Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned here.
This story was made with the sole purpose of entertainment and is not intended to be taken seriously in any social, political or religious context under any circumstances.
As such, the actions and/or viewpoints expressed by the characters in this story do not automatically reflect the opinions of the author.
This purely fictional tale is not meant to neither educate nor serve as any kind of moral example to follow by whomever consumes this type of content willingly.
"My Hero Academia" and its characters created by Kōhei Horikoshi.
"Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro!" and its characters created by Nanashi.
Please Be My Hero, Nagatoro!
I
Sic Parvis Magna
Everything that exists has a specific nature.
Each entity possesses a predefined purpose and holds immutable characteristics that are part of what it is.
'A' is 'A'. Two plus two equals four.
And no matter which reality he calls home, Izuku Midoriya doesn't understand girls.
Because there are things that even boundless power cannot change, nor the blessing of the number one hero in Japan.
It's a well-known tale. Before All Might took him under his wing, Izuku lived a doomed existence as a member from the rare breed of 'quirkless' individuals.
In a world where eighty percent of the population wielded a unique ability, being powerless earned him a certain… reputation…
Such condition afflicted him in many ways, beginning with his dream of becoming a hero shifting into an abstract impossibility.
Then, as if such curse wasn't enough by itself, the universe ensured that he didn't forget his unwarranted limits.
Katsuki Bakugo, the childhood friend that turned his back on him, had politely suggested him to 'try his luck in another life.'
And while the rest of his classmates almost never kicked him when he was down, Izuku still felt profound scorn from their prying gazes.
However, after earning the gift of One For All, his life definitely changed, abruptly, more significantly than he could've ever expected.
That said, girls remained an unfathomable mystery for him.
Especially this girl that appeared to be haunting him since he entered U.A.
Not Ochacko Uraraka, the first person who had treated him with kindness. The person he risked everything to save from the colossal robot which, during the entrance exam, made all other candidates scatter away in shameless dread.
A different girl he referred to. His guardian…
Succeeding his Olympic leap and the Herculean display of strength that shattered his limbs, Izuku plummeted toward certain death.
But his broken shell of a body never reached the ground. Instead, a secret savior caught him mid-way through his fall.
Following his own heroic deed, someone else intervened in his hour of most need.
As a pair of secure arms held him close, Izuku looked above with what little energy he had left. Unfortunately, his rescuer's face endured shrouded, for the looming daylight maintained her identity hidden with blinding brilliance.
Yet, the memory of her inquisitive, amber eyes persisted engraved in his mind, despite his subsequent fainting.
At the time, Izuku thought she was simply a hallucination, akin to the surreal events that brought him here.
That is, until their paths entwined again when he stepped into his new classroom, officially as a student of U.A. High.
Effortlessly, she stood out from the crowd, thanks to her long, obsidian hair combed to the right side of her face, and her sun-kissed skin.
Although, the revelation became clear once she laid eyes on him. Familiar, golden irises embellished by the lightest shade of bronze.
Like his savior at the entrance exam…
The school uniform complemented her lean figure nicely, with her tie being slightly loose, and the top button of her shirt undone.
Even so, he found her presence slightly… intimidating…
He could feel her restless glare upon him during lectures. While having lunch alongside Iida and Uraraka, he also spotted her at the background of the cafeteria.
On a few, very select occasions, Izuku gathered some bravery and crossed gazes with her.
Calm, unfazed, the girl accepted his challenge to a staring contest, which she always won in the end.
He had no doubt about it afterwards.
It was her. His guardian was real.
But oddly enough, she seemed quite interested in him, as he just learned today…
When the bell rang and the final period concluded, Izuku remained to work on his notes, relishing the peace of solitude.
Everyone else was long gone by that point, his sole company were the broad sunbeams pouring into the empty schoolroom. Regardless of the motley shadows lengthening around him, he believed himself alone, because he was supposed to be.
Eventually, Izuku started collecting his materials, rose from his desk, and headed for the exit, satisfied with his overtime progress.
Nevertheless, in the moment he passed through the doorframe, someone abruptly crashed onto him…
Izuku stumbled, yelping, his belongings falling to the ground. Papers, pencils and notebooks scattered across the floor.
