Silence fell upon the classroom the moment Izuku stepped inside with both of his arms covered in casts. He stared warily at his classmates as they stared back. First, he spotted Tenya, Shoto, Momo, and Mezo; Tenya had a look of pride, Momo was looking at him with a tiny hint of concern, and Shoto and Mezo simply stared blankly. Then, he noticed Eijiro, Denki, Hanta, Yuga, and Mina; Eijiro had a sympathetic stare, the other boys had surprising looks of admiration, and Mina gave him a quick look of recognition before gazing absentmindedly at the surface of her desk.
And finally, Izuku noticed Katsuki. The ashy-blond boy still had faint bruises adorning his face, and his arm was in a sling while his leg was in a cast like Izuku's. A crutch was resting beside his desk, and Katsuki was clearly trying to avoid ever looking at it.
"Welcome back, Midoriya," a familiar voice droned. Izuku squeaked and stared at the speaker in the front of the room.
"H-H-Hi, A-Aizawa-s-sensei!" he stuttered.
Aizawa blinked slowly for a moment before replying, "I understand it's been a week since you were hospitalized, but just because you were given an opportunity to slack off, it doesn't mean you have my blessing to skip out on your schoolwork and other responsibilities. I hope, for your sake, you were able to study during your...unexpected time off from school."
"D-Do-Don't worry, A-Aizawa-s-sensei! I-Iida helped me out with that..."
Tenya beamed with pride at the reference, but Aizawa merely blinked again.
"Really now?" the teacher replied. "Well then, surely it won't be a burden for you if you took the pop quiz with the others. Or am I mistaken in my assumptions?"
Izuku gulped as he stared into Aizawa's sharp, judgmental eyes. As usual, they left him powerless, unable to resist, that is unless he wanted to a death wish. But he didn't, so Izuku recomposed himself and stood at attention.
"N-N-No, Aizawa-sensei..."
"Good. Now, be seated."
The stern, intimidating teacher turned his back on him, prompting Izuku to start walking towards his seat. But before he could reach it, he heard Aizawa calling out to him again.
"Oh, and Midoriya?"
Izuku's skin crawled as he hesitantly looked over his shoulder. "Y-Yes, Aizawa-sensei...?"
Aizawa was busy scribbling on the board as he replied, "What you did last week was foolish, not to mention suicidal."
The boy looked down at the floor with embarrassment. "I...I understand, sensei-"
"But," the black-haired man interrupted as he continued scribbling, "you also saved the lives of several students from an unknown fate. You did something that only a few people here would fantasize about. For what I presume to be the first time in your life, you are the topic of many a discussion in the hallways. Word of your...heroics is spreading like wildfire."
Izuku couldn't see his teacher's face, so he could only imagine the slightly proud expression he was wearing as he spoke his next four words.
"You should be proud."
Izuku's eyes widened with disbelief, and he glanced at the rest of his class. All of the students had their eyes on him, and while they were all very likely thinking different thoughts about the situation, he could sense the one emotion that united them in this moment.
Wonder.
"Th-Th-Thank you, s-s-sensei..." Izuku replied, struggling to hold back tears.
"Don't thank me," Aizawa said, the sternness more evident in his voice. "Now sit down. Don't make me tell you again."
Izuku stepped into the cafeteria for the second time.
It was still like entering a foreign country. Students filled the tables to the brim, chatting animatedly with each other and fully indulging themselves in today's gossip. There was no table in sight that didn't have at least four students sitting by it. A strange but surprisingly pleasant combination of multiple fragrances hung in the air. The clean floor gleamed freshly and spectacularly from the bright sunlight entering through the windows.
He scanned the tables situated closest to him, one by one. First, there was the table hosting the boys' basketball team, which included the foul-mouthed Yosetsu Awase, the calm and collected Sen Kaibara, and the approachable chatterbox Kosei Tsuburaba. Then, there was the table hosting the Literature Club, led by the massive but eloquent Jurota Shishida. Then, there was the table hosting the Manga & Anime Club, which included the hyperactive Mei Hatsume, the submissive Nirengeki Shoda, the quaint Manzo Fukidashi, the half-Japanese exchange student Paula Tsunotori, and the still-faceless Toru Hagakure. Finally, there was the table hosting the seniors, including the popular Mirio Togata and Nejire Hado.
At first, he couldn't decipher what any of them were saying through the racket. But then, he started making out a single word their conversations had in common...in this case, a name.
"-Midoriya-"
"-Midoriya-"
"-Midoriya-"
"-Midoriya-"
"Midoriya!"
The tables closest to Izuku became deathly silent, followed by the rest, row after row after row. It was like a tide coming in. The boy's heart stopped when all of the eyes in the cafeteria, the staff and janitor included, directed themselves at his direction. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, making it glisten from exposure to the bright sunlight.
"Holy whoa," he thought. "Everyone's looking at me! What do I do?! I...I've never been the center of this much attention before! I don't know how to handle it! What do I do?!"
"Midoriya!"
Izuku shook his head and stared into the chocolate-brown eyes of Ochako Uraraka.
"Oh! I'm saved!"
"Come on, Midoriya," Tenya said as he joined Izuku's side. "Let's continue this conversation elsewhere-"
"OHMYGOSHICANTBELIEVEITYOUREIZUKUMIDORIYA!" a loud, energetic voice spouted in one breath. Before Izuku knew it, he was almost tackled by a blur of pink. He could hear Tenya gagging behind him in a mixture of surprise and disdain. "WHATWASITLIKEFIGHTINGTHOSETHUGSWASITLIKEFIGHTINGASUPERVILLAINORWHATWAITAMINUTEIGOTTAGETOUTAPIECEOFPAPERANDWRITEALLTHISDOWNAND-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Izuku exclaimed. "S-Settle down, settle down!"
The speaker obeyed, giving Izuku a chance to identify them. Almost unsurprisingly, it was none other than Mei Hatsume, whose yellow contact irises, designed to look like camera lenses, were the first things that highlighted her eccentric and unconventional appearance. Then, there was her salmon-pink hair, arranged in dreadlocks, and her shoes, which looked too big for her.
