A/N: Sorry for the small delay, everyone. I was busy finishing up everything I had left for my spring semester of college, not to mention working on the newest chapter for my "Angel Beats!" fic. Fortunately, I've FINALLY gotten done with all of my finals and remaining assignments, which means summer has officially begun for me! HOORAY! But unfortunately, I've also enrolled into a couple of classes for the summer semester, which means not much will change after this. We will see how things go from here on out.

Also, I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but I sincerely recommend checking out "Fist to Fist, Heart to Heart" by Yojimbra, if any of you haven't done so already. I still believe it's a great fic about a pairing that's really under the radar. About ninety percent of the fanfiction focusing on that pairing is usually in the harem genre and I think Yojimbra does a good job zeroing in on that pairing specifically... So check it out if you can!

Alright, I'm done with the announcements. On with the chapter! It'll be a bit of a slow burn compared to the events that occurred in the previous chapter, but nevertheless...ENJOY!

P.S.: I was lucky enough to see an advance screening of "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" that was held for the Memorial Day weekend. To all of my Godzilla fans out there, if you want to experience some top-tier monster action, then GO SEE IT WHEN IT OPENS IN YOUR LOCAL THEATER. I think watching it was a magical experience. :)

"Help!"

"Calling for help won't do ya any good. As you can see, no one gives a damn."

"NO! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY, VILLAIN! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH YOUR CRIMES!"

"ACK! AAAAAAACK! AGH! AGH! St-Stop... Let... Lemme...go... Ack!"

"NEVER! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO THAT GIRL YESTERDAY! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!"

"STOP!"

Izuku woke up with a gasp, and bright light immediately assaulted his vision. He instinctively winced and turned his head away from the ceiling, all the while moving carefully to avoid aggravating the lingering pain in his cast-encased arms. As his green eyes adjusted to the light in the room, Izuku blankly stared at the dull beige wall, almost grateful that he could get the chance to see such an uneventful color again in his life. After all, he had just been involved in the fight of his life.

"Oh, good," a voice suddenly said, the serious tone as gentle and accommodating as possible. "You're awake, kid."

Izuku slowly inched his head back to its original position, and he didn't see any of his friends or Katsuki's cronies waiting on him. Instead, there was a couple of unfamiliar people sitting in some chairs in the room. One of them was a man with sharp eyes, slightly tanned skin, and hair as brown as wood. The other was a woman with flowing platinum-blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a seemingly lifeless expression etched in her face.

"Who..." the boy croaked, before taking a moment to swallow. "Who are you?"

"We're with the police," the brown-haired stranger replied earnestly. "My name's Nishiya. This is my partner Takeyama." He gestured to the woman, who gave Izuku an off-handed wave; Izuku recognized the name immediately, but chose not to say anything out of respect to the officers. "How are you doing, Midoriya-kun?"

For a long moment, Izuku didn't respond to the question and instead chose to process his current surroundings. It had to have been a few hours since he first regained consciousness at the hospital. Since that time, he reunited with his mother, who, not unexpectedly for him, slapped him and gave him an earful of how much she was worried for him. Of course, he apologized profusely and promised not to jeopardize his life like that ever again, a term which she accepted before loudly bursting into tears and hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

After that, Ochako and the others decided to leave and give him time to rest, naturally at Tenya's suggestion. Since then, Inko had been by his bedside...until now...

"Midoriya-kun?" the officer asked again, catching his attention. "Are you feeling well right now? ...If you want us to leave and come back another time, then we can-"

"No, I'm fine..." Izuku replied abruptly. His face turned red as he looked away again. "T-Tell me...what happened to those three guys?"

"Well, naturally we took two of 'em into custody, got them processed right away. The third one, the one your friends say you subdued all by yourself, we had to take him to the hospital. In fact, he's one floor below you. But don't worry. We've got an officer watching him at all times. Not that I think he's in any condition to go anywhere right now."

Izuku pursed his lips apprehensively. "Am...Am I in...trouble...?"

Nishiya blinked. "Should you be?"

"I...I came so close to killing him... I...I was...strangling him..."

"ACK! AAAAAAACK! AGH! AGH! St-Stop... Let... Lemme...go... Ack!"

"NEVER! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO THAT GIRL YESTERDAY! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!"

"And I didn't wanna let go..."

Izuku narrowed his eyes slightly. He did not want to remember what he did last night, but it stubbornly clung to his mind like a leech. He could still hear the muscular man's fading gasps for oxygen, feel his desperate thrashing as it weakened by the second...

"We know," Nishiya replied. "Your friend Ashido told us all of that."

"Then you should know that's against the law." Izuku sniffled and looked at the two officers with shimmering green eyes. "That...That's attempted murder..."

"Not if you were trying to defend someone else." Nishiya leaned forward a little. "Midoriya-kun, I promise you, you're not in trouble. You were only trying to do the right thing."

"How could you say that, Officer?!"

"Midoriya-kun, that man was very bad news. He and his friends were responsible for a multitude of crimes that occurred throughout town, ranging from robbery to assault to rape to even murder."