"I-I-I'm so sorry!" he blurted out, rapidly swiveling so he could meet whomever he had bumped up against. "I wasn't looking where I-… was…"
The sentence died between his lips. With a shiver and sweat forming on his forehead, Izuku realized that he stood before none other than his guardian. The mysterious girl who has been observing him since the beginning of the course.
In utmost honesty, he looked forward to this opportunity. Saying 'thanks' for sparing him a painful landing and a highly-likely stay at the hospital.
But this was the farthest from an ideal scenario to express gratitude.
Still, he tried…
"I-I-…" Izuku stammered, being incapable of shaping his disarrayed thoughts into anything coherent.
He couldn't…
He simply lingered there, motionless. His female-induced anxiety having got the better of him.
Fortunately, miraculously, she appeared to be as startled as he was by the sudden encounter.
Mirroring his immobility, she merely stared at him in silence, her expression blank, and her eyes unblinking…
Then, the girl focused on the papers littering the ground beneath. And without warning, she crouched to pick up some of the fallen items.
In that instant, Izuku also glanced down. This, perhaps, was the perfect excuse for a proper conversation with her.
'I just can't let her pick up everything by herself, after all…'
Thus, he suppressed his nervousness the best he could, and knelt to aid in the gathering of his own materials.
"I'm-… I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I-I just wasn't expecting to see a-anyone else at this-… hour?…"
She paid no mind to this words, he noticed right away.
For her attention centered wholly on the notebook between her hands…
Izuku sucked in a sharp breath. Infinite dread immediately consumed him after he recognized his 'Hero Analysis For the Future' notebook.
Which she was reading. Thoroughly…
His heart raced, and his jaw trembled while he unconsciously dropped his things again. Shame, frustration, concern, disappointment. A thousand feelings traversed his soul, all at once, none positive.
"Did you made these?" lowering the notebook, the girl asked softly, keeping her facial features undisturbed.
It definitely wasn't the reaction he expected. Could his savior really be showing leniency about his social ineptitude? If so, she became an even greater hero to him. Maybe this wasn't the end of the world…
Therefore, he inhaled deeply, soothing his manic nerves, and gave the answer she deserved.
"I-Ye-Yeah, I made those n-notes…" Izuku awkwardly scratched his nape. "I write notes about heroes that I a-admire, to learn their techniques and t-then apply them to my-…"
The mysterious girl said nothing afresh. She just continued skimming through the pages, entranced by the contents.
Later, an icy chill traced his spine as she arrived to a familiar entry of the notebook.
"You also made notes about our classmates?"
Izuku gulped.
In retrospect, taking notes from his classmates' quirks this early into the school year probably wasn't the smartest move. However, the quirk apprehension test provided plenty of helpful insight he couldn't overlook, plain and simple.
But would she understand?
"I-I-It's just t-that-"
"This is so… so… creepy…"
"E-Eh?…"
Izuku's mouth went dry in sheer, internal panic. His eyes widening like plates at the statement.
He saw it happen slowly. The girl's impassive face gradually summoning a wicked smirk, together with an impish stare meeting his.
Suddenly, she sprang to her feet.
"So…" she sharply closed the notebook and placed it behind her back. "You seriously go around writing stuff about random people on the street? Are you some kind of pervert?"
"W-W-Wha-at?!" instinctively, Izuku rose from the ground. "N-N-No, no, no, I-I would never-"
"And just what other things you write in here?" she stepped forth, maintaining her mischievous grin while doing so. "Lewd things? You definitely look the type…"
"I-I-…"
Looking away, Izuku retraced a couple of steps after the girl leaned towards him. His cheeks started feeling warm, hot, and a strange, uncomfortable void manifested in his gut. 'She's too close!'
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" she wiggled her brows, their noses merely a few inches apart. "Does anyone else know? Or is this your little, dirty secret? I'm sure Mr. Aizawa would have something to say about this…"
Hearing that, Izuku couldn't help the gasp escaping his throat. The blood coursing his veins freezing out of pure terror.
"N-No, please-!" timidly, he raised his shivering hand, trying to reach for his notebook. "You-You're getting the wrong idea, I can explain-!"
"Na-ah!" the girl pressed her palm against his chest, keeping him at arm's length. "Don't think you're getting off the hook so easily. If you want your gross notes back, you'll have to earn them…"
"E-Earn them?"