"What do you want, Hatsume?" Tenya asked, his lips curled in a tight frown and his eyeglasses glinting ominously. "Can't you see you're bothering Midoriya?"
"Huh, really?" Mei made a quick scan of Izuku. "He certainly doesn't seem to mind." Then, she leaned her head towards his. "Tell me, is it true you wore a Yamikumo cosplay while you battered those criminals into pulp?!"
But Izuku couldn't give her a straight and comprehensible answer. Instead, he was sputtering out of embarrassment, for Mei's head was dangerously close to his. If one were to push their heads any closer, they would kiss straight on the lips. What made matters worse was that Mei seemed totally oblivious to it all.
"Ah, come ON, Midoriya!" she cried, her smile widening with hunger. "Gimme all the juicy details! I wanna know how you braved through the obstacles and came out on top, like a true Yamikumo!"
"Oh, come on, Hatsume..." Nirengeki said sheepishly. The small boy looked like he wanted to get out of the table, but he couldn't muster the courage to do so. "I don't think Midoriya wants to answer those questions right now..."
"I agree," Paula piped up. "Maybe you should give Midoriya some space first."
Mei flicked her head at her fellow club members, her yellow eyes gleaming. "But I gotta know, guys! I heard Kenranzaki say that Hado said that Tsuburaba said that Shiozaki said that Tokage said that Midoriya was wearing a neat-o Yamikumo costume and acting all Yamikumo-like! I really, really, really wanna know if it's true!" She looked back at Izuku, her face radiating absolute enthusiasm. "So tell me, Midoriya! Were you pretending to be a superhero or what?!"
"W-We-Well..." Izuku managed to blurt, as his peripheral vision caught all of the other eyes in the cafeteria still staring at him almost expectantly. "Y-You see, Ha-Hatsume... I..." He gulped. "I, uh..."
His voice trailed off, which elicited a small uproar from the other students.
"Oh, come ooooon, Midoriya!" Yosetsu Awase cried.
"Tell us how you kicked the asses of those losers!" Kosei Tsuburaba called.
"Alright, calm down, ya guys!" Mirio Togata called, waving his hands with a nervous smile, even as his own face radiated curiosity as well. "Let's settle down here!"
"Is it true Bakugo got his ass kicked?" a voice asked.
The sudden question provoked shocked and energetic whispers among the other students, which prompted to Izuku look at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria, where the voice came from. He recognized the speaker as Hitoshi Shinso, one of Katsuki's friends, who was wearing an inquisitive look. In the distance, Izuku heard the legs of a chair grinding against the floor, followed by stomping footsteps that were fading away, as well surprised squeaks from students. He didn't want to see who was marching away, for he didn't want to make things worse for himself.
"Y-You see..." the green-haired boy replied nervously, "I, uh-"
"Come on, Midoriya!" Mei interrupted excitedly. "Enough dilly-dallying! Give us everything! Give us- OOF!"
He was cut off when a hand latched itself around the back of Mei's collar. Before the ditzy girl could do anything, she was half-dragged away. Izuku expected to see Tenya clutching her collar, but instead, it was...
"Don't you see you're bothering Midoriya, Hatsume?" Ochako asked, her voice surprisingly deep and menacing. "So leave him alone and ask your questions another time, when he's clearly much more comfortable." She glared at the rest of the cafeteria. "The same goes for the rest of you!"
"B-But I wanted to-" began Mei pleadingly.
"You've done enough damage for today, Hatsume," Tenya interrupted. "Now leave. I don't want you harassing Midoriya."
Mei stared at Tenya, and Izuku noticed the look of confusion appear on her face as she scanned the class representative from head to toe.
"Do I know you...?" she asked.
Tenya's face turned as red as a tomato. "Wh-What?! D-Do you know me?! Do you know me?! Y-You mean to tell me you don't remember me?!"
Mei stared at him inquisitively. "Kinda..."
"Y-You...You swindled me out of my samurai suit, the suit my dear brother worked so hard to acquire, and turned it into a-a horrific robot! You completely defiled its status as a relic of Japanese history! And you had the gall to return it to me, claiming you performed cosmetic changes on it! Cosmetic changes! More like plundered it of its true value like the most deplorable and unforgivable of barbarians! And after all the trouble you went through trying to apologize to me, you say you've forgotten about me?!"
Mei scanned Tenya from head to toe again, and slower this time. At first, Izuku thought she finally remembered the class representative, and even saw a certain gleam flashing across her eyes. But then...
"Nope," she replied cheekily. "That doesn't ring a bell."
Small bouts of laughter swept over the cafeteria, causing the class representative's face to turn red. Izuku felt a pang of sympathy for his newfound friend.
"Y-You...You are truly a-a madwoman!" Tenya snapped, his eyes wide and manic. "A madwoman! And to think my friends think so highly of you and your club!"
"Really now?!" Mei's eyes started to shine with amazement. "Does that mean you and your friends wanna join the Manga & Anime Club?!"
"I'll join when you apologize to me for ruining that suit, and when pigs start flying!"
"Sooooo...I'm gonna take it as a no?"
"Yes, that's a no!"
The soft and almost indiscernible laughter resumed again. But, to Izuku and Ochako's shared surprise, Mei continued to smile.
"Okay!" Then, compounding the pair's surprise even more, she reached a hand in her pocket, procured a small card, and gallantly flashed it in front of Tenya's face. "Here. My business card. Just in case you change your mind-"
The laughter intensified, and Tenya heard it this time. With clenched teeth, Tenya angrily swatted her hand, knocking the card out of her grip. She watched with surprise as it fluttered to the floor.
"I don't need your card," he replied. "We're done here."
