won't let you hurt my friend."
Bakugou POV
Bakugou was pissed off. No, even saying that wouldn't be entirely accurate. The blonde was livid with rage. He was just getting payback on Izuku for the way the green-haired boy looked at him. After Bakugou had fallen that one time, his friend had looked at him with a face full of concern and offered his hand.
"Are you ok?"
Those words accompanied with that face resulted in a memory that Bakugou would never forget. What Izuku did at the time was natural. In that moment, Bakugou could have sustained injuries from his fall. Therefore, like a responsible friend should, the green-haired boy had shown concern for the blonde and wanted to confirm his safety. Any normal person would take the hand offered by Izuku gladly, thanking the boy for his kindness.
Not Bakugou. Nope, definitely not Bakugou. The blonde had taken the greatest amount of offense imaginable in that moment, interpreting a show of kindness as a show of superiority. For the being known as Katsuki Bakugou, what Izuku did at the time could be regarded as looking down on him, and that was unacceptable. Izuku had committed the most heinous crime known to the blonde, and he wasn't about to get away with it.
Every time Bakugou thought of that smiling face, he would grit his teeth in anger and humiliation, cursing the name of his old friend. Noone was allowed to look down on Katsuki Bakugou. Noone. Especially not that fragile, quirkless little boy who would follow him around like a loyal minion. He could tolerate Izuku as a follower, a sidekick, even a trusted friend. But a superior? That quirkless little Deku thinking him inferior? Never. Bakugou would never allow that to happen, whatever it took. Therefore, the blonde's grudge began as be took measures to put Izuku in his place.
When his childhood friend had begged him to stop his advance, Bakugou smirked with satisfaction. He did not hate his childhood friend, at least not in the truest sense of the word. However, even if he was quirkless, even though there was no way he was going to catch up to Bakugou, Izuku still had that glint in his eyes, the same glint he made when he was a child, before he was told that he was quirkless. Bakugou knew that glint, the glint which would brighten Izuku's veridian eyes to the point where they shone like emeralds. The blond knew that light too well. After all, it was the the same glint which graced his own eyes when he first found his dream, the same glint that still resided within his vermillion orbs to this day.
There was only one emotion that could make someone's eyes shine that brightly. Screw greed, screw lust. The only thing that could be associated with that light is pure, uncut determination. That's right. Even after all this time, even after being told that he was quirkless, Izuku still believed that he could become a hero. Even when he possessed the strength of a normal human being, the boy still believed that he could one day become a great hero like All Might. All Might! The man with punches that could level city blocks and kicks that could propel him to the top of skyscrapers. How was a powerless nerd like Izuku going to be like that?
Bakugou did not hate quirkless people. No, he did not even consider the fact that he might have been discriminating against them. It was simple to him, he was graced with amazing powers, they were not. Therefore, instead of becoming things they couldn't be, they should focus on becoming things the could. The concepts of cruelty and discrimination were not even at play here, only reality. Bakugou had an amazing quirk, therefore, he could become a hero. Izuku didn't? Well that's just too bad.
Therefore, the blonde couldn't understand that glint in Izuku's eyes. Even if it's your dream, there's no point in trying to be something you aren't. It was just that simple.
This was the other reason Bakugou wanted to beat Izuku up. He would show the boy his own powerlessness before he wastes more of his time trying to become a hero. This was the largest reason to be honest.
In truth, the blonde would have refrained from harming Izuku if that accursed glint would just disappear from his eyes. This is why he put up the intimidating front at the start of their confrontation. If those shining emerald orbs would simply lose their luster, then maybe Bakugou would have considered being Izuku's friend again. He would never admit it, but in a place deep in the blonde's heart, he truly wanted his old friend to give up his dream. After all, it wasn't like Bakugou had ever considered Izuku's friendship to be a hindrance. The blonde had even grown somewhat attached to the green-haired boy.
"Come on Deku! That's enough! There's no way for you to become a hero! So please, please give up and go back to being my friend again. I don't want to see you of all people get in my way."
He would never admit to having these thoughts, but in some compassionate part of his mind, he wanted to be friends again.
However, even as Bakugou tried to keep his methods as peaceful as possible, that accursed glint was there. It didn't matter that Izuku was shaking in fear and close to tears. The blonde could still spot the traces of light in those moist eye sockets. Therefore, he would have to resort to violence.