Hushing, she pursed her lips and lifted her chin, gazing thoughtful into the ceiling.
Subsequently, she snapped her fingers, then glanced to Izuku, smiling broadly. He could almost see the imaginary light-bulb turning on above her head.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
"W-What?…"
"If you beat me in 'rock, paper, scissors', I'll give you back your notebook. If I win, I get to keep it…"
Remaining rooted to the spot, Izuku blinked once more, enduring speechless.
Was this real? Was he dreaming? It surely felt like he was. Or at least, this entire ordeal seemed dream-like enough to mimic some sort of staged prank. Answers actively evaded him while he-.
"You ready!?" the girl exclaimed unexpectedly.
And without giving him a proper chance, she clenched her free hand into a fist, dramatically swinging it backwards as if to throw a punch.
"Rock, paper…"
Unable to think within the strict timeframe of the announcement, Izuku clumsily brought his quivering digits forward, clamping his eyelids shut.
"W-Wait, I'm not read-"
"Scissors!"
Ensuing that, silence befell upon the two, tranquility enveloping them…
Puzzled by the unnatural quietude, Izuku cautiously peeled his eyes, peeking between himself and the girl before him.
But then, unfiltered panic seized him as he encountered the sight of his open palm facing his savior's half-closed fist, with her index and middle fingers projected outwards.
'S-Scissors!? I-I lost!?'
"Ha! I win!" the girl released a noisy laugh that reverberated across the halls. "Better luck next time, creep!"
Swiftly, she pivoted, and began sprinting in the opposite direction, merrily chanting "gross, gross, gross!" during her run.
Meanwhile, Izuku stayed frozen, perplexed, still processing the past events, for everything evoked a weird, impersonal sensation on him.
Nonetheless, his brain quickly sent a prime directive. 'Stop her!'
Coming to his senses, he shook his head. And without a second thought, he started chasing after her.
"W-Wait! Please!"
Alas, it was already too late. The girl just spun around the corner, cackling all the way.
Izuku soon arrived to the end of the corridor where she vanished.
Vanished, his guardian persisted, since he became acquainted with an empty, silent passage…
As if nothing had crossed through these halls in ages…
"She's… gone… But how?"
Anew, Izuku glanced at his surroundings. No movements or life-signs made themselves known. Even the playful laughter ceased in the moment he lost track of her.
Sighing deeply, defeated, he let his shoulders drop.
'Maybe I can talk to her tomorrow…'
Izuku's lips flattened into a straight line. The last thing he needed was another bully here in U.A. He only hoped that the mysterious girl would not spread falsehoods about him until they talked again.
Thereby, he turned on his heel and sluggishly walked to gather his neglected belongings, so he could finally go home…
Izuku was tired.
His mind and body exhausted on equal terms after the longest school day he's been through in recent memory.
Crowds at the train station were larger than usual, but nothing he couldn't manage.
Amber clouds drifted aimlessly across a purple firmament. The sun steadily sank behind the nearby buildings, casting broad, angular shadows over the surrounding street.
Upon exiting the terminal, no other soul roamed the vicinity. Once again, Izuku ended up alone with his thoughts, which he appreciated, since the gentle breeze and the cool veil of shade made for a pleasant walk.
Until a strange sound reached him…
A quiet, somewhat-rhythmic pacing. He barely heard it, though it was definitely there.
Ceasing his advance, Izuku glanced back from above his shoulder. However, his vision just found emptiness. The stores closed, and all houses were hermetically shut as well.
"Hmm…" huffing, he shrugged, resuming his stroll. Maybe his own fatigue started playing games with him, he suspected.
But then, a loud, metallic noise startled him.
Stopping dead in his tracks, Izuku rapidly swiveled, tensing his muscles.
"Who's there!?" he shouted. This time, a battered trash can was slowly rolling over the concrete.
His eyes scanned for anything extraordinary. Yet, life remained absent from the alley.
And the ambient grew peaceful again.
Thusly, Izuku let out a deep breath, relaxing his stiff posture. Dismissing the matter, he calmly spun, now fully decided to leave the spot.
Probably, what he feared would be the secret of One For All discovered by nefarious actors, could simply be a stray dog unwittingly following in his footste-
"Midori!"