"M-Murder?" Izuku began to sweat a little at the thought of nearly dying at the hands of those men. "Are-Are you sure?"

"Yes. As far as my precinct is concerned, Midoriya-kun, you did everything you could to protect others. My captain would commend you if he weren't so busy." Nishiya then noticed the glimmer of doubt in Izuku's eyes. "Don't worry. We are not going to arrest you or anything just because you were only looking out for others, Midoriya-kun. I promise you that."

"Oh, thank God..." Then, the boy stared at both officers accusingly. "B-But if these people killed someone before, h-how come you guys didn't arrest him before?! D'you have any idea what kind of crimes you could've prevented?!"

"We're aware of that, and we would've arrested them if we had a chance." Nishiya tapped his fingers against each other on instinct, and Izuku could see the look of annoyance flashing across his eyes. "You see, my precinct has been trying to nail them for months, but they happened to be well-connected."

Izuku blinked with confusion. "Well-connected?"

Nishiya nodded. "Yes, Midoriya-kun. Those three, they're low-level thugs working for the Shie Hassaikai."

The boy's eyes widened with terror and he could feel his world crumble all around him. That was the last thing he wanted to hear about the men he faced off against last night.

Upon noticing Izuku's expression, Nishiya said in a low voice, "I assume you already know about the Shie Hassaikai."

"W-Wh-Who doesn't?"

"Only people who don't pay attention to the newspapers." Nishiya pursed his lips and stared out of the window. "But yes, Midoriya-kun, those three are with the Shie Hassaikai."

"B-Bu-But how?!" Izuku carefully straightened himself on his bed. "Th-Th-Those c-cr-crooks d-don't look like-"

"Yakuza?" Nishiya scoffed. "Kid, there's so much about this town that you don't know about. Now yes, it's no secret that this ordinary, dainty little place is a hub of Yakuza activity. It has been that way for the past decade, ever since the police started cracking down on them in their usual stomping grounds, our big-city neighbor Shizuoka. The Shie Hassaikai had to turn to the outlying towns and villages for new playgrounds. Including us. And as you probably know as well, we were helpless to do anything about it. We were risking a lot, earning the Shie Hassaikai's wrath and getting ourselves and our families killed.

"But what you don't know is that the Shie Hassaikai has their ways of casting their influence over anyone in a position to stop them. None of us can confirm it but it's clear to us that there's an unspoken agreement between Shie Hassaikai and city officials to maintain a symbiotic relationship, founded on unshakable trust and benefits for the other side. If a unit of gangsters can get a shipment of illegal weapons in broad daylight through our streets without any interference, then the mayor can win reelection easily without any problems. You help me get what I want, I help you get what you want. That sort of deal."

The dumbfounded Izuku listened to Nishiya as he delved into his explanation. The words barely reached his ears, for his primary concern was the safety of his mother and all his friends.

"Thanks to the Shie Hassaikai," continued Nishiya, "criminal activity became a profitable profession. That's where those three lowlifes come into the equation. Ever since the Shie Hassaikai took over, low-level thugs of all varieties have been springing up, seeking to either set up their own operations that would ultimately usurp the Shie Hassaikai, or become a member of the Shie Hassaikai themselves and climb up the ranks. And obviously, those three fit the latter category."

"It's like the local economy is entirely dependent on the success of the Shie Hassaikai," Takeyama suddenly piped up as she idly twirled a bang of her platinum-blonde hair. "You become a criminal, especially one that's affiliated with the Shie Hassaikai, and you get far in life. Farther than you'd get if you got any other job."

Izuku stared at her glumly, which Nishiya noticed. He shot his female partner a stern glare, but she merely turned away and didn't speak anymore, instead continuing to fiddle with her hair like none of this concerned her at all. As for Nishiya, he looked back at Izuku.

"What my partner was trying to say was..." he said, "it's a very bad situation for the police whenever the Shie Hassaikai is involved... People aligned with that Yakuza group are untouchable, regardless of what their rank is. They always know who to reach out to for help. Even if innocent people are barely aware of the corruption permeating our society, they still know not to step in whenever they see something wrong... They're aware how broken the system here is, and that their better judgment will only lead to more trouble for them. It's like a survival instinct.

"But..." He smiled slightly, but with pride. "Your intervention during one of their crimes gave us an excuse to bring them in for a crime we can actually stick them with. And for that, we are eternally grateful for you, Midoriya-kun, even if your, uh..." He cleared his throat respectfully. "Methods were a bit unconventional."

Izuku immediately knew Nishiya was talking about his Yamikumo cosplay. But he shrugged that aside and asked, "B-But, Officer...am-am I in any danger? S-S-Since th-those three are with th-the Sh-Shie Hassaikai a-and all-"

"As far as we know, no," Nishiya interrupted as he shook his head. "There's no reason to believe that the Shie Hassaikai would care for a few low-level thugs under their employment."

"Oh..." Despite the response, Izuku couldn't shake off the horrible feeling of foreboding. "G-Good..."