"Ooh, wait, wait a minute!" Mei quickly rushed forward, grabbed Izuku's arm, and held it tightly to her chest. "I still have a whole lotta questions I wanna ask you! Like, how did it feel, cosplaying as Yamikumo and beating up those crooks? Did you feel your inner Quirk bottling up inside? What was it like, getting punched?"
She continued on and on and on, but Izuku couldn't hear her. Instead, his eyes were the widest they had ever been. His green pupils were dilated as they focused on her surprisingly large chest. His cast-encased arm was tucked nicely in the valley between her...her...her...
"Midoriya!"
Ochako's voice, coming from a long distance, was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.
"Where... Where am I...?"
"In the nurse's office."
Izuku's eyes shot open, and he found himself back on a bed, but this time, it wasn't in the hospital. The first person that he saw was a short, elderly woman with gray hair styled into a netted bun.
"Oh," he said in a low voice of embarrassment. "H-Hey, Shuzenji-san..."
"Really now, Midoriya," the nurse said, turning around to reveal a cup of water in her hand. "First, problems with bullies, then a fistfight with crooks in the street, and now fainting in the cafeteria. It's almost like you and hospital rooms have a symbiotic relationship with one another."
"Fainting in the cafeteria...? Is that what happened...?"
"You betcha." Shuzenji approached his bedside and showed him the cup. "Now drink up. Cold water should get you going again."
Izuku stared at the cup for a moment before taking it. "Th-Thank you, Shuzenji-san..."
"Don't thank me, Midoriya," Shuzenji replied as he started drinking. "Thank your friends."
The green-haired boy lowered the cup. "Friends?"
"Mm-hm. Uraraka-chan, Iida-kun, and Kirishima-kun. They were the ones who carried you here." The nurse hobbled over to her little desk and sat down to scribble something down on a clipboard, which held a small piece of yellow paper. "You know, I'm actually very happy for you, Midoriya-kun. In all the months I've known you, I knew you never had any friends to rely on. But the kids who took you in, my, they were worried about you. 'Specially that Uraraka girl." She looked over her shoulder at Izuku. "They are your friends, right?"
Izuku blinked twice with surprise. Then, he gazed down at the plastic cup, which was still half-full, and smiled softly.
"Yes, they are..."
"Then I'm glad." Shuzenji started scribbling again. "At least you won't have anymore problems with that horrible Bakugo boy."
Upon hearing Katsuki's name, Izuku's head perked up.
"Wait a minute, you said Kirishima brought me here?"
Izuku stepped out of the nurse's office and was immediately greeted with the sight of Ochako and Tenya, who were both deep in conversation. Upon hearing the door close behind Izuku, Ochako and Tenya faced him, upon which relieved and beaming expressions filled their faces.
"Midoriya!" Ochako cried happily.
"H-Hey, Uraraka-san..." Izuku replied, his face slightly pink.
"So you're feeling better?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Good!" Tenya said with his hands on his hips. "I was rather worried you were discharged from the hospital prematurely! That shady vixen." A dark expression clouded his face. "I should've known Hatsume's uncouth behavior would lead to an incident such as this!"
"Oh come on, Iida!" Ochako exclaimed. "I'm sure she didn't mean it! I mean, didn't you see her face as soon as Midoriya went on his knees?"
"She was only upset her ridiculous questions have gone unanswered by Midoriya! And don't defend her, Uraraka! I know you've developed your own reservations about her behavior!"
"W-Well, I-I'll admit her enthusiasm was overwhelming Midoriya-kun-"
"Speaking of which," Tenya interrupted, "we should steer him clear of Hatsume whenever we see her in the vicinity! We can't afford to have his mind further damaged by her manipulations!"
"It's okay, guys," Izuku interjected. "I'm...I'm fine! It's just, well..." He tried to rub the back of his neck, but realized his arm was still covered in a cast. "I've never been the center of that much attention before... That's all..."
Ochako stared at him sympathetically. "Well, I think I can relate to that," she said. "I mean, you haven't had any friends until last week and now you're the newest star of the school. That's quite a leap in popularity, Midoriya-kun...although I wouldn't say it's unjustified..."
"The newest star of the school, huh...?" Izuku thought, as he stared at the floor. "Well...I suppose it isn't all that bad..."
Just then, he remembered what Shuzenji told him and blurted out, "I-Is Kirishima here?"
"What does Kirishima have to do with any of this?" Tenya asked.
"The nurse told me he helped you guys bring me here."
Ochako shot Tenya a flat look before replying, "Yeah, he did. He was pretty worried about you. I was so surprised by that too, because I know how much of a wannabe he is. But he left a minute after we brought you here." She then raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"What you did back there was so fucking badass, man! And you know how things are in this town!"
Izuku stared past Ochako and Tenya, his gaze directed further down the hallway. He saw a few students loitering around there, but none of them were Eijiro. He continued staring, as if expecting the redhead to appear at any moment, but he eventually shook off that feeling and looked back at his friends.
"Nothing..." he replied. "I'm...I'm just curious, that's all..."
"Alright, ladies! Let's get movin'! We don't wanna waste those muscles! Go, go, go!"
Ignoring the masculine clamor filling the boys' changing room, Izuku swallowed the spit that had been welling up inside his mouth. Then, with a trembling hand, he approached the towering, muscular man wearing the red-and-white uniform.
"U-Ummm..." he stuttered. "K-Ka-Kan-se-sen-sensei...?"
The man glared down at him with a razor-sharp gaze, an animal-like huff, and a nasty scowl. It almost reminded Izuku of the muscular man he apprehended last week.
"What?" he asked gruffly.
Izuku's hand continued to tremble as he showed him the yellow slip. The man continued to scowl as he plucked the piece of paper out of his hand and read it. Then, he subtly peered over the paper to examine Izuku's arm casts.
"Fine," he finally said. "If that's what Shuzenji says, then I have no choice."
Izuku struggled to contain a sigh of relief. "Th-Th-Thank you, K-Ka-Kan-sensei-"
"Don't thank me." The man stuffed the slip into his pocket. "After the stunt you pulled off last week, Midoriya, I'd expect nothing less from you."
