Here is a picrew of Akiko:

The next morning, Akiko woke early to make sure they were ready to go when Hitoshi arrived. It took about 45 minutes to get to school, and so they'd agreed to meet an hour before the school day started. So, of course, Akiko was ready half an hour before that, not wanting to take any chances and make a bad impression. When their mom asked why they were up and at it so early, Akiko neglected to tell the full truth.

"I'm meeting a… friend on the way to school," Akiko insisted, trying to keep a straight face.

"And does that friend have anything to do with all that jumping around last night?" Fukuhara Kana asked with a devious grin on her face.

Of course she had made the connection. Akiko's smarts hadn't come out of nowhere - they'd inherited it from their mother, who was almost uncannily perceptive. Akiko blushed. "Okay, fine, you got me. But this is all very new and I don't want to talk about it yet?"

Kana nodded. "Sure, that's fine. Whoever this person is, I'm sure they're fantastic. After all, I didn't raise my kid to have bad taste in partners! You can tell me all about them when you're ready to."

Akiko smiled at their mother, and the two finished their breakfast in a peaceful sort of silence. A knock came on the door, and Akiko stood up abruptly. "That's me! I'll see you tonight - I might be a bit late, I have plans for after school.

…Those reporters had been a piece of work. Most of the class were in varying states of disgruntlement from having to squeeze past them. The reporters hadn't respected the students' space or boundaries, wanting only to find out as much as they could about the rumours of All-Might now being a teacher at UA. They had gone so far as to grab and pull at students, and Akiko was mostly surprised that nobody had gotten in trouble for using their quirks to escape the horde. They themself had been very close to using their own quirk to grab Hitoshi and fly over the school gates.

When Aizawa walked in, everyone turned to look at him. He had in hand a cup of coffee, and looked like he needed it. But then again, he always looked like he needed a cup of coffee.

"Good work on yesterday's combat training," Aizawa praised the class, completely glossing over the morning's chaos. "I saw the video and results, and have some feedback for a few o you now. Bakugou, you're talented, but you're not going to get anywhere putting whatever's going on between you and Midoriya ahead of your training."

"I know," Bakugou agreed, with what seemed like an intense amount of restraint. His face twitched, as though he wanted to glare at Izuku but was holding back.

"Midoriya, you settled it by breaking your arm again, huh? You can't keep saying you can't help it because you can't control your quirk. I don't like saying the same thing over and over. As long as you fix the control issue, there's a lot you'll be able to do. Feel a sense of urgency and work on that, okay?"

"Yes, sensei!" Izuku exclaimed with what seemed like excitement, except he was fidgeting with his pens even more than usual.

Aizawa gave a few other people some targeted feedback, and then declared it was time to get on with today's actual homeroom activity - selecting a class representative. Almost half of the class expressed interest, which was unsurprising given it was an opportunity to gain experience in leading teams of heroes. Aizawa wasn't providing any guidance on how the selection should be conducted - Akiko's best guess was that he wanted them to figure it out as an exercise in teamwork and communication.

Unsurprisingly to Akiko, it was the intensely rule-driven Ida who called everyone to attention. "Silence, please! This is a job with the serious responsibility of leading others. It is not a job for just anyone who wants to do it. It is a calling that requires the trust of those around you. So, we should use democracy to decide on a true leader, and hold a vote!"

"We haven't known each other for that long, so how can we have trust or anything?" Asui Tsuyu added. "If that's the case, and everyone votes for themselves…"

Akiko raised their hand. "I won't be voting for myself, since I have no interest in the role. I'm sure there are others who are in the same boat as me."

"Precisely!" Ida exclaimed. "Don't you think that is precisely why whoever receives multiple votes is worthy of the role of class representative? Sensei, is this acceptable?"

"I don't care, as long as you sort it out by the end of homeroom period," Aizawa grumbled, and lay down on the ground inside his yellow sleeping bag.

While everyone was deciding on their votes, Akiko stared at the small slip of paper in front of them. They knew who they would be voting for, and it wasn't who they thought would be the best at the role from the get-go. They began writing down Ida's name. Their motive was a little different; they wanted Ida to get the role so he would be forced to get to know others in the class, learn from their experiences, and break away from his sheltered view of the world. He seemed… noble, and if he didn't get a sense for what the world is really like, it would probably come crashing down around him at some point.