"But hopefully, we'll be able to learn something about the Shie Hassaikai from those three. They're at the bottom rung of the food chain. We should be able to flip 'em easily." Nishiya smiled. "After all, we got 'em, all thanks to you, kid."

"All thanks...to me...?" Izuku thought as he stared back incredulously at the officer. "I...I can't believe it..." A small smile started to form on his face. "I...I actually did something...right for a change... I got to help out the police. It...It actually feels good..."

"Ahem..."

Nishiya and Izuku both turned towards Takeyama as she lowered her hand. Izuku then looked back at Nishiya, who didn't look all that impressed by her sudden interruption.

"Yes, Takeyama?" he asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Nishiya?"

He blinked idly. "And that would be...?"

"Oh, I dunno..." Takeyama nonchalantly examined her manicured fingernails. "Maybe, you know, getting his statement?"

Izuku sensed a slightly tense air forming between the two officers. Nevertheless, Nishiya sighed and procured a notepad and black pen from his breast pocket.

"Yes, yes, that's right..."

Fortunately for Izuku, it did not take long for Nishiya and Takeyama to collect his statement on the incident, since there wasn't anything much to say other than the obvious. Afterwards, Takeyama quickly left, as if she had somewhere else to be. As for Nishiya, he remained behind for a moment to thank Izuku again for his unconditional bravery before leaving as well.

Once they were gone, Izuku leaned back on his bed and smiled one of the widest smiles he had ever produced.

"I can't believe things have been working out so well for me lately," he thought. "First I manage to make friends who like my hobbies, of which Uraraka is one of them. Then I get to be a hero and save people from evildoers. And now I'm being thanked by the police for my efforts. They're not even gonna arrest me for nearly killing that one crook... I'm...I'm now afraid of closing my eyes, otherwise it'll all turn out to be a dream..." He cast a glance at his heavily bandaged arms and started chuckling softly. "Wow... If only Shimura-san were here to see this..."

"You're not allowed to come back here until you find something productive to do at school, Midoriya. I don't care what it is, as long as you make friends and enjoy life beyond the pleasures of manga."

"He's probably seen the news by now," Izuku thought, his expression now glum. He glanced at one of the empty chairs, as if he were expecting to see Shimura sitting on it right now.

"Jesus Christ, I can't believe you're taking this so seriously! What if you really got hurt?! D'you have any idea how I'd...?"

"I'm sorry, Shimura-san. I didn't mean to worry you. But I couldn't just be a bystander. Not after what happened..."

He closed his eyes and imagined himself standing in the alleyway again. He could see the three crooks slumped against a wall, all tied up and submissive. No longer was the alleyway dark; it was now painted in red and blue. The schoolgirl was staring at them with shock before focusing her gaze on him. Even in spite of the presence of colors in the shady area, he still couldn't make out her facial features.

"You..." she said, "you did this...?"

Izuku nodded. "Yes."

The girl looked back at her assailants, who were whimpering with defeat. Then, she stared at him again.

"Why? You...You could've gotten killed..."

"Because...I...I let them rob you...hurt you... I...I wanted to stop them...but...I couldn't... I was too afraid to act. And it's haunted me ever since. Then I saw them trying to hurt more people..." He gave her a valiant grin. "And I couldn't let them do that again. I couldn't let them hurt my friends like they hurt you."

The girl stared at him in stunned silence. Then, he could see her look down at the ground, and though he couldn't make out a face, he sensed her smiling.

She looked up at him and replied, "Thank you, Midoriya...for caring about me..."

Izuku opened his eyes and stared at the same empty chair again.

"I couldn't let my friends get hurt, Shimura-san," he thought. "I couldn't. They didn't ask to be a part in this new system of crime that's taken over our town. That should not be their new way of life. Someone had to keep a watchful eye over them."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Izuku looked towards the doorway, almost expecting to see Shimura.

"Oh," he said as soon as he recognized his visitor. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Izuku sweetie," Inko replied softly. She sat down on the same empty chair her son had been looking at and placed a plastic bag on top of the nearby table. "I brought you some of your favorite food. Katsudon!"

Izuku winced a little, hearing the amount of force and effort his mother had to exert in order to make her voice sound as cheery as possible. But he stomached that reaction and gave Inko a soft smile.

"Thanks, Mom," he replied. "You're... You're the best."

Inko chuckled and prepared to say something in response, but her voice seemed to get trapped in her throat. After a few seconds, the rotund woman reconsidered it and started opening the plastic bag. Izuku watched her and noticed how her face was contorting with grave concern while her slightly trembling fingers pulled out the white Styrofoam boxes.

"Those three, they're low-level thugs working for the Shie Hassaikai."

"There's no reason to believe that the Shie Hassaikai would care for a few low-level thugs under their employment."

"M-Mom," he blurted out abruptly, prompting Inko to look at him again.

"Y-Yes, sweetie?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." Izuku forlornly looked down at his lap. "I'm so sorry...for worrying you..."