Izuku looked down at the floor with embarrassment. At that moment, his teacher spoke again, having seemingly sensed the green-haired boy's reaction.
"But that was some impressive use of your muscles. I can't say your...crude exercise efforts were wasted."
The boy looked up with shock. "Did...Did Sekijiro Kan just...praise me...?" he thought.
"Don't think you're off the hook, though, Midoriya," Kan continued. "Your legs are still intact. I expect you to exercise 'em in your free time, once you're sure your arms will not impede your progress. It wouldn't be appropriate for a P.E. teacher to allow their students to slack off."
"Y-Yes, Ka-Kan-sensei!" Izuku exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.
Kan stared at Izuku for a moment, his look bordering between strange, undeserved admiration and complete, unabashed disapproval. Then, he turned around and walked outside, leaving Izuku standing in the hallway, soaking in the words he had just heard from his P.E. teacher.
Once he fully processed what just happened, Izuku walked over to his locker. However, just as he was about to put in the combination for his lock, he heard a familiar drawling voice.
"Well, look who it is..."
Izuku pursed his lips and rested his head against his locker with disbelief. "And to think I thought I'd be done with this..."
He felt someone looming beside him and looked across his shoulder. Standing there was Neito Monoma, whose clear-blue eyes were shining with a kind of pompous malice that Izuku could only attribute to the slick-haired boy. He rested his left arm against Izuku's locker, barring him from access.
"You may think you're at the top of the world because you beat up a bunch of street thugs, otaku," Neito said, "and you may be the talk of this school, but I know better than that." He leaned his head in, causing Izuku's skin to crawl. "You're still the extra who cries over worthless manga and pines for a future that is only a product of his delusions."
Izuku gulped and looked around to see if Tenya or any of his other friends from Momo's manor were in close proximity.
"Ah, don't think about looking for that pesky class rep of yours," said Neito, his voice now a sinister hiss. "He just left the room. It's just you and me..." He patted the locker. "And this locker."
Izuku quickly mustered up his courage. "Leave me alone, Monoma," he replied in a shaky voice.
But Neito continued to grin malevolently. "You're just lucky you managed to get out of that alive. But I imagine you were crying and writhing the whole way. In fact, I bet that's why you dressed yourself up in that ridiculous outfit, if the rumors are indeed true. You probably knew you, the weak and worthless otaku, would never hold up in an actual fight, so all you did was delude yourself into thinking you were a character from one of your childish storybooks."
"They're not storybooks, Monoma."
"Oh, forgive me! Your childish, low-quality storybooks."
Izuku clenched his fists tightly, and he felt anger coursing through his veins. His entire body began to quake, which Neito noticed, but he continued to smile.
"Ahhhhh, so you still can't handle your reality being popped like a lil' kiddie's balloon, can you? You're sooooo caught up in your delusions that you can't bear to have a healthy and strong-minded guy like me poke holes in their logic. But you can't fight me. You can't do a thing about what I have to say. Ohhhhh, nooooo. After all..." Neito bared his teeth nastily. "You're not wearing your stupid little costume."
"No," Izuku replied angrily. "I'm at school. I can't fight you at school because I don't wanna get expelled. Now, can I get into my locker, Monoma? Please?"
But Neito pressed on. "But I bet you still wouldn't fight me if we weren't at school. Not without your costume."
Izuku stifled a laugh. He couldn't imagine someone like Neito Monoma, the big-mouthed, stuck-up narcissist in the entire school, to hold his own in a fight.
"Nooooo," continued Neito. "You're still an otaku who can't handle the real world. You're no hero. Just someone who had a freak stroke of luck."
"Why're you even talking to me like this?" Izuku asked. "If it weren't for me, Kacch- Bakugo would be injured, or worse."
"Yes, and now he has to live with that." Neito's grin turned into a scowl. "Beaten up bad in the streets, saved by a stupid otaku, and on top of all that, missing out on the most important game of his life and costing our school's chances at the championship tournament. Yeah, he sure is grateful for your help."
In a brief moment, Izuku recalled how Katsuki had been surprisingly quiet and lethargic throughout the day.
"And because of that," Neito continued, "someone has to step up and continue where he left off."
"Left off? Left off at what?"
"Showing people their rightful place..." Without warning, Neito grabbed the collar of Izuku's shirt, drawing out a terrified squeak from the boy. "And seeing you're Bakugo's favorite, I think I'll start with you-"
He was cut off when a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Alright, Monoma," a familiar voice snarled. "Fuck off."
Izuku gasped upon seeing Eijiro Kirishima standing behind Neito. The blond looked over his shoulder and scowled nastily.
"Oh, come on, Kirishima!" Neito snapped. "You can't possibly be standing up for this loser-"
"Well, I am," Eijiro interrupted. "Now lay off him, or I'm gonna make sure you regret it."
Neito gritted his teeth at the redhead. Then, he gave Izuku a deathly stare before releasing him.
"Don't think this is over," he said in warning. "You know I'm right."
With that, Neito marched away, and Izuku watched as he joined Hitoshi Shinso and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. Once the three boys exited the changing room, along with a couple of others, Izuku looked at Eijiro hesitantly. The redhead was staring back at him, unsure of what to say.
"Th-Thanks..." Izuku finally said.
"D-Don't mention it..." Eijiro replied. Both boys fell silent again, and after a while, the redhead started walking away. "W-Well, I'll be leaving now-"
"Wait, Kirishima."
Eijiro looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"
Izuku was staring at the floor, reminiscing. "Eijiro Kirishima," he thought. "This guy... This guy in front of me, who saved me from a bully...is the same guy who tormented me ever since I entered high school. He's the same guy who made my life miserable for months... And one moment of heroism... One moment of heroism is all it took to change his opinion of me...? Why...?"
He looked up at the redhead determinedly. "Why're you doing this?" he asked. "Why're you so nice to me now?"
Eijiro scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "W-Well..." he replied, but his voice trailed off.