The votes were counted, an element of tension in the air as Aizawa began tallying up the numbers on the blackboard. Yaoyorozu got the most votes, at a whopping 4, followed by Ida's 3 votes. The results were hardly surprising - Yaoyorozo had made a good impression the other day with her analysis of the training exercise; it was the kind of analysis that demonstrated qualities of a leader who could fluidly direct those around her. When it came to impressions on short notice, she definitely stood out.

Aizawa got up from the floor. "Very well then, the class representative will be Yaoyorozu, with Ida as her deputy."

At the start of the lunch break, Izuku pulled Akiko aside. "Hey, can we chat before we go get lunch?"

"Sure," Akiko said, and then quickly turned to find Hitoshi. "Hey, we'll meet you down in the cafeteria, okay?"

Hitoshi nodded, and went off towards the cafeteria. Akiko followed Midoriya over to the large window outside their classroom. Looking outside, they could see that the reporters were still camping right outside the school gate, waiting for information about All-Might. They turned to look at Izuku, and he seemed pensive.

"Kacchan thought I'd tricked him about my quirk," Izuku began, idly watching the crew of reporters as he spoke. "We grew up together, and he thought I was quirkless… because I was."

"Was?" Akiko asked. Perhaps Izuku was just a late bloomer? That would explain his lack of control. But… 15 was incredibly late by any standard.

"Yep, was," Izuku answered as he dropped onto the ground, sitting with his back now against the wall. Akiko joined him on the ground. "But someone gave me their quirk."

Gave him a quirk? Is that even possible? Akiko was stunned. Apparently, it was possible.

"And I told him… told Kacchan that somebody gave me their quirk, but I can't say who," Izuku continued. "I couldn't even tell my mom. I told him that I can't control my quirk yet, and so I didn't want to fight him with a borrowed power. I wanted him to understand that I'm done following behind him, and now I want to surpass him with my own power so he would stop looking down on me. But he… didn't even believe me. And then he said some things, and I can't tell if he hates me or recognises me, or both. It just- it sucks, you know? I'm sorry, I don't really know how I want you to respond. I just… I just wanted to tell someone and get it off my chest."

Akiko nodded, and held their arms out. They could see Izuku tensing up once he was done speaking, and wanted him to know that it was okay. "Can I offer you a hug?"

Izuku leaned in, and Akiko wrapped their arms gently around him. "Akiko, if I tell you something, can you keep it secret from absolutely everyone?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"My quirk… All-Might passed his quirk down to me."

Akiko's eyes widened in shock, and for a moment they weren't sure what to say. Passed down his quirk? How is that even possible? And… All-Might's quirk? That explains the sheer strength, but does this mean that the quirk is new to Izuku? Is that why he can't control it? Wait… Izuku needs my support right now, not all of these questions I'm thinking about.

Akiko composed themself, and put on a smile, even though Izuku couldn't see it. "That's pretty cool, you know? And don't worry, my lips are sealed. I won't even tell Hitoshi without your permission. Promise."

When Akiko and Izuku arrived at the cafeteria and located Hitoshi, he was sitting across from one of their other classmates - the one with the red and white hair, Todoroki Shoto. Once they had their food, Akiko and Izuku made their way over to the table and sat down.

"Hey! Todoroki was sitting on his own so I asked if we could join, I hope you two don't mind." Hitoshi smiled, and blushed a little when he looked at Akiko.

"Not at all!" Izuku assured Hitoshi before he started into his food. "How have you found the first few days so far, Todoroki?"

Todoroki's expressionless face turned towards Izuku. "It's been okay. I'm glad to have classes taught by All-Might where we get to learn how to apply our quirks in unexpected situations."

Iazuku immediately took the mention of All-Might as an opportunity to begin info dumping. "Yeah! Even though All-Might doesn't really have much experience in teaching, he's the number one hero and so he's got so much varied knowledge about hero work to share with us! I thought it was so interesting that the first class he ran with us was indoor fighting - especially given how powerful his quirk is, he must have had to work so incredibly hard to learn to control his strength when fighting inside. Sorry, I'm rambling again…"

Todoroki shook his head. "No, I like the way you talk. You're really passionate about this."