With a soft look, Inko gently set the Styrofoam boxes down on the table. "Izuku...you don't have to apologize anymore." She clasped her hands together. "We've already been through this, and I'm no longer mad... In fact, I'm a little proud of you, honey."

Izuku looked up. "You...You are?"

"Of course! You helped Kacchan and all those other kids! If it weren't for you, then..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, and her eyes widened a little. Then, she recomposed herself and said in a stronger voice, "I-I just hope that you don't do anything like that ever again. I-I understand if you want to be like the characters in your manga and help people in need, but you're just my sweet little boy. You're gonna get hurt."

"Yeah..." Izuku chuckled dryly. "I-I suppose..."

"Just promise me you won't do that again, sweetie."

He stared at his mother for the longest time, and Takeyama's words returned to his mind.

"It's like the local economy is entirely dependent on the success of the Shie Hassaikai. You become a criminal, especially one that's affiliated with the Shie Hassaikai, and you get far in life. Farther than you'd get if you got any other job."

"What am I supposed to say?" he thought. "I want to assure her that I won't, but...after what Nishiya-sama just told me, I...I can't just ignore that. A-And what happens if I see another crook harassing someone out in public, with no one else doing a thing about it? I...I can't ignore that either! Plus, who knows what might happen down the road? Maybe the Shie Hassaikai will care about a nobody like me landing three of their thugs in a jail cell! But...I really don't wanna worry my own mother anymore... I...I don't wanna bring more stress into her life..."

"Izuku, sweetie," Inko said, her voice more forceful, "promise me you won't do something very dangerous like that ever again."

Izuku continued to stare at his mother. Reluctance started to flood into his face.

"But I don't want to be a bystander anymore."

He forced a smile onto his face as he replied, "I promise."

"Midoriya, you've got visitors."

Izuku looked at the doorway and watched as Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta stepped into the room, the former two still heavily bandaged, like they had been in a car crash. His lips faintly curled into a frown as the three boys took some seats at his bedside. In his peripheral vision, he could see Inko dozing soundlessly in her chair, her hand still beside the half-finished katsudon box.

"What?" he asked irritably, just as the lethargic nurse closed the door behind Hanta. He looked away from his day-to-day tormentors. "Gonna make fun of me for dressing up in a silly cosplay costume and saving you guys from a criminal who had the upper hand on you?"

"Wow, harsh," Eijiro replied, wincing visibly. His chipped teeth still resembled vicious fangs.

"Come on, Midoriya," Denki said gently. "I thought we were past all of that stuff."

"Yeah," Hanta added. "Lighten up, man."

Izuku looked at the trio of boys with disbelief. "Really? Is that what you think now?"

"He probably knows it's shit. He just keeps readin' it because they go hand in hand."

"Well of course a douchebag knows a fellow douchebag when they see one!"

"That we're past that stuff?"

"Hey, you guys! Speak of the devil! It's that wimp Midoriya!"

"Wow, pathetic! My fucking grandma wouldn't flinch at that!"

"You're gonna die alone and unfulfilled, Midoriya. Just look at you! The future is as clear as day with you."

"After all the crap you put me through, you're just gonna come up to me and say we're past all of that stuff?!" He looked away. "You don't simply get past six months of torture."

Eijiro and Denki looked at each other, and then Denki looked at Hanta, who looked back. As for Eijiro, he looked back at Izuku with pursed lips.

"Yeah, about that-" he began slowly.

"What, so you thought you'd come here and-and act like we're buddies? You thought if you did that, all will be forgiven?" Izuku took a deep breath as his green pupils focused on the purple curtains in his room. "Just a couple of days ago, you tore up my manga and called me pathetic. How do you expect to be friends with me after all that?"

"Look, Midoriya, we're sorry about what we did to you-"

"Oh, now you're apologizing. If only it were sooooooo simple." Izuku faintly sniffled. "You made my life a living hell since the start of the school year. I was hoping I'd have a fresh start when I entered high school. But...you guys nearly ruined all of that." He glared at them angrily. "You should be lucky I still decided to save you guys from those crooks, Kirishima! And the same goes for you, Kaminari!"

"Yes, we feel lucky!" Denki exclaimed gratefully. "Look, Midoriya, our asses were being handed to us last night, and you had to have been watching! But instead of turning a blind eye, you...you saved us... And even though you got your own ass kicked, you kept on fighting so we could be safe..."

"The cops told us those guys were wanted for a bunch of crimes," Eijiro added. "Like murder. We...We could've died last night. But you saved our asses! And in doing so, you helped us realize how wrong we were to pick on you! You...You put up a great fight, the kind of fight we could never put up!"

"Oh," Izuku replied with dissatisfaction. "So since I can put up a great fight, that means I have value now. That's nice."

"Hey," Hanta said. "Kirishima and Kaminari told me all about how you took quite the beating but kept on going and never stopped until that big punk was done for. None of us would've been capable of going that far in a fight...well...except for Bakugo, probably-"

"But he still got his ass kicked," added Denki.

"W-Well, n-not really," Eijiro interjected defensively.