Clenching his teeth in anger, slight explosions triggered on Bakugou's palms. Why? Why wouldn't Izuku just give up? Why? He should know that his dream could never be fulfilled, that it was an impossibility, so why?
"Why? Why won't you give up? Do I really have to beat that light out of your eyes for you to see the truth?"
Seeing those eyes, Bakugou immediately knew the answer to his question. Izuku would never give up. The blonde had no idea what manner of being could possess that little weakling to be so strong, but it seemed that he would have to get rough.
Bringing back his left arm back to wind up a punch, the blonde prepared to launch the attack at his old friend.
Seeing that fearful expression on Izuku's face as he anticipated the punch, Bakugou couldn't help snarling in anger. How, just how was he able to make that weak and fragile face when his eyes glowed with that light?
Midoriya Izuku was a fragile boy, someone who would cry loudly even if he sustained an injury as trivial as a scraped knee. He was someone who would shake in his boots and tear up when faced with the threat of violence. So, if Midoriya Izuku was a weakling who would never be able to best someone in a fight, then how the hell did he still have the determination to be a hero?
To harbor dreams of being a hero with no quirk was synonymous to subjecting yourself to a life of cruelty and ridicule. It took a heart of steel to stay true to your dream in a life like that. One would have to possess the strength to keep their dream alive in a constant lifetime of being looked down upon, unbudging to the harsh words of the masses.
To Bakugou, who linked determination directly to physical strength and endurance, Izuku's very existence was an affront to his very ideals.
"How can someone so weak be so strong?"
Bakugou was confused. And confusion often leads to anger. That was exactly what happened in this case.
The anger from the confusion due to Izuku's impossible strength combined with the fury from Izuku's concerned face when he asked if Bakugou was alright blended together to form a vermillion flame of rage, threatening to make the blonde himself explode.
Just as Bakugou was about to launch his attack, fueled by his anger, it was stopped. The newcomer was able to stop his punch with nothing but a glare.
It was that new friend that Izuku introduced to Bakugou. The same creepy girl who had the eyes of an adult but possessed the body of a child. Those eyes were the creepiest things the blonde had ever seen.
Bakugou had never seen the girl before. He never even knew that Izuku had a friend like that. When he was introduced to her, the blonde had almost decided to throw away his grudge so that he could warn the oblivious Izuku about her.
It wasn't as if Bakugou was scared of the girl because of what she could do to him. In fact, the blonde knew that he could probably best the newcomer easily in a fight.
No, Kurokami Mal's eyes shone not with the dark light of malevolence, but with the white brilliance of knowledge.
Despite seeing him for the first time, those eyes clearly showed her knowledge of him. Mal's gaze had pierced him, making Bakugou feel exposed for the first time in a while.
It was as if she knew him or something. She never spoke about it, but it was almost as if she knew him, almost like they were friends or something. This both disturbed and enraged Bakugou to no end. This is why Bakugou disliked Mal, but remained vigilant around her.
Now, that same girl was interrupting his much needed session with Izuku, which fanned the already raging flames of his rage.
Those eyes just made it worse. Those amethyst orbs now shining with the same light of determination in his ruby ones just made it so much worse.
Bakugou, in that moment, could barely distinguish the difference between Mal and a concrete wall. It didn't matter if the blonde could have easily beaten her and moved on to Izuku next, the girl still managed to resemble an unbreakable defense.
How the hell did Izuku get someone like this on his side?
Bakugou was about to shout for her to get out of the way when she said it.
"Stop this right now. I won't let you hurt my friend."
The way she said it was full of conviction. It was as if Mal was stating a simple fact, like how the sky is blue or how clouds are white. It was the same way Bakugou had always announced to everyone how he was going to be a greater hero than All Might.
Why? Why would this girl be so determined to protect a weakling like Deku? Just what was he to her? Bakugou was completely mystified inside, but decided to hide his confusion in order to intimidate the newcomer.
With a feral growl that could be likened to a feral beast, Bakugou shouted to Mal,
"Get out of the way! This is between me and Deku! It has nothing to do with you!"
The girl's violet orbs pierced into Bakugou's, almost pinning them in place. Not moving an inch, she announced with determination in her voice,
"Not if you're going to hurt him. If you want to resolve something, do it with your words."
How was she able to say those words? She knew that she was powerless, having no chance against Bakugou and his henchmen. However, when Bakugou gazed into those amethyst orbs, he knew it instantly.
"Oh no. Not another one."
