Ayy, it's me, ya boy! Sorry for the delay, my dear readers, I've been kind of in a mood recently but fear not, I'm well alive and still working on the Harem to end all harems, now with more mature beauties.

Tiger Bunny, Guardian Dragon

"Umm… Deku isn't here again?" The grey-haired girl asked, looking around the common room. Aizawa just dropped Eri off at the 1-A dorms and now the task of looking after her was with the purple-haired teen.

"Sorry, he's out doing the Hero Work Study. He'll be here tomorrow though." Jiro answered the small girl, giving a quick pat on the head. After all that happened to her, it was totally understandable that she would grow attached to Midoriya.

"Is Uraraka-chan here? And Pinky-chan, and Tsu-chan?"

"Umm, they're out doing the same today. Everyone is busy doing something." Jiro then held her hand and led the way. "But it doesn't mean we can't have fun ourselves. Did you have breakfast already?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Do you want to have another one?~"

Eri lit up like a Christmas tree, her eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of having a second breakfast.

"Can we have apple pie?"

"Umm, I'll be owing you that one, but how about pancakes?"

"Pan… cake?" Eri tilted her head, clearly confused.

"Well, it seems that we have a lot of work to do~"

Jiro wasn't the best cook around but her Mom taught her the basics, and judging by the twinkling eyes Eri had just with the idea of a second breakfast, it would do perfectly fine.

The entire class embraced the sentiment of taking care of Eri. It was nigh impossible to resist her cuteness, after all. That said, the girls had a slightly more personal bond with the grey-haired girl because of her attachment to Midoriya. It was easy to see them as brother and sister at times, and perhaps this was what awakened that desire to protect her and help her grow out of her shell.

"Out of the fucking way!"

A random punk shouted, shoving people aside as he ran through the streets, a sack hanging over his shoulder. People jumped away in surprise or fell to the floor as the thug ran. His face was vaguely shaped after a gecko lizard and he even had a tail. The reason for all that rush? A bank robbery.

Well, technically not a bank, it was a convenience store, but the principle was the same. Get in the building, accost the cashier, take the money, and bust out of the place. Of course, if you actually wanted to try robbing a bank, you would want to have more people with you. This was the kind of law infringement the low-rank criminals will resort to simple, and generally harmless, without involving hostages. The perfect type of crime for heroes in training to work on.

"Stop right there!"

A couple of meters behind the thug, two teens, one with long blue hair and another with a green mane were on the pursuit. Nejire-chan told them to stop but no one ever listened. If they did, things would be much, much easier for everyone.

"Aa-ah, why do they have to run…? Deku!"

"Leave it to me."

Sparks surged around his body and the green teen went forward, jumping high and to a wall to avoid the crowd, then dashing after the criminal. He landed right behind him, on time to grab the running thief by the tail, which startled him.

"O-oi! That's not fair!" And just like that, the tail severed itself from the rest of the body. While it wriggled frantically in the hands of the green teen, the gecko dude took that opportunity to resume his run, but it was a failed attempt as a black thing wrapped around his waist and yanked him back.

"Oh, you did it, Deku!~" Nejire-chan cheered as she caught up to them.

"Hhrk… I did it, somehow." Deku said back, making an effort to focus and sustain the Black Whip.

"Show's over, please don't resist and stay put, okay?" Nejire-chan said as she pulled a pair of handcuffs and approached the punk. Now all they had to do was deliver the thief to the nearest police station.

And would you look at that, they even got a small round of applause. Being two young-looking heroes, the crowd was admired for how easily they dealt with the situation. However, even though he complied in not fighting back, the gecko dude didn't shut his mouth.

"This is so unfair! Why do you two get to use your Quirks but I don't?! Just because you're heroes?! Bullshit!"

He kept shouting things like this all the way to the police station, which was pretty annoying, to be honest. After that, Deku and Nejire-chan resumed their patrol as Ryukyu instructed them.

"So, how does it feel to use this new part of your Quirk, Deku-kun? Does it hurt? Did you sort out how to make that huge tendril thing yet?" She blitzed him with questions, each time getting her face closer to his.

"U-uh, no, n-not yet. I'm still getting the hang of how to control it…" He explained, looking at his open hand.

"It's a bit different from when I simply punch something. If I lose my focus for a moment, I feel it going haywire and I have to shut down. There's still a long way before I master it and it came to my mind that… sorry, I was about to rant again." Deku scratched his head apologetically.

Unlike middle school, where everyone was mean to him in some way or another, Midoriya could enter his mumbling sprees without getting much flak. Sure, his classmates would give that surprised and weirded-out look at him, but it was more due to amusement. So he unconsciously gave himself more freedom to rant over time.

"It 's okay."

"I know it can be pretty annoying—wait, what?" He stopped for a moment to look at Nejire by his side.

"It's okay, Midoriya—I mean, Deku-kun, I don't mind at all. In fact, I find it pretty cute when you geek out like that~"

"O-oh, umm…" Midoriya was getting better at taking compliments with time, but it still made him quite flustered. "I don't think I ever heard someone call it… cute."

"But it surely is!~ Sometimes you get all serious, and other times you look so enthusiastic about the topic. Besides, it would be a little weird if I of all people were to complain, don't you think?"

"Erm, I… guess so?"

Indeed, Nejire frequently bombarded everyone around her with questions. She was a curious girl and life was too short to let shyness stop you from knowing people and their awesomeness.