Hanta ignored his friends. "W-What I'm trying to say is that, um..." His voice trailed off, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "W-Well, um... Uh-"

"We wanna learn some of your moves," completed Eijiro.

The anger vanished from Izuku's face and was immediately replaced with confusion.

"What?" he asked blankly.

"We want you to teach us how to fight like that," Denki replied earnestly. "Wh-When you're all healed up, that is."

Izuku blinked slowly. "You... You guys...want to learn...how to fight like I did?"

"Well, yeah!" Eijiro exclaimed enthusiastically. "What you did back there was so fucking badass, man! And you know how things are in this town!"

"If we're gonna get by in a couple more years," Hanta added, "then we gotta learn how to fight fast and hard! And since you clearly got the spirit to take a lot of punches like a boss and still come out on top, well...w-we thought we might as well learn from the best-"

"No," Izuku said.

The three boys were briefly silent. Then, Eijiro asked, "Wh-What?"

"I said no." The green-haired boy glowered at his tormentors. "You may think what I did back there was cool, but I only did it because I wanted to protect others. This town's in the midst of a big crime wave, and no one's willing to do a thing about it. The best people can do is watch from the sidelines and hope someone else does something about it. As long as it's not their problem, they are willing to be selfish and save their own hides. And I for one was sick of it, which is why I did what I did last night. I'm not concerned at all about looking cool."

"Says the guy who dressed himself up like a bunny last night," Denki grumbled.

Izuku's scowl became more pronounced. "That was to protect my identity and I was right to do so. Those guys were with the Shie Hassaikai, in case you two didn't notice."

Denki's eyes broadened with shock. "Wait, what?"

"For real?" Eijiro asked incredulously, his jagged teeth bared. "Those guys didn't look like Yakuza material!"

"Well, that's what the officer told me." Izuku glanced at his mother, who was still dozing peacefully. "What I did was very, very dangerous. In no way was it cool. But I still have no regrets for what I did. For the longest time, I wanted to do the right thing, no matter the cost." He glared at Eijiro. "Just like the characters of the manga you tore up."

"Oh..." The redhead's eyes filled with regret. "Shit, man..."

Izuku clenched his teeth. "You guys wanna know how I was able to keep on going despite being on the verge of death?"

"Help!"

"Calling for help won't do ya any good. As you can see, no one gives a damn."

"Take a walk through town." The green-haired boy turned his head away and stared at the purple curtains again. "We're done."

"Oh, come on, man!" Hanta exclaimed. "Look, we're sorry for what we did to you, Midoriya!"

"Hey, y-you want us to buy you a new manga?" asked Denki. "L-Look, we'll gladly do it, Midoriya! J-Just tell us the name and-"

"No, come on, guys," Eijiro interrupted suddenly, his expression now soft. He stood up and tapped Denki on the shoulder. "Let's get out of here. I think he's done talking to us."

"B-But Kirishima-!"

"Let's go." Eijiro cast a sympathetic look towards Izuku. "We'll check up on Bakugo, see how he's doin'."

Denki and Hanta looked at Izuku for one last time. The boys then stood up from their chairs and followed Eijiro out of the room. The redhead was the last one out, but before he could close the door behind him, he took one last look at Izuku.

"Hey...Midoriya," he said softly.

Izuku didn't respond or even look at the former bully. The green-haired boy could tell Eijiro wanted to continue speaking, but no words came out of his mouth. Instead, the couple of seconds spent in silence were concluded with the soft creak of the door. Once he was sure Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta were gone, Izuku stared at the door.

"So they wanted to know how to fight like I did..." he thought. Then, he scoffed dismissively. "What do they know about wanting to be a hero? They just wanna look cool. That's all. But being a hero is more than just being cool. How can they not understand that?" He stared at his bandaged arms. "They don't really mean what they said back there. They're just embarrassed they got their butts kicked by people bigger than them. They want to save their own reputations at school. That's all they care about."

Izuku stared at the door again, and he could still feel Eijiro's lingering presence. He could still remember the sympathetic look in his eyes.

"That's all they care about."

"Midoriya, you've got some more visitors."

Izuku smiled as Ochako and Tenya entered the room. Ochako was carrying a newspaper, while Tenya was holding a small stack of books and papers.

"Uraraka!" he greeted. "Iida!"

"Hi, Midoriya," Ochako replied. "How're you feeling?"

Izuku briefly glanced at his arms. "Like I got beaten up really badly..."

"Well, regardless," Tenya said, "it's a relief seeing you in a good state. Everyone else was worried about your well-being." He then glanced at the apathetic nurse and held the door for her. "Allow me, ma'am."

The nurse didn't respond, instead departing into the hallway. Tenya slowly closed the door for her before walking towards the empty table, which Ochako was standing next to.

"Where's your mom, Midoriya?" asked Ochako.

"Oh, she went to work," Izuku replied.

"Oh!" Ochako looked regretful. "Well, when she stops by again, tell her I said hi! She seems like a pretty nice lady, if you don't count how she blew up on you when you first woke up."