Izuku narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Don't think this'll make me wanna teach you some of my so-called moves. I am not gonna bury the hatchet and give you that reward, Kirishima. It doesn't work that way."
The redhead slowly lowered his arm. "I...I didn't ask for anything in return, Midoriya..."
"Then tell me why, Kirishima. Why...Why're you being so nice to me?"
"I-It's like wh-what I said back i-in the hospital! T-T-To think the guy who I thought was a-a loser was capable of beating bigger, buffer guys up, it...it's astounding! You've got strength, Midoriya, a lot of it...and it's admirable! It's badass! It's-" He looked like he was about to say something, but the redhead seemed to reconsider this and said in an improvisational manner, "I-It's manly..."
"Manly, huh?"
Izuku began to flash back to all of the times he overheard Eijiro gushing passionately about manliness. He made it sound like it was some unattainable ideal that he was striving for with all his heart. With narrowing eyes, the boy looked at his locker and started putting in the combination for his lock.
"Let me tell you something, Kirishima," he said. His voice was quaking with soft but menacing anger, which Eijiro seemed to sense. "Real men do not pick on people who they think are weaker and more vulnerable than themselves. They do not make people's lives absolutely miserable, day in and day out. They do not make their victims fear walking to school and crossing paths with them. And most of all, they don't simply stand by when someone's in trouble. They help them. They make them smile. They make them feel like everything's gonna be okay."
He finished punching in the combination and opened his locker. He stared inside it and noticed the Yamikumo costume he subconsciously brought along to school. It was no longer the tattered mess it was last week, for he had his mother sew it up with all her effort and what spare time she had in the day. For a moment, Izuku could almost imagine Katsuki, Eijiro, and their cronies ganging up on him from behind, jeering at him and mocking him for bringing along his cosplay.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku reached a hand inside the locker as best as he could, and procured a yellow notepad. Then, he looked back at the real Eijiro, who was staring at him regretfully.
"That is what a real man does, Kirishima," he said. "That is why I did what I did. But don't think this one incident mends things between us. Just last week, I feared you. And now, I still am suspicious of you. How exactly am I supposed to get over everything that you did to me so easily?"
"I...I don't know, man..." Eijiro replied. "All I can say is...I'm so sorry for what I did to you, Midoriya... For everything..."
"Yeah, well..." Izuku shut his locker with a resonating thud. "Sorry's not gonna take back all the months I spent in total fear and distress. Sorry's not gonna bring back the manga you tore up in front of me."
"Midoriya-"
"I don't need you to be nice to me, Kirishima. I appreciate the thought, but..." Izuku gazed at his locker forlornly. "That's not gonna be enough to change a damn thing."
"Then what is enough, Midoriya?! What do you consider enough?" Eijiro walked up to Izuku, but stopped midway. "Dude, you...you saved my ass back then, and...and you have no idea how grateful I am! D-D'you have any idea how shocked I was when I learned who those guys really were?! What they were actually capable of?! T-That fight, man...it was an eye-opener for me! And now, I wanna take back everything I said and did to you, I really, really do! But...how am I supposed to do that if you won't give me a place to start?!"
Izuku suddenly glared at the redhead, silencing him. "You want a place to start?" he asked. Then, he turned his back on the former bully and started walking away. "Leave me alone..."
"I shouldn't be saying those things to him," he thought immediately afterward. "It sounds like he really wants to change. He sounds sincere. But...then again..."
"What the hell?! HAHAHA! That's fucking hilarious!"
"He probably knows it's shit. He just keeps readin' it because they go hand in hand."
"Wow, pathetic! My fucking grandma wouldn't flinch at that!"
Izuku stopped at the doorway of the changing room. "He can't just say he's sorry and do a couple of favors for me. That is not enough for a sincere apology. What he needs...is another eye-opener. Something that'll help him see the world as I see it...and truly understand it..."
"We wanna learn some of your moves."
"Huh... Maybe teaching him how and why I fought the way I did would be- no, no, NO! I'm NOT gonna indulge in that! I promised Shimura-san! I'm not gonna strive for a silly and unrealistic goal and treat reality like a joke! No! I gotta take my life seriously! I gotta-"
His thoughts were cut off when two boys passed by him. He quickly recognized the curly purple hair and shorter stature, and the slicked, raven-black hair and pointed nose.
"You're an idiot if you think it'll work out for you, Mineta," the black-haired boy said.
"But Tokoyami!" exclaimed the purple-haired boy. "The girls' changing room is right there! And it's totally unguarded! It always is! If you keep an eye out for me, then we could get the score of a lifetime!"
"Why do you always assume I share your twisted, perverted views, Mineta?"
"'Cause you always stick with me, that's why! Takes one to know one, after all!"
"No, you're the one who's sticking onto me."
"You say that, but you never push me away!" Minoru Mineta pointed at Fumikage Tokoyami. "And that symbolizes a deep level of brotherhood! That's why I am entrusting you with the responsibility of-"
"You're not entrusting me with jack-shit," Tokoyami interrupted brutally. "You wanna score? Do it on your own. But you're not dragging me along with your antics, you little grape."
With that, the black-haired boy walked away, leaving a flabbergasted Minoru behind. Then, after a minute, he gritted his teeth and pointed a trembling, accusatory finger at his departing acquaintance.
"Ah, fine then!" he shouted. "Go be that way, Tokoyami! But when you're one of the first to try and strike a bargain with me, you're not getting any! No way in hell am I giving you any-"
He stopped mid-sentence when he finally registered Izuku's presence. The two boys stared at each other awkwardly, and Minoru's skin was paling slightly.
"Well this is weird..." Izuku thought. "Mineta looks like a kid who got caught trying to steal from the cookie jar...but I've got no clue as to what I caught him doing. He sounds like his usual horny, unlucky self."
Then, Minoru placed a finger over his lips. "You heard nothing, okay?!" he whispered. "Not a thing! Got it?!"