Izuku went a little red, and turned to hide his face. "Thanks…"

Before the conversation had a chance to proceed in any direction, a bell rang across the school campus, followed by an announcement through the PA system. "There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."

Apparently, the students of Japan's top Hero Academy had no understanding of safe evacuation protocol. All of the students began stampeding out of the cafeteria and through the hallways. Akiko stuck close to Izuku, Hitoshi and Todoroki so that they wouldn't get separated and knocked around. It hurt Akiko to only be able to watch as other students began sustaining injuries from the stampede. They wanted to do something, perhaps try and fly upward to get everyone's attention, but all of the noise and shoving was sending them dangerously close to a meltdown. They knew that, as a hero, they couldn't afford to be incapacitated by situations like these, and immediately began working on self-regulation techniques. They focused intensely on their breathing, following a steady, predictable rhythm to ground themself. Once they were sure they had prevented the meltdown, Akiko saw that someone else had the same idea as them.

Class 1-A's deputy class representative had begun to float up towards the ceiling, and then barrelled towards the front of the stampeding crowd with his Engine quirk. Once he had grabbed onto a pipe running along the wall and come to a halt, Ida shouted to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, everything's fine! It's just the media! There is nothing to panic about. Everything's fine! This is UA. Let us act in a way befitting the best of the best."

The stampede came to a halt, and people slowly started to spread apart so that nobody was being crushed - at least, nobody else. Akiko took a look around, and saw several people kneeling on the ground or up against the wall nursing wounds, and… nobody was doing anything about it? Caught up in the heat of the moment, wanting to help, they grabbed Todoroki, who seemed a bit startled at the contact. There was definitely a story there, but now wasn't the time for that.

"Can you come with me? I know basic first aid, but it would definitely be helpful if you could ice some of these injuries before people go over to Recovery Girl."

Todoroki collected his composure, and nodded. "I can do that. I don't know anything about triaging, though, can you handle that?"

And so they did.

Akiko and Hitoshi had agreed to take Spot for a walk together after school, and that it was most definitely a date. As they walked up to Hitoshi's front door, Akiko's heart was thumping. They had absolutely no idea how to act on a date, and whilst they had resolved to just be themself and enjoy Hitoshi's company, they were still incredibly nervous. The only thing that was holding them together was the knowledge that they were about to meet an adorably cute puppy - it gave them something abundantly positive to focus on, overpowering the anxiety… for now.

Hitoshi took out his house keys and opened the front door, and the duo were immediately greeted by a small mass of white fur. Akiko could already confirm that, in person, Spot was even cuter than in the picture Hitoshi had sent them. The three month old puppy barked at Hitoshi, tail wagging furiously. Hitoshi picked Spot up, and held the small dog in his arms.

Akiko reached out towards the puppy to pet him, but then stopped. "…Can I?"

"He's really friendly. Do you wanna hold him?" Hitoshi offered, to which Akiko nodded repeatedly. That was way better than just giving him a quick pat on the head. "See how I'm supporting him with one hand under his chest and the other near his back legs? Hold him like that, okay?"

Hitoshi carefully passed Spot over to Akiko, who held him exactly as instructed. Spot looked up at them, and began licking at their chin. Akiko laughed.

"See, he likes you!" Hitoshi laughed too.

Akiko grinned. "Hey, I think he might just steal me away from you at this rate!"

"Very well, Spot, I accept defeat." Hitoshi feigned an expression of despair. "Wait here a moment, I'll go grab his leash from inside."

Hitoshi was in and out of the house in only a few seconds, now with no school bag and one dog leash. He clipped the leash onto Spot's collar, and Akiko carefully lowered the puppy to the ground. They started walking.

"So… what do you want to talk about?" Akiko asked.

"Um, I read the stuff you sent me and wanted to ask a few things, if that's okay?" Hitoshi suggested.

"Yeah, sure!"