"No need to be gentle on me, I know I can be, what was the word Tamaki-kun used…? Overwhelming!" She beamed like a thousand Watt lamp. "I know I can be overwhelming at times, but I really can't help it. Whenever I see something or someone, I just need to know them better. Hmm… do you think it's weird?"

"What? No, of course not. I just think that senpai could, umm, take a less aggressive approach…" He said, scratching his head.

"Hmm, Mirio said something like that once too~ I'll keep that in mind, but I'm just being myself. There are certain things we can't change, right?~"

"Probably."

"For example," Nejire then turned around and jumped right in front of Midoriya, standing only a few centimeters away from touching his nose. She was barely an inch shorter than him, so he had a good view from her shiny blue eyes. Her hair had a faint flowery scent to it. "things like this make you get all worked up, right?~"

And it worked like a spell, Midoriya let out a short eep! and jumped back. His eyes focused on and off her face, as he didn't know where to look. Her light laugh came right after, so this panic state didn't last more than a few seconds.

"See? That's a very interesting reaction. Pretty cute too~" She said with a smile.

"Geez… I wish I wasn't so jumpy like that, senpai…" Between his flushed cheeks and the brief shock of having his personal space invaded, Midoriya looked a bit down, as if what just happened was a problem. He was kind of past these things, but only when he was with his girls. New environments still put him closer to the edge. Well, Nejire felt the need to correct that.

"Don't look so sad, Deku-kun. It's just how you are. And if you asked me, I would say I prefer you stay that way."

"R-really? But why? It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, does it?"

"No," She answered without skipping a beat. He looked even sadder. "but the fact that you work so hard to overcome it surely is."

"Huh?"

"That's why I wanted to get to know you better, Deku-kun," Nejire said, taking a few steps back and spinning on her heels to resume her stride. "I already know how you are when you get serious, but I want to know the real you."

"The real… me?"

"It's like… I know Deku, but I'm more curious about Midoriya~"

And without another word, Nejire sprinted ahead leaving Midoriya without any further meaning to her words.

"What the—w-wait, senpai! Nejire-senpai, I mean—Nejire-chan!"

He quickly followed her down the street.

At a place far distant from the green teen and the airheaded beauty of the Big Three, a certain brunette was in the middle of her own work. A villain with a dangerous corrosive Peculiarity was finally stopped by the Pro Heroes, but the damage done to the surroundings was wide. Many city blocks had the structures of the buildings compromised and as such, Thirteen was called to assist with the rescue. Enter the heroes in training currently under her guidance.

"Yosh, the helicopter brought us very quickly to the danger zone. Let's make use of your Quirk, Uravity." She said, standing at the open door of the helicopter.

"Understood." Uravity nodded and touched the Space Hero's suit, making it weightless. She then extended her hands to the two other students abroad. "Hold firmly. If you feel a little nauseous, just close your eyes and breathe in deeply."

Yanagi and Awase did as the brunette told them and they jumped off the helicopter, slowly descending to deliver help. Upon landing, Uravity released her Zero Gravity and Thirteen quickly assessed the situation.

"Alright, you'll search the damaged buildings for possible entrapped civilians. Uravity, Emily, use your Quirks together to remove debris and clear the way out. Welder, reinforce any parts that don't look structurally safe. Be cautious."

"Understood!" The trio said, moving to the closest building while Thirteen took care of the streets blocked by more debris.

"Oooi! Is someone here?! Try to make a noise so we can find you!" Uravity shouted as they entered the damaged building.

It looked like a generic office building, and half of the front side had been corroded, resulting in a part of the upper levels crumbling down. Just as the pro hero instructed, Uravity and Emily worked together to remove the large pieces of concrete, slowly but surely clearing the way. Emily's telekinesis wasn't that strong to move objects so heavy, and it would take Uravity a lot more time to move all that debris on her own, not to mention the possibility of moving something that they shouldn't. That's where Welder stepped in, making sure the remains of the structure didn't collapse.

First building cleared, who knows how many more to go. This wasn't a particularly spectacular fight, and luckily the area was evacuated reasonably quickly, so most of the civilians escaped unharmed. The extension of the damage, however, was quite large.

"You know, I wonder. Who pays for this when this kind of stuff happens?" The black-haired boy asked out loud while he repaired a support column.

"There are some insurance companies that specialize in that," Uravity said, currently carrying a boulder about three times her size as if it was nothing. After her, a sequence of even larger concrete pieces, being guided by Emily. The brunette had her cheeks puffed, for she had to concentrate on not throwing up.

"Really? I never heard of them, though."

"Most small businesses don't—have it. It can be very—expensive." She said, taking pauses to breathe in deeply. The brunette floated the boulders over a pile on the street and released her Quirk, also letting out a relieved breath.

"You seem to know a lot about it, Uravity-chan." Said the pale girl.

"Yeah, my parents own a construction company, but it's not that big. With all the collateral damage of fights, most of it is just out of our scope, and most business owners can't really pay for the insurance. It's pretty rough for a lot of people." She said, walking to the next section that needed cleaning.

"Oh, I… didn't know that, Uraraka. Izuku never said..." Yanagi cut her words short, fearing it was a delicate topic she inadvertently brought up.

