MY HERO: Eri's Cherished Day
~ PART 02: My First Movie ~

Having met up with Izuku and his friends outside the school gates, Inko tagged along with them as they took the next bus from U.A. High into the town. As the bus drove down the street, Eri is looking out in awe at the people passing them by. Her face is almost completely pressed against the window as she was standing in her seat with hands bracing against the glass. She then felt a hand rubbing the top of her head, turning to see the hand was Izuku's. After the two smiled at each other, Izuku returned to his conversation with Inko and Ochaco. "I'm terribly sorry, Ochaco. I completely overlooked you when I arrived at the school. But I'm happy to meet one of my son's good friends. He's told me a lot about you and Iida before you all moved into the dormitory. It's good to finally meet you." she said, bowing lightly. Ochaco did the same, Izuku merely smiling.

"It's okay. I know Eri is TOO cute when you meet her…so it's okay. Anyway, I'm just as happy to meet you as well….Mrs. Midoriya." she replied. Just then, Izuku seemed a bit surprised, catching her attention.

"W-What is it?" she asked.

"Well….this might sound weird, coming from me. But…this must be the FIRST time you used my actual last name at all…even if it's to address my mom. Usually, you refer to me as "Deku", same as Kacchan." Izuku chuckled. Ochaco gasped.

"Now that I think about it….I TOTALLY do! I just noticed! I-I am SO sorry, Deku!" she replied, letting out a small squeak "D'ah! I JUST DID IT AGAIN! I-It's a habit! I SWEAR!" But all Izuku and Inko did was laugh in response while she was flustered. Inko then turned back to her son.

"You know something, Izuku? When I heard the news reports about you helping the other heroes to stop those yakuza thugs, I was surprised to hear them refer to you as "Deku". Is that really what you chose for your hero name? I thought you grew to hate that name because of how much it got you bullied in middle school." Inko asked. Izuku lightly gasped, thinking back to the bullying he got from Bakugo around the time they both were accepted to U.A. Soon remembering when they had their first heartfelt battle at school, he looked back to Inko.

"Well…I did. But…let's just say certain events showed me that it's not that bad. I mean, sure, it's not the FLASHIEST hero name ever made. But…I can't think of any other name I'd rather have…especially when I know my hero costume was originally a gift from YOU, mom." Izuku replied. Inko lightly gasped as tears began forming in her eyes. Uraraka glanced curiously at him.

"Wait. You never told me your hero costume was made by your mom. I totally thought you were going for some kind of "green rabbit" look…especially when I first saw it in our first combat practice." she asked. Izuku nervously chuckled.

"Well…as you know by now, I am a HUGE All Might fan. And…when I drew up that design on my own…I guess I made it look TOO MUCH like him. Even All Might himself snickered at it." he explained. Ochaco giggled.

"Oh yeah. I TOTALLY see it now! But….I bet All Might was happy to know he had such a die-hard fan like you." she replied. Izuku nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, as Eri glanced back at them, smiling to herself. Inko did the same.

"Look at how far you've come…my little baby boy. You're making your dream a reality…and you already have such good friends at your side." Inko thought, eyeing Ochaco as she wiped a tear from her eye.

~ Musutafu, Japan | Movie Theater Lobby ~

As the conversation continued on the bus, they eventually reached the movie theater where Eri's movie was currently playing. They bought their tickets, with Izuku, Ochaco and even Eri getting a discount because of their U.A. cards. Before they had left, Aizawa had made sure Eri was carrying her identification card, signifying her resience as the school grounds. Once inside and having entered the main lobby, Eri was overcome with excitement as she looked around eagerly. She saw the display case with pieces of promotional merchanidse for the film and rushed to have a look. Ochaco chuckled.

"She REALLY is just a little kid." Ochaco said. Izuku nodded.

"With how quiet and reserved she acts at school, I'm happy to see her get to be a normal kid." he added "She must've really want to see this movie." Just then, as Inko approached Eri's side, Izuku heard someone calling out to him.

"Huh? Midoriya? Is that YOU?" a voice asked. Izuku turned around to see Mina in her casual clothes, but more to his suprise, aside her was Shino and Kota. Izuku quickly recognized Shino as Mandalay from the Pussycats.

"M-Mina? And Mandalay too? A-And….Kota?!" Izuku asked, seeing the young man standing by Shino's side. The moment he heard his name, Kota quickly ducked behind Shino's legs.

"Hey there, Izuku. It's been a while." Shino replied.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ochaco asked. Mina chuckled.