"So the first thing I wanted to ask is what kind of language I can use for you that'll be affirming?"

Akiko broke into a wide grin. They didn't get the vibe that Hitoshi would be bad about this, but he was asking a genuinely good and relevant question that already made Akiko feel so much safer and more respected in their identity. "I mostly like more gender neutral descriptors, with one exception… If we end up deciding to be together, maybe sometimes you could call me your girlfriend?"

Hitoshi blushed. "Oh… uh, yeah, okay. Do you mind if I ask when you figured it out? That you were trans, I mean."

"Sure! I started realising like four years ago, but I only really had the words to describe it when I was twelve. Mum was really supportive, and took me straight to the doctor to get prescribed puberty blockers. She was all like 'you know you best, and these meds will give you time to decide what changes you want for your body'. And that was that - I started my hormone replacement therapy last year, and, well, here we are!"

"Wow, your mom sounds amazing, I'm glad she's so supportive," Hitoshi responded a little enviously, as they arrived at the local park. He leaned over and detached Spot's leash, and the puppy ran off excitedly to explore.

"What about you? How are your parents about the whole ace thing?" Akiko asked.

"I haven't told them. I don't know if they'll be supportive or not. I mean, they're nice enough but we're not exactly close. They told me I shouldn't try to be a hero because people will just judge me for my quirk, and I almost didn't apply to UA. I'm glad I did though, because people are quick to judge and I want to prove them wrong." Hitoshi wore a serious look on his face.

Akiko held out a hand to offer to Hitoshi, but he didn't seem to notice. After a few seconds, they awkwardly pulled it back to their side. "I'm glad you applied too. And I'm sorry your parents said that to you, that's really unfair. They should support your dreams, and if they don't, I'll do it instead! I mean, I would anyway, but… you get my point, right? Besides, your quirk is really well suited to hero work!"

Hitoshi smiled affectionately. "Thanks, that really means a lot to me. Hey, can I show you something I've been hyperfixating on recently?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Akiko looked on curiously as Hitoshi pulled out his phone. He launched the photo gallery app and clicked on a picture of a digital painting of Spot. It was incredible, with serious attention to detail. Akiko would be lying if they said they didn't swoon just a little bit at Hitoshi's excitement. "You made this?"

Hitoshi nodded proudly. "I started doing digital art on my tablet a couple months ago - had to save up for a whole year to afford that tablet as well. Sometimes I forget to sleep because I'm just so focused on drawing, you know? Then again, I don't tend to sleep much anyway, so it gives me something to do at night. The last couple nights have been better, though."

"That artwork is incredible, I love the attention to detail where you blend the colours! Wow, now I'm pumped to see what other stuff you draw next!"

Hitoshi's face flushed. "I guess art will be my new thing for a little while - but I don't usually stick to things for that long. I'm just hoping I jump between art styles rather than to a whole new thing, because it's been really relaxing to just sit and draw most days."

"Yeah, I get that." Akiko picked a flower off a low-hanging branch and idly inspected it - if anything, it was a partial distraction so they could keep their emotions a bit more level. "I have, like, a special interest in physics - which goes amazingly well with my quirk. I honestly just love sitting down and breaking down problems and crunching numbers, and sometimes when I'm feeling down or overwhelmed I'll just pull out a new mechanics problem and have a go at it. But I also get hyperfixations like you described! My latest hyper fixation has been baking bread, and I've stayed up pretty late some nights just baking. Speaking of which, do you wanna stop by my place after and I can grab you a fresh loaf I made last night?" Akiko offered excitedly.

Hitoshi hummed. "How can I say no to that? So, what do you want to do after UA? Any agencies you have in mind to apply to?"

Akiko stopped walking, and paused to think. They didn't want to lie, but also weren't sure if telling the truth was the best idea. Well, if this was going to work out, Hitoshi would have to support Akiko's goals, so they decided to just go for it. "I'm not entirely sure I want to join an existing agency - I might make my own? Sorry if this gets a little intense, but I hate the way the hero system runs. Our neighbourhood and nearby areas just get… neglected. Because we don't have money? That's kinda fucked. If I had my way, I'd change it completely - maybe even rebuild the Hero Commission because it's a big part of the problem. And I could go on for ages about the whole capitalism bullshit, too."