"It's okay, I don't actively hide it. I just don't talk much about it. Like it or not, my first reason to become a hero was to earn well so I can give my parents a good life. I still plan to do it, but now there's more to it, you know?"

"I see." Under the mask, Yanagi held a relieved smile. "It is a noble cause to pursue, Uravity-chan. You should feel proud of it."

They shared a mutual smile at each other. Admittedly, they didn't have much time to get to know each other since they were in different classes and the time they spent together was mostly centered around Midoriya, so it was nice to talk casually like this. Meanwhile, Awase felt a little uncomfortable, being on the sidelines of that chat.

"Uh, you two seem to get along well. I mean, considering you two share the… same… umm..." He said, then instantly regretted opening his mouth. As for the two girls, a faint blush quickly came to their cheeks.

But before the mood could get more awkward, Emily detected a muffled cry coming from somewhere else in the building.

"Wait, I think I heard someone." They tried to focus on the source of noise, and they couldn't help but wish Shoji and Jiro were around. The muffled cry sounded again, coming from a collapsed part of the floor they were in. Approaching the formed sinkhole, the voice became clearer, and the young heroes sprung into action.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of there! Try not to move if possible and save your energy." Uravity shouted, tapping Welder and Emily on the shoulders as they jumped down the sinkhole, falling like feathers.

"Everything is going to be alright. We are here."

"Let's go, Kiddo! You'll have to go faster if you want to keep up with me, hahahaha!"

Literally jumping through the streets, Midoriya did his best to not fall too far behind the Rabbit Hero, Miruko, who was currently giving chase to a small group of jewelry thieves. The criminals were four, speeding through the busy streets of the city and putting innocent people in danger.

"Understood!" Deku replied, jumping from walls with Full Cowl at the maximum percentage he could handle without feeling his body scream at him for it. He knew Miruko was incredibly agile, but actually keeping up with her pace was something else entirely. At least he had successfully adapted Gran Torino's move set so he had something to work with. The next level was clearly learning from the dark-skinned lady a couple of meters ahead of him.

"Yosh! We'll turn it up a notch now. Try not to lose sight of me, Kiddo!"

With a wide grin plastered across her face, Miruko prepared to make a big jump. Her red eyes locked the target on the car and her powerful legs did the rest, leaving a small crack on the wall she was leaning on. She skipped two or three times on the street before hitting both feet at the back of the car, making them spin and halt. To Deku, who was watching from a distance, it was like she turned herself into a bolt, striking with strength and precision.

"Showtime is over you losers. Get out of the car and surrender, or I'll kick your sorry asses from here to the police station!"

The thieves, albeit clearly intimidated by the prospect of being kicked by Miruko of all heroes, didn't want to go to jail just yet. Fight or flight instinct kicked in and the obvious answer was to run away, even if that didn't work in the end. The driver quickly made a U-turn and floored, resuming their escape attempt.

"Tch, well, I tried the 'nice way'." The tan woman shrugged. Crouching down, hands leaning on the floor, she almost looked like a giant rabbit, and off she went again, darting after the thieves. Right on time for Deku to barely catch up to her.

"Oh? Took you long enough, Kiddo!"

"Sorry! I'm not used to going fast like this!"

"Then watch me and learn, and you better learn quickly! I don't have time for apprentices or whatever!"

She didn't have to tell him twice. Since that car sped by him and Nejire-chan while they were on patrol and Miruko literally snatched him from the ground as she hopped after them, Deku had his eyes glued on her every move. Sure, he was also paying attention to the thieves, but it was a rare opportunity he had in his hands. Miruko was known for never considering agencies or hero teams, and she definitely didn't take internships from the hero courses, so the fact that she dragged Midoriya along with her was pretty impressive in itself.

They resumed the chase, Miruko hopping and quickly gaining after the thieves while Deku followed from behind. For the unaware citizens in the street, it was like watching two streaks pass by, one having green sparks coming out of it. To the jewelry stealers inside the car, the two figures getting closer at the mirrors was quite terrifying.

"Aah, damn it. Eat shit, asshole!" One of them, in the back seat, shouted and leaned on the window, aiming what looked to be a gatling gun fused with his hand. The dude then chewed on a rock and started to shoot tiny sharp bits from the tips of his fingers.

"Hah! Now they're trying to put up a fight!" Miruko effortlessly avoided the mildly dangerous peebles, jumping from one side of the street to another, all that while grinning like a madwoman.

In the back, Deku watched her movements, how she nimbly twisted in midair, how her powerful legs bent every time she landed, only to stretch again as she leaped forward. She was strong and very flexible too, making splits and bending over as naturally as she breathed. Well, it was probably natural to her, alright. Midoriya had to focus on a lot of things while he moved around, one of them being the percentage of One for All he was using in order to not bust his legs, but Miruko? Oh no, it was such an integral part of her fighting style that she could afford to make some tricks here and there. It was a little odd that she would do so but very impressive nonetheless. She completely earned the position at the ranking she had.

"O-oi! Don't fuck with us! You think this is a game!?" The other guy in the back seat poked out the other window. They were clearly terrified, staring at the rabbit hero chasing them with a wide grin and ruby red eyes shining with excitement.

"Of course not! You're not even worth the trouble, hahahaha!" And as she said that, Miruko leaped from a wall, landing on the roof of the car and severely deforming it.