She was just like Izuku, determined to fulfill her goals even though she had no power to do so.
It's true what they say, birds of a feather flock together. Izuku had managed to befriend someone just like him.
This just enraged Bakugou so much more as he called out Mal's weakness.
"Huh? Who the hell do you think you are? Telling me what to do?"
The blonde grinned as the brunette gulped nervously. The teachers were too far away for her to call and there was no way she could beat them in a fight. There was absolutely nothing she could do if Bakugou and his henchmen decided to get violent. She clearly knew this. But again, the determination in her eyes did not fade as she continued to hold her ground, despite knowing the futility of it all.
With a calm and gentle voice, Mal begged Bakugou to stop and think about what he was doing.
"Please stop. I know that you still care about Mii-chan somewhere in your heart. Don't do this to your friend."
Bakugou could only reply with,
"Huh? A friend? That little weakling? Don't be stupid!"
At his answer, the brunette only sighed in disappointment.
"Well then. I can't beat you, but I'll be damned if I let you touch Mii-chan."
Mal said that with such a serious fact that Bakugou was completely baffled. How was this girl going to prevent him from touching Deku if she couldn't even protect herself? However, he also knew that she would not budge from the spot no matter how he threatened her. The only way to bear Izuku up was to beat Mal up. Yeah, there was no way Bakugou would beat a girl up. It made him look bad. Therefore, he had to give up for today. Snarling in anger, Bakugou spat,
"Kuh, I don't beat up girls. Count yourself lucky Deku. Your girlfriend just saved you."
Turning his back to Mal, the blonde gestured to his henchmen.
"What are you waiting for?! Lets go!"
The two bullies looked at each other in puzzlement before obeying Bakugou's orders before jumping in fear as their boss turned his head to glare at them.
"H-Hai!"
Walking away, the blonde turned his head and glared straight into Mal's eyes, fully showcasing all of the pent up fury in those vermillion orbs.
"This isn't over."
It wasn't one of his usual enraged shouts. This sentence was spoken with cold certainty, almost like a fact. It wasn't meant for intimidation, it wasn't meant to be a threat. Those words were a promise, one that Bakugou would deliver no matter what.
However, to his disturbing words, the girl smiled kindly. Her lips curved up in a benevolent grin, Mal relaxed and shoved her hands into her pockets.
What she said next both shocked and mystified Bakugou. It was probably the strangest thing someone could ever say in this situation. With a songlike voice that showed none of the cold severity it had during their confrontation, Mal cheerfully invited the blond to hang out.
"Please meet me at the park entrance at four o'clock tomorrow alright? I'll be waiting."
Bakugou almost choked on his own saliva. His eyes widened in surprise as he questioned the very sanity of the girl before him. The reaction of any normal person to his promise along with his earlier actions would be fear, anger, or some kind of displeasure.
But this girl, this girl had not only smiled compassionately at him like they had just finished having a tea party, but she had invited him out on what could be interpreted as a date. Everyone present was four years old, so they didn't actually see it that way, but it was still surprising.
Bakugou's henchmen whispered to each other.
"I don't like this girl, she's weird."
"I know right? Let's just get out of here."
Bakugou whipped his head around, clicked his tongue, and began to walk forward, intent on going home. There was no way he was going to take Mal up on her offer. Not even if he was extremely curious. Nope, not happening.
Normal POV
That was really scary. I had no idea what I was going to do if Bakugou had actually decided to attack. There was no way I could actually live up to my bluffs or my confident attitude. I think he knew that.
This made me feel truly weak for the first time. Yeah, I understood what Izuku felt all the time now, and believe me, it was a really bad feeling. Being powerless hurts more than people would think. Seriously, why wouldn't my quirk hurry up and activate? Honestly, I was such a late bloomer. Hopefully I would get something like electricity manipulation, earth manipulation, or water manipulation. Anything was fine as long it was powerful. If I actually got a hard to use quirk like Mineta's balls, then I would get seriously pissed off.
For the first time in my whole existence, I found myself being glad for the fact that I was a girl. I used to think that being a boy was much better as they don't have to deal periods, which sucked really bad. But now? Now, I found myself thinking whatever deity that decided to make me a female. It probably just saved me a beating from the hardest hitting kid in the whole universe. Seriously though, that guy hits way too hard for a four year old.