Overwhelmed, startled, Izuku shrieked rather embarrassingly while stumbling rearwards.
He didn't see it coming. He absolutely didn't see her coming…
"Ha-ha, I can't believe it worked! I thought you had seen me approaching! You should've seen your face!"
There she was, his guardian. The mysterious girl from his class, standing in front of him with a beaming smile and an uber-enthusiastic laugh.
Retrieving his foothold, Izuku placed his sweaty palm on his chest to quell his erratic heart.
"Y-You…" he stammered, panting heavily. "You were… f-following me?"
"What? Following you?" the girl arched her eyebrow. "Pfft! You wish a girl would follow you anywhere, creep!"
That answer made him wince a bit. Anew, his cheeks became unexpectedly warmer.
Much for his surprise, she seemed to notice…
"Aww, don't be like that, I'm just messing with you."
"Me-Messing with me…?" blinking, Izuku tilted his head slightly, resembling a confused puppy.
"Yeah! For a creep, you are very fun to hang out with, Midori."
He wanted to reply, he knew he should've, but something held him, rendered him mute.
"Hey, you in there?" her voice, soft-spoken and soothing, snapped him out of his trance.
"W-What?"
"You're just gonna' stand there all day like a stalker? Let's get going!"
Finishing the sentence with a sonorous chuckle, the girl pivoted and took the lead.
"S-Stalker!? Wait-!" without hesitation, Izuku hurriedly pursued her.
Shortly later, the two teenagers abandoned the shrouded alley, emerging into the afternoon-tinted avenue. Few cars traversed the highway. Fewer people populated the sidewalk.
They turned to the right, and continued along the road, together.
During their innocent journey, Izuku maintained his gaze onwards.
She observed him, he never doubted it. She occasionally leaned closer, her hands joint behind her back as she silently inspected him.
He also stole quick glances from her, intending to unravel the enigma of a person that she was for him.
'What kind of game is she playing? Should I play along or-?'
"You're quite the shy one, aren't you?" she spoke out of the sudden.
Taken aback, Izuku looked away, coughing. She kept reading him like an open book. It would be impressive if it wasn't so unnerving.
"I-I um-… I-…" perhaps, he could try steering the conversation in another direction. "A-Are you from Shizuoka too?"
And it worked, because the girl's sly grin instantly dissipated, being replaced by a neutral stare. In addition to that, she withdrew, giving him the space he desperately needed.
"No…" she trailed off, her focus entirely fixated on the purplish sky. "We just moved in from Kanagawa a couple of months ago…"
"Oh…" her words carried a tinge of melancholy, Izuku could tell. His curiosity soon surfaced. "N-Now that you mention it, I think a new family moved into the apartment complex I l-live in, not too long ago either."
It was an odd coincidence. He remembers his mother casually mentioning it in dinner one night, but he didn't think much of it back then.
Still, the girl lowered her sight from the clouds, centering her attentiveness solely on him.
"You… You live in an apartment complex?"
"Yeah, it's not f-far from here, a-actually. It's right around the corner."
Izuku's statement resulted to be prophetic. No less than ten paces upon turning right a second time, the quartet of rectangular buildings he called 'home' appeared in the distance.
"It's funny you say that…"
"I-It is? H-H-How so?"
Succeeding his question, she allowed a somber silence to settle. Gradually, worryingly, her devilish smirk returned with a vengeance…
"Because I'm also heading there…"
On cue, Izuku stopped. 'This is not good… This is not good at all!'
He doesn't recall seeing her in the train on other days. Was she speaking the truth? Or she was just toying with him like she has been since they left the school?
It didn't take long for her to realize that he wasn't walking beside her anymore. So she ceased her own advance, spinning.
"This is great, Midori! What are the odds!?" with a booming laugh, the girl speedily stepped before him. "Which building?"
"W-What-t?" Izuku retreated a little, raising his palms as if he was pleading innocence.
"Which building are you nesting in? Duh!"
"I-I-I uh-… B-Building number two…"
"Aw, bummer… I live on the third building…"
"T-T-The third-d…?"
"That's right…" she whispered while leaning in, picking up her vision to look at Izuku. "Fourth floor, apartment '774'. I might come by to say 'hi' one of these days… I bet you would like that. Wouldn't you, Midori?"