The criminals yelped in surprise as the car swayed a little. The rabbit hero crouched to steady herself on the fast-moving object, and her wide grin shone. Seriously, it would be easy to mistake her with a tiger, being so fierce about this "hunt".

"So, who's going to get their sorry ass kicked first?" She said, ready to pull someone from inside the car.

She successfully fished out the one with the Gatling Quirk and raised one fist to knock the lights out of him, but then she felt something wrapping around her torso and a pull. Her body was lifted from the car, prompting her to look up at whatever was going on, only to spot the green-haired teen, with some black mass coming out of his hand and working as a rope to lift her. She wondered for a split second what the hell he was doing before she heard one of the other thieves cuss out loud. Apparently, she was just saved from some cuts at her legs, as the other dude on the back seat swung blades coming from his arm in a winged shape.

"I can't believe it. I get distracted for one second…"

"Miruko-san! I'm going to toss you over!" She heard Deku shout slightly above her. Toss over? What was he planning—

At the speed they were, both Deku and Miruko had a lot of momentum. Not only that, he had the reference of All Might's New Hampshire Smash as to how to dislocate air in order to change his trajectory while air-borne. The moment Miruko felt her body being pulled in an arc, she immediately got the idea. That crazy kid…

"Okay! Send me flying, boy!"

Deku spun his body around while holding the rabbit hero with his Black Whip, essentially flinging her like a stone. A dark-skin stone with very powerful legs, and as such, Miruko landed on top of the car's motor. The thieves panicked and the driver hit the brakes full force, which, in conjunction with the strength of her landing, made the car halt almost immediately, the back wheels leaving the asphalt for a second or two.

They stood frozen like statues for a moment, staring at the cackling hero right in front of them. Once again the fight or flight response kicked in, and they bolted outside the car, scattering in an attempt to escape. Miruko went to the left and swiftly swiped their feet off the floor, making both dudes hit the sidewalk on their backs with a loud OOF. On the right, one of them was kicked to the floor and quickly restrained by Deku. The last one almost escaped, or so he thought because a black mass wrapped around his ankle and pulled back, making him trip and fall face first. The green teen looked like he was making a huge effort, judging by his face, but a grin adorned it nonetheless.

"Haha! I don't usually say that but good work, boy!" The Rabbit Hero shouted as she dragged two dizzy men by their jackets. "Oh, you have handcuffs on you. Good, it saves some time."

"Huh? You don't carry any with you?" The emerald teen looked at her with a surprised face as he restrained the second thief.

"No, they're kind of annoying to carry around. And most of the time the criminals I captured are knocked out so why bother?" Miruko said nonchalantly, laughing out loud, much to the terror of the two guys being held by Deku. They would much rather deal with the young hero in training.

Soon enough the policemen in the area came around and took the thieves to the local station. Leaving Miruko and Deku in the middle of a forming crowd.

"Keep laughing, you crazy woman! It's people like you that make this system absolute trash!" The driver said as he was pushed into the escorting vehicle.

"This is not fair! How do you call yourself a hero?! We're not allowed to use our Quirks but you are?!" The one with the blades was shoved inside next.

"Hah?! I can't hear you from inside there! Have a nice trip to prison, hahahaha!" Miruko didn't seem moved by their words in the slightest. In fact, she looked even more energetic than before. So much so that it was a little overwhelming for him, as part of that energy was directed at him in the form of strong pats on the back. Seriously, it stung a little.

"I like your style, Kiddo, but you have to loosen up those legs, be more nimble and fast to react, like me! Sometimes all we have is one moment." She said, and as Midoriya nervously took the odd compliment, the Dragon Hero landed on the street, changing back to her human form and walking to them.

"Miruko, what do you think you're doing dragging Deku around like this?" Ryukyu didn't look angry, but she certainly wasn't pleased with how her temporary partner "borrowed" one of her also temporary sidekicks.

"What? I thought this Hero Work Study was supposed to get them into the job." Miruko said back nonchalantly.

"The goal is to introduce them into real-life scenarios, not toss them at it." The blondie rubbed a temple as she explained one more time.

Nejire appeared behind her, instantly jumping into Midoriya's personal space, eyes twinkling with excitement and curiosity.

"Ne, ne, Deku-kun, how was that surprise car chase? I was talking to you one moment and then woosh, you were gone! Was it scary? Can you keep up with Miruko? Thinking of it, are you perhaps a huge fan? Your costume has those bunny ears, and you jump around like one. Are you happy to work with her as a fan—"

"Nejire-chan. Slow. Questions." Ryukyu halted the bluenette's question assault on the green teen, much to his relief. But before he could begin addressing the questions, the white-haired woman next to him tugged at his hoodie.

"Hmm, she's right, though. I didn't notice you were such a big fan, Kiddo." Miruko said with a wide grin as she inspected the "ears" of the green hoodie.

Now Midoriya had two options: roll with it and endure the questions from Nejire that would inevitably emerge, or confess the mildly embarrassing origin for this particular detail of his costume's design.

"Umm, to be honest, this…" He hesitated a bit, lowering his voice as the words kept coming. "These were not meant to be ears…"

"They weren't?"

"Yeah, actually… it's like… kind of… All Might's haircut."

The three women around him took a moment to look at it and try visualizing it, sharing similar puzzled faces. Now even the mouthpiece/mask made more sense. Then, Miruko pulled the hoodie up, and there it was. Confusion gave place to surprise and bewilderment, most of it coming from Nejire.