I asked him out in an attempt to talk to him alone. I loved his face when he heard me ask him that? His eyes went so wide that it wasn't even funny. I know, what I did was extremely strange and unusual. However, I couldn't find it in me to blame Bakugou too much for his actions, now that I've sorted out my feelings after the passing of the anger rush.
He hadn't actually touched Izuku yet and could probably be persuaded to not do so. Young children are easily influenced after all. That was probably one of the reasons why Bakugou was so arrogant and narcissistic in the first place. I bet that everyone around complimented him for his amazing quirk all the time. Even an adult would get overconfident with that amount of praise.
I was determined to reform Bakugou with nothing but words. Then, Izuku would no longer have to deal with the constant amount of bullying he received in the anime. Bakugou would be more sociable and make more friends. It would be a win win for everyone.
The blonde might have glared at me with anger in his eyes, but when I imagined him working together with Izuku as a team, I couldn't help but smile warmly. Seeing two friends work together would always warm my heart. It was one of the new hobbies I had discovered in this new world.
Many would consider me overly optimistic for my thoughts, but I couldn't worry about that, or I simply chose not to. I was in the body of a little kid, it was fine to be optimistic sometimes at my age. Then again, I was mentally over twenty years old…
Well, moving on from that train of thought, If I couldn't convince Bakugou to change his ways, then I would have to defend Izuku from him every time, or find someone to do so for me. If that was necessary, then I would have to learn how to fight and unlock my quirk. If it turned out to be non combat oriented, then I was basically screwed. I would have to completely rely on others to watch out for Izuku. I could always learn martial arts, but that doesn't mean that I would be any good at them. If people with quirks ganged up on me, then there would be nothing I could do. Hopefully, it won't go this way and I'll be able to befriend Bakugou, but if it doesn't, well…. Then I don't know anymore. I would have to do a lot of improvising.
Turning back to face the still shaking Izuku, I smiled at him and asked,
"Are you ok?"
Izuku POV
As Mal turned to face him with that smile on his face, Izuku could barely keep the tears from overflowing out of his eye sockets. He had barely been listening during the whole confrontation, his terrified eyes locked onto the form of Mal. It was like the incident with the tiger all over again, his friend saving him because of his weakness.
Izuku had known Mal for a month and already, she has saved him from harm two times already, risking her own safety in both situations. He knew that Mal's quirk hasn't awoken yet, and that in her current state, she was as good as quirkless. Even so, she was still able to save him from that lion. She was still able to defend him from the bullies, even Bakugou, who had a ridiculously powerful quirk. Kurokami Mal was someone Izuku aspired to be, almost as much as Bakugou and All Might.
"What did I do right to deserve a friend like her?"
Wiping his tears away with his sleeve, Izuku smiled happily, answering Mal's question.
"Y-yes."
Mal enveloped the future hero in a loving hug, making his eyes widen. His hands hung limply to his sides, his brain overheating. He was being hugged by a girl. A girl! It didn't take long for Izuku to begin blushing, his face resembling a ripe tomato. Her body was warm and comforting, somewhat like his mother's but different in its own way.
As Mal released him, Izuku's face slowly began to return to its normal color. He stuttered out the only words he could come up with.
"M-M-Mal-chan?"
What Izuku wanted to ask was why Mal had hugged him, but was only able to produce those words with the help of his shell shocked brain.
The brunette seems to have understood his question, giving him a reply with another kind smile.
"Dummy, I didn't mean your physical state. How are you mentally? Are you still determined to be a hero?"
Izuku was puzzled. He was still frazzled from the previous events, so he was not able to deduce the meaning of his friend's words as fast as he could have. It took over ten seconds for Izuku to interpret the question, and another three to think of an answer.
Lowering his head, Izuku stated quietly,
"Honestly, I'm a bit discouraged."
Mal smiled bitterly. She knew for certainty that her friend was feeling that emotion. She would have noticed even without his words. However, Izuku's next statement made her joyful smile appear again.
Izuku raised his head and smiled with a face that radiated determination. He held out a fist in front of his face and clenched it.
"But it'll take a lot more than that to make me give up!"
Mal then faced him with that smile that radiated joy.
"I'm glad."
She then stared directly into Izuku's eyes, entrancing the boy with those violet orbs of hers.
Izuku always found those eyes beautiful, not simply because of how they looked, but because of the emotions they showed. Those eyes were the prettiest things to Izuku because they belonged to Mal. Mal, who was always kind and considerate around him, who always helped him in his times of need, who always comforted him when he needed it. Therefore, every time the boy looked into those eyes, he would unconsciously smile as he knew that his friend was near, and that she cared about him.