Akiko watched Hitoshi carefully to see how he'd respond. And, well, he didn't seem put off at all. If anything, he looked impressed. And then he let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank fuck, I was worried I'd be the only anti-capitalist in the class. I'll show you my denim patch jacket if you show me yours?"

Akiko scratched the back of their head. "I, uh…"

"You don't have one?"

Akiko shook their head, and put on a mock joking tone. "I'm a terrible commie, aren't I?"

"I can't believe I ever even associated with you," Hitoshi responded, shaking his head. And then the two of them burst out laughing. "But seriously, we're gonna have to fix that sometime… if you want?"

Akiko's lips curled upwards into a soft grin. "Sounds like a plan."

They chatted a little while longer, until they both felt it was time to call it a day. Hitoshi called Spot back, leashed him and they started walking towards Akiko's place, all the while taking turns sharing excitedly about their other various interests and stories. When they arrived, Akiko asked if Hitoshi wanted to come inside, and he declined, but only because he was worried about Spot not knowing how to behave in an unfamiliar house. Akiko stepped inside, and made a beeline for the kitchen where the two fresh loaves of olive sourdough bread were stored. Before their mom had a chance to say anything, they grabbed one loaf and rushed back outside.

"One fresh loaf of olive sourdough bread, just for you!" Akiko presented the round loaf to Hitoshi.

"Woah, how did you get that pattern on top?" Hitoshi asked, admiring the olive branch-shaped pattern indented into the top of the loaf.

"Very, very carefully," Akiko groaned. "It took me like 10 loaves to get that right, but now I've figured out the trick to it and I can do a bunch of different shapes! I figured the olive branch was a good touch for the olive bread."

Spot had taken an active interest in the bread, and was making repeated, unsuccessful attempts to jump up and bite at the bread. From then on, Hitoshi was careful to hold it high.

Akiko had a realisation, and hit their forehead with their palm. "Ah, I didn't even think to grab a bag for you."

"No, it's fine! It's just a short walk back home, I don't mind hand carrying it. Do you want to walk back with me, or part ways here?" Hitoshi asked.

"Let's keep walking together, if that's okay?"

"Of course it is!"

And so they walked together for the few minutes it took to reach Hitoshi's home again. When they arrived, Akiko had to work up some extra courage, because there was one more really important thing to say.

"So…" Akiko began. "Wanna do this again? I've had an amazing time!"

Hitoshi nodded. "Do you want to… go to school together again?"

"Yeah! I'll see you then!"

Upon arriving home, Akiko rushed straight to their room, grabbed their trusty pillow, and once again, they screamed.

AKIKO: So we just finished our date…

IZUKU: AND? HOW DID IT GO?

AKIKO: We took Hitoshi's puppy for a walk and talked about our hyper fixations and stuff!

IZUKU: omg that sounds so nice!

AKIKO: And he also asked some really thoughtful questions about me being trans, and I told him about my experience getting on hormones and everything

IZUKU: kajsfdhklsdajhkhg

IZUKU: Omg I totally approve of him being your boyfriend!

AKIKO: Ahhhh we've just been on one date so far, don't wanna rush into it too fast sakdjfh

IZUKU: Yeah that's fair

IZUKU: Hey can I change the topic a little bit?

AKIKO: Sure, what's up?

IZUKU: How did you get started on hormones? I really want to start soon but there have been… problems.

AKIKO: Mum helped me find a really good doctor who gave me a prescription. Do you want help with whatever those problems are?

IZUKU: Idk… it's just

IZUKU: My mum doesn't want me to go on hormones - she's worried that I'll regret it later or something

AKIKO: !

AKIKO: omg I actually know exactly how to have that conversation. Can I talk to her? If you're not comfortable with that I can also totally just run you through all the information and arguments!

IZUKU: That would be so good… I hope you can convince her. I've already spoken with a doctor but the doctor said I need signed consent from my mum first. If this works then I can start on T soon!

IZUKU: You free after school tomorrow?

AKIKO: Not anymore! Lets do thissssssssss