"~gasp~ That's so cool!~" The bluenette chirped happily. "He looks cute! He still looks more like a bunny though, which makes it even cuter~"

"This certainly is an interesting design choice…" Ryukyu calmly added, hiding a smile behind her hand. "This kid… he looks so pure and innocent, despite all that happened this year…"

"Hah! What a shame! And here I thought I had a homage." Miruko laughed, patting Midoriya on the back again. "But maybe I can change that…"

"I still think you're an amazing hero, Miruko-san!" Midoriya turned around enthusiastically, getting close to Miruko in a similar way to what Nejire just did. "You're the top female hero of Japan, and your number of solved cases without casualties is really, really impressive! A lot of heroes strive to be like you, I'm sure of it!" Fortunately, the emerald teen was much more self-conscious than his school senpai, so he immediately backed off the Rabbit Hero's personal space.

That reaction didn't escape her ruby red eyes. Much to the Dragoon Hero's surprise, Miruko placed one hand on top of Midoriya's head and ruffled his hair, making the teen look down in embarrassment.

"Nah, that's cool. I don't care for leaderboards or fan clubs. It's good to see some appreciation, though."

That interaction didn't last more than five seconds, and during that period, Ryukyu looked at them, arms folded over her chest and an eyebrow raised in confusion. Then she noticed it, the dark-skinned lady lightly biting her lower lip. And the blondie was probably seeing things, but it was as if her ruby red eyes had a gleam to them. Whatever it was, Tatsuma didn't like the sensation it gave her that much.

Anyway, now that the situation was solved, they had to make their way back. This little chase led Miruko, and consequently Midoriya, far from Ryukyu's agency, and the Dragon Hero didn't let that slide.

"And what's the problem? So long as we catch those idiots, who cares if we go for a little walk?" Since Miruko had no agency of her own, she didn't have a "district" or defined zone of action, which amounted to the perimeter of patrol a hero usually covers. These borders were mostly imaginary, but it helped to organize them and make sure help arrived where it was needed.

"That "little walk" of yours dragged Deku almost three prefectures from my agency, not to mention that it happened without my knowledge. Do you see the problem now?" Ryukyu emphasized, but she felt it would be useless to try and drill this into that hard-headed bunny girl.

"Ugh, that's why I don't like teams. It's a waste of time, with all those little details. The thieves were captured, end of story! Right, boy?" She said, playfully punching his shoulder.

"Eh?! I-I mean, the rules are meant to help us deliver help more efficiently, b-but I admit sometimes it can be a little… restraining?" Midoriya understood why the rules and procedures existed, but he would be lying if he said it didn't trouble him.

At least once he and his friends had to go around the rules to act, and while it did end in a good outcome, Aizawa made it abundantly clear that the next time would be the last.

"See? He gets it! I'm starting to like you more, Kiddo." Miruko held a wide smile, pointing at Midoriya as if it was the final argument against Ryukyu nagging about rules. The Dragon Hero simply shook her head.

"This is training meant for field experience. They're under my responsibility and if we're going to work together, you have to follow the rules, Miruko. Besides, he has a hero name, you know."

The white-haired woman rolled her ruby red eyes, then suddenly wrapped an arm around Midoriya's neck, pulling him close to her.

"I don't work with anyone, but I have the feeling we'll get along very well, Deku. Hahahaha!"

"H-hai! I'll be looking forward to it!" He replied nervously.

"Oh, speaking of names, Deku-kun, where did yours come from?" Nejire took his other side as they walked, taking a chunk of his field of vision.

Midoriya would have backed off if Miruko wasn't still with her arm hooked around his neck.

"I, uhh…" "W-what should I say…?"

"The truth, duh." Nana's voice sounded inside his head.

"But it's a bit embarrassing…"

"Izuku, dear, this is your hero name, you can't be embarrassed about it. How do you expect to make people feel safer if you can't say your name with pride?"

"I know that Nana-san, but still… telling my friends about it is one thing. They know the story behind it."

"Well, then go and tell the whole story."

"Are you sure about that…?"

"One hundred percent sure, sweetie. Besides, your story is much more inspiring than you think." Said the mentor of his mentor, her voice fading into his mind again.

"Deku-kun, is everything okay?"

"Eh?" Midoriya finally reacted to the hand waving in front of him.

"You zoned out for a moment," Nejire said, looking even closer at him with her curious eyes, which prompted him to back up a little, and by doing so, pushing Miruko aside.

"A-ah, ahem—about my name, well… It used to be an insult. People called me that a lot when I was little because I couldn't do much, and it always put me down, but then…" The uneasiness in his face melted away into a gentle smile. "Someone came and changed it. She said it sounded inspiring… like "I can do it", so I decided to embrace it."

When he looked up, Midoriya found Nejire staring at him with wide eyes and an 'O' mouth agape. He could also feel the two Pro Heroes staring at him internally.

"I-I know it sounds a little dumb, but it really changed my perspective. So I wanted to give others the same idea, t-that I'm giving my best to protect everyone!" He further explained in his usual clumsy self.

"Huh… you're right, it does sound dumb." Was a rather harsh comment from the Rabbit Hero. "Don't expect everyone to catch on that first time without that backstory."

"A hero's name is a powerful thing. It can carry a message, and I think yours does it pretty well, Deku." To counter that, Ryukyu made a sincere compliment.