Mal continued to speak with that joyful face, recapturing Izuku's attention. Her voice was strict, like a teacher lecturing their students.
"Mii-chan, you may be quirkless, you may be weak, hell, you might even be a nerd, but I also know for a fact that you are by far the most determined person I have ever met."
Izuku looked at his friend with wide eyes. What was she trying to say?
"With that determination of yours, I'm sure that you can do great things. The fact that you don't have a quirk just means that you need to work harder to achieve your goals. Don't let this get to you, ya hear?"
Izuku's mouth was gaping now. There was actually someone that believed a quirkless person could become a hero? To think that someone like that could actually exist? The boy was overjoyed.
"It's not going to be easy. People are going to look down on you. People are going to laugh at you. People are going to say and do things that completely disrespects you on every level just because of those dreams of yours. At times, you'll feel like it would be better to just give up. In fact, giving up would be the path with the least hardships."
Izuku looked down at the floor. He knew this, especially after the events of this day.
"Maybe it would be better to just give up after all."
However, Mal's next words dispelled any negative thoughts the boy had.
"But, I know that you'll never take that path, because that's not the kind of person Midoriya Izuku is. I'm pretty sure that you know if you give up now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Izuku had no idea how Mal's compassionate smile could radiate any more kindness, but it did.
"At times, it'll feel like noone believes in you, like you're all alone in the world. Most people are going to treat you like a joke, after all, your dream seems like an impossibility to them. It'll be really hard to find good friends who can accept your goal, even harder to find ones that support you."
Midoriya was now listening to Mal with admiration in his eyes, feeling similar to the way he felt when he listened to one of All Might's monologues.
"That's why,"
Mal suddenly grasped Midoriya's right hand with both of hers, staring into his eyes with a newfound determination.
"That's why I'll promise you right now Izuku. It doesn't matter how other people look down on you, it doesn't matter if they ridicule you. It doesn't matter if everyone in the world treats your dream as impossibility."
Mal pushed her face closer to Izuku's to the point where they could feel each other's exhale on their faces.
"I'll always support you no matter what. I'll believe in your dream, in the great hero that you will become, even if noone else does."
Mal withdrew herself from Izuku, who looked at her in a mixture of awe and gratitude.
Pointing to herself with her thumb, the girl smirked lightly.
"When your mental state is degrading, when you feel like giving up, when you feel like there's no point in pushing on anymore, remember this. You'll always have a fan in me. I'll always look forward to the day you become a hero who surpasses All Might, the day when you achieve your dream."
As Izuku was about to shed tears of joy and gratitude, Mal's tone became light and kind spirited, a playful smirk on her face as she gently tapped his chest region with her fist.
"It doesn't matter if you can't see me or hear me, if we're whole continents apart. I'll always be cheering for you, Mii-chan. After all, that's my sworn duty as your friend."
The dam finally broke. Joyful tears cascaded down the sides of Izuku's face as his loud cries rang across the background unrestrained.
He hasn't forgotten the face his mom had made when she first told him that she was sorry. That face that basically said,
"There's no hope for you, I'm sorry, but please just give up."
Izuku did not want to hear those words from his mother, but they were the words that were delivered from her mouth. Those were the words that almost shattered his spirit. How ironic, that the one person who encouraged Izuku to be a hero the most almost ended up preventing him from becoming one.
Therefore, Mal's words simply made Izuku so happy that he felt as if he could fly. The girl who he had known for less than a year had managed to repair the damage done by Izuku's own mother, plugging up the hole in his heart. As Izuku desperately wiped at the tears falling from his eyes with his sleeves, he smiled inwardly.
That's right. It doesn't matter if everyone else is against me. If there's one person who has expectations for me, who believes that I can become a hero, then that's enough."
Meanwhile, Mal watched as Izuku cried himself out, patiently waiting for the tears to stop flowing and the sobs to subside.
When Izuku finally cleaned his face full of tears, the sun was setting already.
Her back turned to the beautiful setting sun, Mal's compassionate smile suddenly became that much brighter. Offering a hand to the puffy-eyed Izuku, she cheerfully exclaimed,
"Let's go home!"
Here's another chapter
I'll just say this right now. This is not an OCxIzuku story
It is definitely not an OCxharem story
As for who Mal is going to be paired up with?
Well, lets just say that it's not anyone you're expecting