"She is nice." The boy smiled fondly. "She works two jobs 24/7 to support us. I...I can't be more thankful for her..."

"Truly an admirable woman," Tenya replied as he set the books and papers on the table. "I can sympathize with that."

Ochako shot him a flat glare. "What're you talking about, Iida? Your family is crazy rich! Well, not Yaomomo rich, but-"

"Much of our wealth has been supplemented by Tensei's job." The class representative crossed his arms. "And he studied very hard to ensure he got a good, stable job in politics. We are all grateful for his hard work."

"Uh, Iida?" Izuku piped up.

Tenya looked at him. "Yes, Midoriya?"

"What's with that stack?"

"Why, these are for you, Midoriya!" With a smile, Tenya gently patted the topmost book on the stack. "You're going to be hospitalized for an undetermined amount of time, so you'll need these to study. Aizawa-sensei will be most displeased if you came back to school unprepared."

Izuku stared at the textbooks and papers blankly, his green eyes seemingly becoming unfocused. This prompted Ochako to slap Tenya on the shoulder.

"You shouldn't have brought those, Iida!" she snapped with a frown that looked more adorable than intimidating. "D'you have any idea what Midoriya-kun's been through?!"

"I am well aware of the circumstances of his hospitalization, Uraraka!"

"Then you shouldn't force this kind of workload on him so soon!"

"I didn't say he had to start now! But one should never mislead themselves into thinking something like a hospitalization will give them the right to ignore their academic duties!"

"Oh, you and your academic duties, Iida!"

"Guys, guys, guys!" Izuku exclaimed with his arms carefully raised. "It's alright, really! You don't have to fight over this!"

Ochako and Tenya looked at him for a moment, then they looked at each other with understanding.

"That's true, Midoriya," Tenya replied before bowing his head. "I apologize for my little outburst."

"I'm sorry too, Midoriya-kun," added Ochako. "I hope I didn't upset you already."

"No, not at all."

Izuku stared at them for a couple of moments, and then, he started to sniffle. Ochako and Tenya were quick to notice the small glimmer in his green eyes.

"What's wrong, Midoriya?!" exclaimed Tenya. "Are you not feeling well?! Do you require medical attention?!"

"No, no, I'm fine..." Izuku winced a little as he moved his arm towards his face so he could wipe his eyes. "I'm just... I'm so glad I actually got to have friends like you..." He sniffled again. "I've...I've never had any...friends...for a long time... People who...care about me..." He chuckled. "Even after you invited me to the study group, Uraraka, I kept wondering if you were going to play a prank on me, or if this was all just a dream."

"Yes, you told me that already," Ochako replied, smiling. "But we really care about you, Midoriya-kun. It's no joke, nor is it a dream. And I want you to know that it's not just me and Iida. Yui-chan, Yaomomo, Todoroki, and everyone else care about you. Everyone's texted me and Iida, asking how you were doing."

"They...They did?!"

"Of course! Here, lemme show you the conversation I had with Yaomomo and Asui right before we got here..."

She tucked the newspaper underneath her armpit and pulled out her cellphone, which Izuku noticed was not the newest model that everyone else already had. She then scrolled through her screen before finding the correct window.

"Ah, here we are!" Ochako walked up to Izuku and showed him the phone screen. "Look!"

Izuku slightly readjusted himself so he could lean his head forward and read the text conversation.

Yaoyorozu: Are you going to see Midoriya again?

Uraraka: Yes, of course!

Uraraka: Why?

Yaoyorozu: We were just there last night, that's all...

Asui: Come on, Yaomomo, we need to show him our support!

Uraraka: Yeah, Yaomomo! Be more supportive!

Yaoyorozu: I know. I was going to tell Uraraka to send him my regards before you interrupted, Asui.

Asui: Such a tsundere.

Uraraka: LOL. XD

Yaoyorozu: What's THAT supposed to mean?

Asui: Nothing...

Yaoyorozu: I DON'T have a crush on Midoriya, if that's what you're implying! Seriously, you guys...

Uraraka: Oh, we believe you.

Yaoyorozu: Something tells me you don't.

Asui: We do. We believe you don't have a crush on Midoriya specifically.

Yaoyorozu: Specifically?

Uraraka: I'll send Midoriya your regards, Yaomomo. Don't worry.

Asui: Tell him I said hi, Uraraka. And also tell him I'm really grateful he saved your sweet cheeks last night.

Yaoyorozu: Same here. The thought of you being in the clutches of those creeps...ugh!

Asui: Midoriya's a life-saver, for sure.

Uraraka: Awwwww, that's so sweet! Thank you! Don't worry, you guys, I will.

Izuku looked up at her. "Wow..." he said. "I...I can't believe they actually...care that much about me..."

"Why, of course!" Ochako replied as she put away her phone. "What else did you expect from them?"

"Well..." Izuku chuckled a little. "Some harsh criticism from Asui and a long lecture from Yaoyorozu, for starters..."

Ochako tutted and lightly tapped Izuku on the head. "Oh, come on, Midoriya! You gotta learn how to trust people more!"