"This is… one of the best name origins I've heard!" Nejire beamed with energy. "I couldn't think of a good name for myself in those three years, and now it feels like a shame because now I know yours."

"Please don't feel like that, senpai, you're already an amazing hero! People will recognize you no matter what you're called!" He said apologetically but was quickly dragged out of it as Miruko yanked him around.

"That's cool and all but if you want to make the villains shake, you gotta build your name. Make sure they will never forget it!" She said with confidence, sticking a thumb to her chest while she pulled him closer, much to Midoriya's embarrassment. It didn't help that ever since he learned Miruko was temporarily teaming up with Ryukyu, Nana didn't stop teasing him about that Battle Bunny outfit from their, uh, mental exercises.

"Enough with the chit-chat, and please let go of him, Miruko. We still have a report to file, and we're quite far from the office." Ryukyu said the last part looking straight at the white-haired woman, who simply shrugged.

"Eh, why don't you just fly us all the way there?"

They stopped for a moment and the Dragon Hero sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm not a taxi, you know…" She said, taking a few steps back so she could transform without knocking anyone. Meanwhile, Miruko chuckled and both Nejire and Midoriya exchanged excited looks. It's not every day that you could fly with Ryukyu's dragon form.

The pink-haired girl with horns flicked through the channels, trying to find something interesting enough to help her unload. Her agency of choice, along with Hagakure and Aoyama, wasn't exactly an easy place to work. Especially because the samurai old man was always doing that pompous "ancient wisdom" talk, and while Ashido knew it was important, half of the time her brain couldn't catch up on it. And she thought math with Ectoplasm was complicated.

"Ashido, can we talk a bit?"

Her bubble popped when someone called her name. Turning around, Ashido found the hardening teen himself, Kirishima, standing behind the couch next to where she was sitting.

"Yo, Kiri. What's up?" She asked with her usual upbeat vibes, or so she thought.

"Are you alright? You look tired." Kirishima said, showing a bit of concern.

"Oh, this? I'm fine, but I would be lying if I said I'm not tired. This is more demanding than last time. It feels like the pros really want us to get into the job, you know?"

"Yeah, I get you. Fat is also taking us for more jobs than last time." Kirishima said, leaning on the couch with his elbows.

"You went to Fatgum's agency again, right? With Tetsutetsu and Amajiki-senpai."

"Mhmm, and we have to work our asses off. Ever since we took down the Shie Hassaikai, a lot of smaller groups started to try and take their place. Man, why can't those guys just give up and get a normal job already…?" He said, letting his head hang low for a moment.

"It would be much easier, right?"

"Well, it is as Fatgum says, when fighting villains, making them lose their will to fight is everything." Kirishima puffed his chest a bit, as he proudly quoted his current mentor. Ashido laughed lightly with her friend.

"You sure look like a pro already, talking like this. Anyway, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, right…" He looked away, hesitantly, or maybe checking to see if anyone else was nearby. "Can I… ask you a personal question?"

"How personal?" She inquired back.

"Very, very personal."

Kirishima wasn't one to walk around eggshells. If something or someone was bothering him, he would be as straightforward as possible to solve it. It was the "manly thing" to do, so this hesitation from him was new to her.

"Okay… shoot it."

"Ahem," He cleared his throat and stood straight up, but then decided it would be better if he got closer. "Ashido, how do I put this…? What exactly do you like about Midoriya?"

The pink-haired girl looked at her redhead friend with a confused face for a moment. Did she get this right?

"What do I like… about Midoriya...?" She had to confirm if her hearing was alright.

"Yeah, like… what do you find attractive in him?" Kirishima further explained, but that only made her more confused.

"First, can I ask why you're asking me this?"

"I-is this too personal?"

"No. I mean, yes–kinda, but that's not exactly my point. Usually, uh… guys don't usually ask this about other guys, at least as far as I know."

"Well, to be honest, I just wanted to know your opinion on that."

"Oh, and what for?"

"Well…" Kirishima scratched the back of his neck nervously, then got closer and spoke in a lower tone. "Please don't tell everyone, but I'm trying to help Bakugo get a girlfriend."

This evening was getting better and better.

"Wait, what?! For real?" She asked incredulously and he nodded in confirmation. Ashido then burst into laughter. "Oh my god, this is priceless! Hahahahaha!"

"Hah?" He stared at the pinkette with a puzzled face. Where was the joke?

"Hahahaha… ~sigh~ whew, I haven't laughed like this in a while. Thanks, Kiri." She said, wiping away a fake tear. She then looked at the hardening teen, and he kept staring back at her with that lost expression. "Are you serious?"

He once again nodded, prompting a snort to escape from her, but this time she managed to contain herself.

"What's wrong with that? I'm trying to help my bro."

"Well, there's nothing inherently wrong with that, but I find it absolutely hilarious and quite poetic too. All this time shitting on Izuku for being a nerd and saying he would die a virgin, only to end needing help, hoping he can land a girlfriend."

"When you put it like that…" It was hard to argue against that.

"Right? But I have another question. Why do you ask me what I like about my boyfriend?"

"Well, I thought that since Midoriya got… so many of you girls interested in him, there has to be a reason, right? Something that makes him pretty much, uh, irresistible?"

She could see Kirishima was rather uncomfortable asking her those things. Perhaps he imagined it was girl talk, or maybe it was the fact that he might have had a crush on her. Either way, she decided to not clown on Bakugo (for now) and help her friend help his bro.