Izuku blinked twice and stared silently at the smaller teenager. "Heard nothing? I just heard Mineta being Mineta. What's he got to worry about?"
Without saying anything, the green-haired boy finally walked off to join the other students on the track field. He heard a ghost of a sigh from Minoru's direction, but thought nothing more of it. After all, what was there to expect from the ever-so-hopeless class pervert?
"Alright! Listen up, boys!"
Izuku and the other boys were seated in the changing room as Sekijiro Kan was pacing between the rows of lockers. His brow was furrowed, and there was a stern, terrifying frown of disapproval etched on his face. His very voice quelled any chatter breaking out amongst the boys and brought a tense, uncomfortable atmosphere into the room. Many of the boys looked at each other uneasily, unsure why their P.E. teacher interrupted the period to bring them back here.
"Several lockers in the girls' changing room were broken into. The perp targeted all the members of the girls' swimming team while they were out using the pool. He stole...certain articles of clothing from each and every locker."
Subtle snickers swept through the locker rows. As for Izuku, his face paled with horror and realization.
"Hey!" Kan barked. "This is no laughing matter! We've got the police investigating, and they've got suspicions as to who did this..." He narrowed his eyes menacingly. "As do I."
"Whoa, Coach!" a voice called; Izuku recognized it as Denki's. "Y-You suggestin' one of us has something to do with it?"
"I'm not suggesting anything, Kaminari. I know one of you did it. An act as stupid, perverted, and ballsy as this has gotta be the work of one of you damn perverts." He ignored the embarrassed blushes that blossomed on the faces of many of the boys. "Now, the cops will be coming in to conduct a search of all your lockers. We find even one piece of clothing that was reported stolen, the locker's owner will be gettin' his ass expelled! As for what the cops will do to you, well, that's all on them! I'm not askin' any questions!"
Izuku wasn't looking, but he could tell how pale many of the boys looked. The silence that had fallen upon the room was tense and unbearable. At that moment, he heard Kan speak again.
"Now, if anyone knows anything about this, or perhaps has a guilty conscience now that I've spoken, I'm gonna give you one chance to speak up. You could make things a whole lot easier on yourselves if you did." There was a brief and thorny silence. "Well?"
Still, no one spoke. Izuku gripped at his legs.
"Very well, then. I'm gonna let the cops in now-"
"Kan-sensei!" Izuku said, a little louder than he wanted. He stood up from the bleacher, and as he did, he felt everyone's eyes on him. Whispers filled the air like a soft breeze.
"Midoriya?"
"What's he doing?"
"Is he...confessing?"
"Never thought he'd be capable of somethin' like this..."
"No way. He's too wimpy."
"That's what we thought until last week, though!"
Kan himself looked shock. "Midoriya?" he asked.
"It wasn't me, Kan-sensei," Izuku replied quickly, "but I know who did it."
"See!" a boy whispered. "Told ya he didn't do it!"
"He says he knows who did it, though?" asked another boy.
"Well, Midoriya?" Kan said, crossing his arms. "Who is it?"
"The girls' changing room is right there! And it's totally unguarded! It always is! If you keep an eye out for me, then we could get the score of a lifetime!"
"Once again, I stood by and did nothing," Izuku thought. Then, he clenched his fists. "Well, not this time."
He pointed towards another bleacher. "It was Mineta, Kan-sensei!" he cried.
"Oh..." some of the boys chorused in response.
"Hush now!" Kan barked. Then, he looked at Izuku. "What makes you say that?"
"I heard him talking about the girls' locker room and how it was unguarded! He-He said...he could get the score of a...a lifetime..."
Kan promptly glared at the purple-haired boy, who cowered in fear. "I should've known."
"I-I-It wasn't m-m-me, K-Ka-Kan-s-se-sensei!" Minoru stuttered pathetically. "Honest!"
"Mineta, you've been the subject of many, many complaints from girls since you came here. At this point, I'm not all that surprised you were behind this." Kan marched up to the boy, who shrunk with terror. "Where's your locker?"
"K-Ka-Kan-sensei! You... Y-You can't be s-"
Kan's voice boomed across the changing room, which nearly made Izuku's heart stop. "Hell yeah, I'm serious! Show me your locker, Mineta, or I'm gonna call in the cops to search all the lockers and make everyone wait here!"
Minoru felt everyone's hateful stares on him, and he began shivering even more. Left with no other choice, he nodded his head and stood up.
"Y-Yes, K-Kan-sensei..."
He approached his locker and started putting in his lock combination. As he did, Izuku noticed many of the boys shooting quiet but jeering insults his way. Every time each insult reached his ears, Minoru's eyes would become a bit shinier. All of a sudden, Izuku felt a pang of pity towards the class pervert, something he thought he would never feel.
The moment of truth arrived when Minoru loudly unlatched his lock. He opened his locker, and the boys on his bleachers leaned their heads in together. The look on Minoru's face was unmistakable.
"Looks like the cat's out of the bag, Mineta," Kan said. He stared at the doorway, where two police officers were standing with handcuffs. "We've got him, officers."
"NO!" Minoru shrieked. Tears started spouting out of his eyes like waterfalls. "NO, NO, NO! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM! KAN-SENSEI, YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! YOU GOTTA!"
Out of curiosity, Izuku walked over to Minoru's row of lockers and looked inside the only open one. As soon as he saw its contents, there was no doubt in his mind about the purple-haired boy's culpability.
"Man, look at the size of that green one," one boy said with awe.
"The girl wearing it must have some serious knockers!" another boy exclaimed hungrily.
"I wonder what cup size it is..."
"It's gotta be a C at most!"
"No, fools," a third boy called from the other end of the bleacher. "It's a double-D. Read the tag."
"Double-D?!"
"SHUT YOUR TRAPS!" Kan roared, startling Izuku, Minoru, and the others. At the same time, the officers approached the locker and looked inside as well.
"There's only three bras and five panties in here," one of the officers said.