"Probably the same reason as you guys. I came with my folks to see a movie with one of my cousins. We had this planned a while ago, so…here I am." she explained. Shino patted Kota's head, startling him at first.

"As for me, Kota wanted to see something too. Funny how we're all here together, eh?" she teased. As Kota remained behind her, Izuku peeked around to see him.

"Hi, Kota. I'm really glad to see you again." he said. A bit flustered, Kota tried to keep his usual face around Izuku. Just then, both Mina and Shino saw Eri at the counter with Inko.

"Hey, what's Eri doing here?" Mina asked "Isn't she, like, supposed to be at school?" Shino pointed at them.

"Is that your mother, Izuku?" she asked. "H-Huh? No way. THAT'S your mom, Midoriya?" Mina asked "Funny. I pictured her to be a bit…."taller" for some reason." Izuku lightly nodded.

"Yeah. Actually, All Might and Mr. Aizawa asked me and Uraraka would accompany Eri so she could come see a movie she wanted to see. It was a little last minute for us, but we made it work. I also asked my mom if she wanted to come, seeing as we used to come to the movie theater a lot when I was a kid." he explained. As Inko was buying Eri something, Mina turned to Ochaco with a big grin on her face.

"Oh! So THAT'S why you guys were hanging out at the dorms then, huh? Heh heh. You SLY girl, Uraraka! Getting to go out with Eri like this WHILE disguising this as your "big chance" with Midoriya!" Mina teased. Izuku and Ochaco both gasped as Uraraka's face lit up.

"W-What are you talking about?!" Ochaco yelled. Mina pointed her fingers at her.

"C'mon girl! I can read you like a BOOK! Admit it! This is all a ruse so you can go out with Midoriya, right? RIGHT?!" she asked, poking affectionatly at her side. Ochaco quickly looked away in an effort to hide her face.

"A-Ashido! That is SO NOT TRUE! I-I'm just doing what my teachers ASKED me! There's no SECRET MOTIVE!" she squealed. But Mina did not stop, now snickering to herself.

"C'mon! Spill! You TOTALLY are!" she retorted. Watching from the sidelines, Shino just sighed.

"You shouldn't be meddling into others' affairs like that, Miss Ashido. I know you two are friends at school, but you should respect her privacy…especially when it embarrasses her this much." she said, getting both of their attention. Amidst the silence, Uraraka looked back to Mina.

"Y-Yeah! Listen to Mandalay, Mina!" Ochaco replied. Shino then leaned in closer to Mina, surprising her.

"OR…do you want me to tell your classmate about that "certain picture" your parents were so eager to show me when we met outside the theater? Hmm?" she teased, growing a "cat-like" smirk. Mina gawked in fear, suddenly making Izuku and Ochaco puzzled.

"Y-You WOULDN'T! I told you…that picture is EMBARRASSING! It's not MY fault mom loves carrying around my BABY pictures!" she shouted.

"Oh no? I don't remember any rule saying girls can't be teasingly mean to "other" girls. So if you act this way with Uraraka, I see NO reason for me to tease you this way too." she said. Mina quickly froze up, slowly backing away, before Inko waved over to the others. Both Ochaco and Izuku turned back to them. Eri was now holding a doll of the movie's main character in her other arm as she waved as well.

"Ochaco! Izuku! The movie is about to start!" Inko called.

"Hurry up! Let's go!" Eri added.

~ Inside the Theater… ~

Now seated inside the theater itself, Izuku and his group found themselves seating near the back rows as Eri wouldn't have to worry about the loud noises coming from the speakers. As they watched it, the movie being about a children's story of a cartoon-like hero going on a quest, the young girl's eyes were lit up brightly as she smiled at every scene. Izuku lightly glanced at her.

"Seeing her smiling this way….it reminds me of when Mirio and I talked Mr. Aizawa into letting Eri come to the School Festival." he thought. Seated besides her was Inko who rested her arm alongside Eri's, same as Izuku.

"I hope she gets to smile like this more." he thought, reaching for the popcorn bucket in his lap. But the second he did, he bumped hands with Ochaco, strangely reaching for the same bucket as him. When they felt each other, they glanced at each other before turning away in embarrassment. Izuku then tried passing the popcorn to her.

"S-Sorry, Uraraka. D-Did you…want some?" he asked quietly. Uraraka glanced back at him before gently, and slowly, taking it from him.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. T-Thank you…Deku." she mumbled, quickly slapping herself in the forehead when she realized she said "Deku" again. Izuku quietly chuckled as Eri glanced at them next to her. She shed a small smile before turning back to the cinema screen.

TO BE CONTINUED…