"Hmm, what do I like about Izuku… there are a lot of things, actually. The more you know a person, the more you learn to love them. At least that's how I feel. But I suppose the first thing to catch my eye was his looks."

"What about his looks?"

"I don't know. How do I put it…? Imagine a cute fluffy dog face, stacked on top of a strong, steaming hot, delicious body… with big biceps, and a broad chest… toned thighs, abs that can grate cheese, and that round butt, mmmm!~" Ashido broke out of her daydreaming when she noticed Kirishima slowly taking a step back. "T-this sort of stuff…" She then looked away to hide her lightly flushed cheeks.

"So he looks cute as a puppy… but also hella manly?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Umm, this will be hard then. I don't know if Bakugo can pull a cute look…" He said, one hand under his chin.

"Try getting him to pull a decent human being. That alone will be a huge improvement." Ashido didn't hold back in her acid comments. "But for real, Kiri, there's not much use in trying to imitate someone else. Not everyone has the same tastes, mine are not universal. That said, a girl loves to see a guy being himself. He just has to be the type of guy she is into."

"That sounds awfully vague…"

"Ummm, you're right," She admitted. "But these things are complicated because everyone is different. You may find some patterns, but at the end of the day, everyone has their own preferences." She concluded, and the response seemed good enough for him, judging by his expression.

"That makes sense, I suppose. Still… Why do all of you girls go for Midoriya? Is there something you all like about him?"

"Do you really wanna know?"

"What? Is it some top-secret thing?"

"No, I just don't want you to think it's that important. I mean—it is kinda important, but that's not all there is to a relationship. It definitely helps a lot, but– look, Kiri, just don't… think too much about it, okay?"

"Alright, now you got me curious and worried." He looked at her with his arms folded and an eyebrow raised.

This time, Ashido looked around to make sure no one was around.

"Okay, I'll be honest. Me and the girls, we all love Muscles, from the bottom of our hearts, and that's part of why we decided to share him."

"Share… right. And the other part?"

The pink-haired girl raised her hands and made a gesture, demonstrating a certain length. It took Kirishima a solid minute to get it, and when his mind clicked, his eyes widened in surprise. I mean, he didn't think he was that far behind, not that he walked around comparing himself to other dudes, but still… For someone like Midoriya, judging only by his appearance, you wouldn't think it would be, well, all that.

"Again, don't think too much about it, there's this saying about knowing how to use it. And trust me, Muscles knows very well how to use it. Every. Single. Inch of it."

"A-a-alright, that's enough details for me." Kirishima turned around and was ready to leave. He didn't need to know that much about the relationship of his friends. He didn't want to either. However, before he could take his leave, he felt her hand land on his shoulder.

"Kiri, can I ask you a question now?"

She looked a little nervous, just like him at the start of this conversation.

"Yeah?"

"Do you… see me any differently now that… now that you know the truth? Do you think I'm… a slut or something?"

The question caught him totally off guard.

"To be honest, it really surprised me. The idea of you being part of… that, never crossed my mind." Ashido prepared to hear some words of disappointment. "But I don't think you're a, well, a slut. Uh... whatever makes you happy, I guess."

"Huh?" It wasn't exactly the response she expected.

"I mean, you seem pretty happy with Midoriya. You all do, for that matter. I can't say I really agree with this, but that's because I think a man is supposed to pick one girl… Maybe I'm the weird one…"

"No, no, you're not weird, Kirishima. Me and the girls, we know this is not very, ahem, 'conventional'. We set this aside because for starters, no one was willing to let go and it would end in bloody murder." She said in a joking tone but given some past experiences that now made a lot more sense, Kirishima wasn't sure it was completely out of the question.

"And we sort of learned to share and I kind of enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have Muscles all for myself but… it wouldn't be as fun. Does it make sense?"

"Not really, but it seems you all are beyond common sense. N-not in a bad way."

"It's fine. We're all a bit crazy anyway. Some more than others…" She said the last part in a whisper to herself.

An awkward silence came between them until Kirishima decided to take his leave.

"Alright, so, umm… thanks for that insight, Ashido."

"No problem, ah hahaha…"

More uncomfortable silence and weird smiles. Kirishima slowly retreated, sort of maintaining eye contact.

"Kiri," She called before he went upstairs. "That thing you said, about choosing one girl."

"Yeah...?"

"It's really sweet. I'm sure whoever you choose will be super lucky."

"I see… thanks."

"No biggie."

Ashido had a hunch Kirishima had a minor crush on her. It was very subtle since most of the time he was with the boys, but somewhere during the year, she was almost certain of it. Perhaps it would fade as he focused more on the hero training. Perhaps it would blossom more down the line. Either way, she knew him from middle school, and she knew he was a good guy. So Ashido wanted to make sure she didn't hurt his feelings. More than that, she meant what she just said. Whoever ended up winning his affection would be very lucky.

That felt nice. Suddenly Ashido wasn't as tired as before. But then, a weird, creepy sensation came up her spine, making her shiver. What could possibly be the source of those bad vibes? Her eyes noticed in the doorway to the kitchen, a small dark purple cloud of negative energy—no, it was just the resident midget.

Staring intently at her.

"Holy—How long have you been standing there?!"

"Seventeen minutes." He replied dryly.