"That's not even half of what was taken." Kan glared at Minoru. "Where'd you hide the rest, Mineta? Tell me now."
"I don't know!" Minoru cried hysterically. "I didn't do this, Kan-sensei! You saw me during P.E.!"
"Yes, I did...except for the fifteen or so minutes where I excused you so you could go to the bathroom. Now, where are the rest, Mineta?"
"I don't know!"
Kan narrowed his eyes. "Your parents will hear about this, one way or another-"
"NO! PLEASE, KAN-SENSEI, OFFICERS! I-I DIDN'T DO THIS, I SWEAR!"
"Save it for the judge, kid," one of the officers replied. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and held it tightly. "Come with us now-"
"NO! NO, NO, NO!"
Minoru broke away from the officer's grip and ran up to the closest boy, which just so happened to be Izuku. The green-haired boy gasped as his schoolmate grabbed his shirt and pulled him in close so he could see his watery eyes and tear-stained cheeks up-close and personal.
"MIDORIYA!" he sobbed. "YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! I DIDN'T DO THIS, I SWEAR! TELL THEM, MIDORIYA! TELL THEM I DIDN'T DO THIS! TELL THEM, PLEASE!"
Izuku simply stared in shock at Minoru's outburst. A couple of seconds later, both officers tore the smaller boy away from him, but this didn't stop him from protesting passionately.
"PLEASE, BELIEVE ME! BELIEVE ME, SOMEONE! I DIDN'T DO THIS, I DIDN'T! DOES ANYONE BELIEVE ME?!"
"You are truly a disgrace to this school, Mineta," Tenya's voice called. "You deserve every disciplinary action in the book!"
"NO! I DON'T WANNA GET EXPELLED! I DON'T WANNA! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO TOUCH YAOYOROZU'S BOOBS!"
"Gotta love it when the perps write their own prosecution for themselves," one of the officers remarked gleefully.
"NOOOOO-!"
Minoru was cut off by the slamming of the changing room door, leaving everyone else in awkward silence. Kan stared at the doorway for a few seconds before glaring at the rest of the boys.
"Alright," he said gruffly. "Class is now dismissed. Spend the rest of your day reflecting on what Mineta has done, and be grateful it wasn't any of you perverts."
The boys began changing out of their P.E. uniforms, while Kan slammed Minoru's locker shut to prevent any of them from gawking at its contents. As the hulking teacher started taping off the locker, Izuku stared absentmindedly at it, reflecting on Minoru's last words as he was dragged off.
"Mineta was pretty insistent when he said he didn't do it..." he thought. "But he has the strongest motive for stealing all the girls'...ahem... And he went to the bathroom for fifteen minutes while everyone else was at P.E. That's a big window of time for him to raid the girls' locker room. ...It doesn't look good for Mineta at all."
Then, Izuku shook his head and returned to his own locker. He pursed his lips and started putting in his lock combination with determination.
"No. No, you can't think like that, Izuku. Mineta did a very bad thing, hurt a lot of people. You did the right thing, turning him in. Iida's right; he deserves everything that's coming to him."
All of a sudden, he paused while in the process of putting in the second number.
"Then...why do I feel bad when I think about him getting punished...?"
"Alright, don't forget your book reports are due by Thursday. Class dismissed."
Izuku packed up his school supplies, stood up from his chair, and put on his backpack. Then, he cast one last glance on a desk at the leftmost corner of the classroom. It had been empty since the end of the P.E. period.
"Mineta's probably at home being scolded by his parents right about now..." he thought. The image of a sobbing Minoru sitting on a rather uncomfortable couch entered his mind, and rather than feeling disdain towards the tiny, purple-haired pervert, Izuku still felt pity and sorrow about his dilemma.
"Midoriya!" a voice called.
Izuku looked over his shoulder with panic, almost expecting to see Katsuki and his group of cronies marching up to him, ready to raid his backpack again or something similar. Instead, he saw Tenya, Momo, Shoto, and Mezo waiting for him at the doorway. A slight pang of confusion passed through his heart before Izuku remembered.
"Oh yeah, that's right. They're my friends now. ...I really gotta get used to this."
The boy walked up to them and asked, "Yeah?"
"You want us to walk you out of school?" Mezo asked.
Izuku blinked with surprise. Then, he smiled, all the while feeling his heart lifting upward with joy and humility.
"I'd like nothing more than that."
"Excellent," replied a smiling Tenya, as the group proceeded to walk away from the classroom and down the packed hall. "I must say, Midoriya, you've impressed me once again."
Izuku looked up at Tenya. "Huh?"
"You stepped up and provided Kan-sensei the information he needed to identify that deviant."
Izuku looked ahead regretfully. "O-Oh..."
"Ugh, that Mineta really got under my skin," Momo said with a grimace. "Last week, I caught him attaching mirrors to his shoes and trying to start a conversation with Shiozaki and her friends. He has no shame at all." She closed her eyes and stuck her chin up. "I'm glad the administration finally saw him for who he truly was and expelled him before he could do any further acts of despicable lust and perversion."
"Speaking of which," replied Mezo, "did they ever find out where Mineta was keeping the rest of the..." He briefly paused and then cleared his throat in embarrassment. "You-know-what?"
"Definitely not," Tenya said. "I observed continued police activity outside during class. They were scouring the track field. Even with expulsion hanging over his academic records, Mineta refuses to atone for his psychological failures. His future, I'm afraid, will only undergo a downward spiral from here."
"I feel bad for him," Izuku remarked.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, and Izuku was mentally beating himself up for blurting that out.
"Are you mad, Midoriya?" Momo said, affronted. "Did you forget what he did to put himself in that situation?"
"You were the one who turned him in!" exclaimed Tenya. "How could you feel pity for that deviant after all that?!"
"L-L-Look!" Izuku stuttered in response. "I-I know what he did was wrong! B-But...I-I don't know, s-something just does not feel right... Th-That's all!"
"Mineta has had a history of sexually harassing his female schoolmates and other lascivious behavior on school grounds. What exactly does not feel right about this?"