"I-I-…" there was that knot in his gut again. She clearly had a talent when it came to words. And nicknames…
'Wait…'
"Mi-… 'Midori'?… You-… You've been c-calling me 'Midori' this whole t-t-time…"
"Yeah. As in 'Midoriya'… That's your name, right?"
Izuku's jaw hung open after this. The knot of his gut transferred to his heartstrings.
"Y-Y-Yes-s, it i-is… B-But h-how did you-"
"It was written in your gross notebook," she rolled her eyes at him. "Which reminds me…"
She slid her arm off the strap of her green backpack, bringing it forth. She unzipped it and reached inside to reveal the Hero Analysis notebook she snatched earlier.
"Here you go!" Izuku's guardian gleefully said as she sharply shoved the notebook onto his chest, drawing a shaky breath from him.
"I was going to give it back tomorrow in class," she added, readjusting her backpack. "And don't worry, I didn't read anything else. Your lewd secrets are safe with me."
She concluded with a playful wink.
But later, the girl averted her sight from him as she pulled out her phone, which had a cat-themed case that Izuku found rather endearing.
"Sorry Midori, but I have to go now," she swiveled, remaining focused on the screen of the device. "See ya'!"
"Wait!"
Izuku bellowed, extending his hand forward in plea. Luckily for him, she listened and turned, embodying the spirit of inquiry.
Unluckily for him, however, was that he just didn't know what he should say…
He wanted to thank her. He wanted to ask her more questions. There was so much he wished to say, but his thoughts refused to leave his mind, turning him into a mumbling mess once again.
Yet, he recognized that saying nothing was not an option. Therefore, he chose to make the best of his newfound bravery.
Here, he made his last stand. A final effort to clear things up.
"Thank you!" he stated solemnly, letting the words flow without thinking. "At the entrance exam, I-… I still can't control my quirk very well, a-and my body moved on its own and I needed to save someone! … I was scared, when I was falling… I was scared because I wasn't sure I could make the landing without breaking again… But then, s-someone caught me before I hit the ground and I-I-… I think it was you… You and my savior have the same golden eyes, so thank you… for saving me…"
And he sealed his lips, as if he had spoken a litany of profanities inside a church.
Firstly, the girl's expression went blank, and she retraced a single step, blinking.
Nonetheless, she immediately summoned her signature smile anew. Although, this one was subtler, warmer, devoid from the usual, teasing intent.
"You don't have to thank me… That's why we're in U.A., right?"
It was small, but Izuku spotted it…
The light twitch of her lower eyelid, the nearly-imperceptible reddening of her cheeks.
'I-Is she blushing? D-Did I actually make her-'
"B-But don't get any funny ideas!" she abruptly exclaimed. "I just did it because no one else was going to! You're so gross, Midori…"
With that, the mysterious, flustered girl turned her back on him, and hastily headed for the building that had the enormous number three engraved in its façade.
In the meantime, Izuku stood immobile, bewildered, clutching his notebook against his chest like the universe depended on it.
Then, as quickly as she parted ways with him, she stopped mid-way across the parking lot, pivoting to face him.
"Midori!" she called from afar, waving her arms above her head. "Check your notes!"
Following the display, she resumed her path, soon vanishing in the horizon.
"My-My notes?"
Without questioning, Izuku opened his notebook, flipping through the pages. Nothing seemed out of place. There were no missing entries, and all of them were in the order he left them in.
Except for the last page…
Where he found the doodle of a cat in black ink, alongside numbers, and a handwritten note.
'Text me! If you dare… - Nagatoro.'
"Nagatoro…" Izuku muttered, re-reading the numbers. It was a phone number…
'She actually gave me her number…'
He already had Iida and Uraraka's contact, but this was different, he could feel it.
Izuku doesn't understand girls yet.
Though he still allowed himself to consider this a triumph, as little as it could be.
Something surged within him, a particular rush through his system.
The ineffable feeling accompanied Izuku while he set out to return to his own apartment. This entire afternoon had been a roller coaster of emotions for him, the stuff which dreams are made of.
It was new, unexpected, a bit frightening. But definitely not an undesirable outcome.
Even now, he knew that, for better or worse, 'Nagatoro' and her eccentricities would become the highlight of the upcoming days.
Needless to say, he remained genuinely curious for what tomorrow could offer…