"Oh my—get the hell out, Mineta!"

"Sorry for keeping you two here that late, we have a couple of extra reports to make. My agency is not that big, after all, so I have to do it myself..." Ryukyu apologized for the inconvenience as she filled in another incident report.

"It's okay, Ryukyu-san. We like to help, right, Deku-kun?" Nejire said, taking care of her own pile of work.

"Yeah, I'm glad I can help. Though I have to say, this is nothing like what I expected from being a pro hero…" He said, bewildered at the amount of extra work that came with this career.

"Yes, that's why most pro heroes form agencies. That way, you can have a legal team of sorts to take care of these things. Others, like Miruko, simply ignore it altogether. The paperwork is not strictly necessary but it helps the police in many ways. Identifying patterns, uncovering proofs of unsolved cases, and even showing on a map where we need to act more. It's only possible because we work along with the police." Ryukyu said as she finally finished her paperwork, placing the last report in a pile and getting up from her desk. It was at this moment that she noticed Midoriya looking at her with beaming eyes.

"It's like listening to the wisdom of an ancient dragon in stories. As expected from Ryukyu-san." There it was, Midoriya's fan mode, albeit toned down a few notches. The compliment didn't fail to surprise her.

"I don't consider myself that smart, but I'm glad you can learn something valuable with me. Now, let's go, you two."

"You don't have to escort us all the way, Ryukyu-san. Deku-kun and I can go back just fine." Said the bluenette, and Midoriya nodded in agreement.

"No, it will be faster if I take you two there."

Just like earlier, both teens exchanged excited looks. The blondie shook her head slightly. Seriously, for such promising heroes in training, they acted pretty childishly. She wouldn't deny it didn't pull a string in her heart, however, as Ryuko loved kids.

And after dropping the two teens at U.A and returning to her office, Tatsuma found the rabbit hero leaning at the doorway, arms crossed over her chest and a sly smirk that turned into a grin as she approached.

"So, do you plan on making these rides a thing now?"

Ryukyu simply walked by. It was getting late and she wanted to rest. She wasn't one to operate late at night.

"Wow, did you really ignore me like that? Or is your head on something else?" Miruko kept on teasing the blondie.

"I do, in fact. What I am thinking of is how do you plan to make this partnership work, even if it is temporary." She said, clearly tired of her partner's attitude.

"Aw don't be so stuck up, Tatsuma. All these rules and procedures are lame and boring, and only slow us down." Usagiyama walked after the dragon hero. Tatsuma could sense her grin even with her back turned to the rabbit hero.

"Sorry if I don't have the disposition of a bunny in heat." She said, sitting on her desk and holding a serious look towards the white-haired lady.

"Ouch, right in the Quirk stereotype. You know, you could always have said no when I asked to form a team." Usagiyama stopped in front of her.

"And you could have avoided it altogether like you always did." Tatsuma stood up again and stepped forward. "I decided to give it a chance because I thought you were willing to cooperate now."

They were facing each other, ruby-red eyes staring at yellow ones. One held a grin, the other, a serene but stern expression. Usagiyama folded her arms in front of her, pushing her chest up a little. Tatsuma rested both hands on her waist. There were only the two of them in the room and they were a couple of centimeters apart. Leaning forward would cause them to headbutt each other. The silent staring contest went on for a while.

The Dragon Hero narrowed her eyes, making her slitted pupils look more menacing. The Rabbit Hero responded by widening her grin. Her ruby red eyes seemed to glow with fire, and her ears pointed backward.

"What are you planning, Rumi?"

"Heh, don't play dumb, Ryuko, you and I know why I'm here."

If you looked close, one could see the corner of Ryuko's mouth twitching a little. It was as if she tried to resist baring her sharp teeth.

"Humpf, don't do anything stupid." She said, walking past Rumi. Now wasn't the time for these discussions.

"Sure thing, as long as you don't do something stupid either. Like trying to pass me behind, for example."

This made the Dragon Hero freeze in place and look back at her.

"Is that… a challenge?"

"Only if you think you can compete~"

They sent another intense stare at each other. The tension in the air was sending sparks flying.

"Do you think this is a game?"

"No," Rumi answered nonchalantly as she walked past the blond lady and out of the office, giving a tap on her shoulder. "But I do plan to score a little bunny for myself. Bye-bye~"

That left Ryuko to close everything and go rest at her place. She let out a heavy sigh, bringing a closed hand to her chest. She didn't like the sensation of swelling there, even less now that Rumi made it clear she had… second intentions with this partnership of theirs. Should she call it off? Would that stop her?

Ryuko felt a little confused about this predicament but he was still under her wing and as such, she had to make sure he was safe. Umm, both of them, Midoriya and Nejire.

End of Chapter

And that's about it for now. How do you like my renditions of Miruko and Ryukyu? I admit I don't have a very solid grasp of their personalities but I'm liking it so far, and don't worry, Nejire won't be delayed for much longer. I know you guys have been asking about her for a while now. In fact, a lot of things are being put into motion. Try and guess who else is entering Deku's Charm range in the upcoming chapters. I hang in this Discord server here (gg / nbvVH6aUTc) so if you want to drop by, we have a lot of authors there, or maybe you can just poke me about the next update.

As always, thank you so much for taking your time reading my fic. Looking back, this blew up much more than I ever expected. Stay safe and have a nice day. See ya~