"Well, now I do." The boy looked down at his lap with a fond expression. "I'm...I'm so lucky I got to have kind and caring friends like you... I really, truly feel blessed..."

Ochako's smile widened. "And I am so lucky I found such a determined and passionate guy like you. If it weren't for you, Yui-chan and I would've been..." She fell silent for a moment and shivered audibly. "Those perverted creeps... They were gonna do awful things to us, but thanks to you, they got what they deserved!"

"I agree wholeheartedly," Tenya added. He smiled at Izuku, and the boy noticed the admiration radiating from him. "You surprised me many times yesterday, Midoriya." He paused and pursed his lips. "I must confess, Midoriya; I truly thought you were a lost cause...that you would be nothing more than a burden to society as an adult. Your unhealthy obsession with manga and anime seem to not only confirm my concerns, but compound them."

"So I've noticed..." Izuku replied flatly.

"I still had my doubts when you arrived at Yaoyorozu's study group. You suggested that anime movie when we wanted to watch something at the theater. I thought you still weren't taking your academics seriously."

Tenya paused again and winced. Izuku's eyebrows shot up with concern, and he wondered if the class representative had been afflicted with a stomachache or something.

"But I must say," the bespectacled teenager continued, "after watching that movie...what was it, My Hero Academia?"

"Our Hero Academia," Izuku and Ochako corrected at the same time.

"Yes, yes that's right. Anyway, after I watched that movie with you..." Tenya paused yet again, and he looked like he was going to regret his next words. "I will admit I was able to forge a small degree of understanding with you."

Ochako beamed at her bespectacled friend with pride, while Izuku sat up a little more on his bed.

"Really?" the green-haired boy asked.

"I thought it was average at best."

"You said you thought it was average!"

"That was my initial reaction," replied Tenya. "But I guess, deep down, I felt a spark. I didn't know what it was, but it felt pleasant. I assumed it was the same kind of spark you'd feel whenever you'd read one of your manga books, or watch an episode of an anime series."

"Don't worry about Iida. He enjoyed the movie."

Shoto's words returned to Izuku's mind as he tried to process Tenya's admission.

"That's called enjoyment, silly," Ochako said teasingly. "Jeez, Iida, are you such a lifeless robot that you can't even truly understand the very feeling of enjoyment?!"

"I do find enjoyment, Uraraka, but usually in the pages of a history book, not in an anime film!" Tenya then settled down and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I came to realize what I felt in that theater when I heard you were hospitalized. Uraraka told me everything, including how you were dressed in cosplay."

Izuku blushed with embarrassment. "I-I had to protect my identity, Iida," he replied. "I-I didn't know what would happen next."

"I do not fault you for that, Midoriya. You did what you had to do." Tenya flashed a small smile. "When I heard the whole story from Uraraka, I came to a startling realization."

Izuku looked up. "And that is?"

"That sympathizing with, and identifying with, the characters in your manga, especially the ones in Our Hero Academia, give you purpose, a drive, one that you can't muster in any other circumstance. And it was this very drive that gave you the strength to carry on in a brutal fight, a fight that would decide the fate of Uraraka, Kodai, and even Bakugo and his friends. It's...It's a strength I wish I could have..." Tenya suddenly closed his eyes and clenched his fists so tightly they began to shake. "I...I underestimated you, Midoriya, and I completely dismissed your passion because I had a horribly generalized view of it. A horrible, generalized, childish view... I've misled myself, and for that..."

He suddenly bowed his head, startling Izuku.

"I apologize for my remarks of bad faith. It was wrong of me to think you couldn't accomplish anything in life. And now, I want to let you know that I have utmost respect for you! I truly do!"

Izuku's lower jaw dropped open. "Am I hearing this right?" he thought. "Iida's actually...apologizing to me for what he's told me in the past...? This...This is unreal, right? There's no way this is actually- Yeah, you know what? I'm gonna just accept it from now on. There's no point questioning anything anymore."

The green-haired boy gave Tenya a smile and replied, "Wow... Thank you, Iida. I appreciate the apology, but...I honestly don't blame you for thinking that way."

Tenya raised his head with surprise. "You...You don't?"

"Well, yeah." Izuku briefly gazed at Ochako. "Uraraka told me all about why you don't like otaku in the first place."

"She did?"

Tenya shot an accusatory glare at Ochako, wearing a mixture of shock and humiliation. In response, the chestnut-haired girl looked away and whistled innocently. Then, Tenya looked back at Izuku, and the green-haired boy could see the faint blush blossoming on his cheeks.

"In hindsight," he said, "I suppose my rationale for disliking otaku was quite immature and uncouth of me..."

"You care very, very much about your brother, Iida," replied Izuku, "and I understand that. If I had a brother who'd look out for me and care for me, then I'd treat discussions about him as a sensitive topic."

"Still..." Tenya forlornly glanced at the floor. "I should not have applied my beliefs to you specifically, Midoriya..."

"Well, as long as we've both come to an understanding of each other, then I don't think we will have any more problems down the road, Iida."

Tenya smiled. "I'm...I'm thankful...to be in the presence of someone who is so understanding and compassionate..."

"Oh, please! Y-You don't have to be so formal about this!" The other boy gave his bespectacled friend a kind smile. "Just go a little more easy, okay?"

"And cut Hatsume some slack, okay Iida?" Ochako chimed in.

At the mention of the name, Tenya glared at the door, a dark frown now appearing upon his face. Izuku was surprised by the sudden shift of the class representative's mood.

"I will not," he replied stubbornly. "She still defiled a treasured piece of Japanese history, one that my brother worked so hard to attain. She has no respect whatsoever for our forefathers!"

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me, Iida!" She crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. "You're willing to change your opinion of Midoriya-kun, but when Hatsume is concerned, you put your shields back up!"

"There is one difference between Midoriya and Hatsume, one that separates my opinions of their character." Tenya glared at Ochako. "He is willing to stand up for what he believes in when the situation calls for it, all while trying his very best to respect others. She has been completely consumed by her obsession and willingly allows herself to be so!"

"But didn't she try to apologize to you earlier, Iida?"

"What she did cannot simply be rectified by a mere apology! Her so-called cosmetic touches have completely scarred the samurai suit for the rest of its life! You don't see Midoriya trying to make us read his manga, am I right?!"

"Oh, come on," Izuku said in a half-whine. "Don't drag me into this!"

"Yeah, Iida," replied Ochako. "You take it easy. You're bothering Midoriya-kun."

"You're the one who started the conversation about Hatsume in the first place."

She narrowed her eyes menacingly. "Because you're being a little contradictory right now, Iida!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Izuku shouted, startling the other two teenagers. "I-If you guys are gonna keep arguing and not just save this for another time, th-then I-I want you to leave!"

Ochako and Tenya looked at one another, then at Izuku; both now looked sorrowful.

"Sorry, Midoriya-kun," Ochako said.

"I deeply apologize as well," added Tenya as he bowed his head again. "Once again, my behavior was improper."

"Just agree to disagree, that's all," Izuku said. Then, he finally noticed the newspaper tucked in Ochako's arm. "Wh-What is that, Uraraka?"

"Oh!" Ochako looked at the newspaper and grinned from ear to ear. "I forgot about this! Everyone in town is talking 'bout you, Midoriya!"

Izuku's eyes widened. "Th-They are?!"

"Mm-hm!"

The chestnut-haired girl showed the headline to the boy, her grin broadening. He read it closely and carefully, and by the time he was finished, he felt a little lighter in his bed. His mind filled with various thoughts about the past few hours: the statement he gave to Nishiya and Takeyama; the promise he made to his mother about not risking his life again; and the visit he got from Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta, begging him to teach them some of his so-called moves.

Ochako lowered the newspaper so she could read it from above. "Pretty neat, huh?" she asked excitedly.

Izuku looked at the newspaper again and nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

Boldly displayed on the cover page was a sketch of a caped hero completely enveloped in shadow, standing mightily on a rooftop. This hero was easily distinguishable with his rabbit-like "ears". Below the sketch was the headline, and Izuku felt a newfound enthusiasm radiating from its words.

MASKED HERO NABS THUGS! 7 CHILDREN SAVED!

A/N: And that is it for this chapter! It's the shortest chapter in this fic thus far, but that doesn't mean not a lot happened here! Here, Izuku is starting to feel the fallout of his heroic debut, his old bullies are now trying to be cool with him, and his relationship with Tenya had just vastly improved.

As for the absence of IzuMina and Kacchako scenes, I do apologize for that, but I didn't feel like it was pertinent material for this specific chapter, and for good reason. Obviously, Ochako is still on bad terms with Katsuki at this point, but Mina, well, I also have a pretty good reason on why she's not in this chapter...which I won't divulge just yet. You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing the previous chapter:

-AllAcid (guest reviewer): Ask and you shall receive! :D But can you tell me what your thoughts were on the previous chapter? Was there anything you liked? Anything you didn't like? Any questions or other comments that you would like to share about this fic? I need more specifics if I'm going to keep your anticipation for future chapters.

-MarvelNinja10:

1) Oh, really? I thought you'd be making a different admission, but that's alright nonetheless. I understand completely. Everyone wants to be like the people they see on TV; you obviously had superheroes to look up to! I have absolutely no qualms about that. I hope you'll be able to identify with this interpretation of Izuku even more as the story goes along!

2) Do you have any specific thoughts about the previous chapter? I'm going to need comments related to the material in the fic itself so I can keep dishing out these awesome chapters for you! :D

-Karsaje: Yes, Mina does not have any pink skin, obviously. But I sort of made up for it by making her a ganguro, and if you don't know what that is, it's a bit of an old fashion trend in Japan where teenage girls get heavy tans and contrasting makeup, and dress up in flashy clothing. If you're still confused about the description, this style is more commonly called "gyaru" in anime and manga circles, but deeper research has led me to believe that "ganguro" is a more accurate term.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!