"I dunno..." Izuku pursed his lips. "It's just...the way he kept insisting his innocence... That's all-"
"Midoriya," Momo interrupted sternly, "those were the actions of a sad and desperate man trying to save himself when all other options have failed him. There's nothing more to it."
Izuku looked up at the class vice-president for a moment and saw the disapproving gleam in her sharp onyx eyes. Then, he looked at Mezo, who looked just as convinced of Minoru's guilt as Momo was. Next, he looked at Tenya, whose opinion was not a surprise to him at all. Finally, he looked at Shoto, who was staring back at him ambiguously. Izuku couldn't tell if the silent redhead agreed with him or not.
Nevertheless, he nodded reluctantly. "I...I suppose..." he replied, turning his head away. "I'm...I'm sorry for saying that, you guys. I...I shouldn't overthink what happened..."
"Midoriya," Tenya said, "there's nothing wrong with coming forward with the truth. As long as it's for a good cause, then telling the truth will liberate your soul. And what you did was for one of the noblest causes possible. Thanks to you, the poor girls that deviant violated will have some peace knowing who did this unspeakable act to them."
"A good cause..." Izuku thought in rumination. "Then...why do I feel like this good cause had a bad result? Why do I feel like I'm not getting the whole picture...?"
"It's just like how you saved Uraraka and Kodai last week," Momo added. "You did the right thing, Midoriya."
"And I'm grateful for it!" a familiar bubbly voice exclaimed. Izuku blushed a little as he watched Ochako and Yui approach them. "I think you were awesome, Midoriya, exposing that pervert for who he was and finally pushing the school to give him the boot!"
"Hey, didn't Mineta try to steal something from your backpack last week, Uraraka?" Mezo asked out of curiosity.
"No, actually. It was more like he was sniffing it. Rubbing his face against it... Like I somehow leave my scent on it every day." Ochako shuddered. "What a creep. And after what nearly happened to me, you'd think he'd have some respect. But nope! He's still his usual self! Gosh, I just wanted to punch him!" She started lightly punching the air. "You have no idea how glad I was to hear he'd no longer be in school! Some girls in my class still wanna, actually! Their, ahem, you-know-whats are still missing."
"We all were," Tenya replied. "I truly rejoiced in seeing that deviant be humiliated in that locker room before receiving his rightful punishment. Such a thing would usually be a point of shame for me, but-" He suddenly looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Midoriya? Where are you going?"
Izuku had started walking away from the group. He tensed up a little, but then he relaxed and looked back at his friends.
"I, uh, I-I'm going back to the locker room," he said.
"Really?" Tenya asked, arching his eyebrow. "Why?"
"W-Well, uh, y-you mentioned the locker, a-and then I remembered th-that I, uh, f-forgot something in my locker! Yeah, I forgot something in my locker!"
"I thought the cops still have it taped off?" asked Mezo.
"I-I'll ask one of 'em t-to get my thing for me!"
"Do you want us to go with you, Midoriya?" Ochako asked.
"N-No, I'm fine. I think you guys should go home without me."
"You sure, man?" asked Mezo.
"Y-Yeah, I-I'm sure! I'll be rushing home after I find my thing!" Izuku turned around and started walking faster down the hallway, but not before giving them a wave. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"Y-Yeah!" Ochako's surprised voice called after him. "We'll see you tomorrow!"
Izuku didn't want to turn around and look at the group for one last time. Instead, he quickened his pace and eventually turned a corner. As soon as he did, he stopped and leaned against the wall while heaving out a relieved sigh.
"Thank God they didn't follow me," he thought. "I feel bad about lying to them, and I don't think they even believed me, especially Iida...but..."
"Hey, didn't Mineta try to steal something from your backpack last week, Uraraka?"
"No, actually. It was more like he was sniffing it. Rubbing his face against it... Like I somehow leave my scent on it every day."
"I can't help but feel as if something's fishy with this story..."
Izuku stood at the doorway of the school building, watching as the last of the police officers departed from the track field in defeat. He could feel the evening sun shining down on the entire area, bathing it in its warm, reddening light. Then, he glanced at the doors to both the boys' and girls' locker rooms, which were located several yards away on the right side of the field from his position. Access to both lockers rooms were barred by yellow police barricade tape.
"Oh, man..." he thought. "I'm not allowed to go inside. I'll get in big trouble if I get caught. And worse, they might think I'm Mineta's accomplice or something."
He looked back at the track field, which was now devoid of any police officers. The only person on the field now was the groundskeeper Sorahiko, who was being his usual cranky and irritable self, grumbling indiscernible musings he swept the ground on the opposite side of the field, relieving it of the last of the autumn leaves.
"I need to get past Old Man Sorahiko too. He may be old but nothing escapes his eye. He knows every last student like the back of his hand. If the cops find out someone got into the boys' locker room, Old Man Sorahiko will be the first guy they'll talk to, and he'll point a finger at me! I need to distract him, but I'm not gonna keep him away for long. I need to draw him away from the locker rooms somehow, without getting him to recognize me...but how...?"
Then, an unknown but powerful instinct penetrated his mind. His arms moved on their own, putting his backpack on the ground, beside the doorway. He zipped it open and stared at the Yamikumo cosplay stuffed neatly inside. He felt not just his fingers, but his entire hand, twitch...but then he shook his head.
"Wha...What am I doing?! Am I really gonna dress up in this cosplay and use it to distract Old Man Sorahiko without him even knowing who I am? I don't even have a plan on how I'm gonna lure him away! This...This is so stupid." He clutched the zipper of his bag. "I'll just have to try again tomorrow-"
"Whatcha got there, Midoriya?"
"AGH!"
Izuku toppled to the ground at the sudden sound of the voice in his ear. He looked up, expecting to see Ochako or Tenya or any one of his new friends standing over him. Instead, he recognized the salmon-pink hair, the yellow contact lenses, and the eccentric grin.
"H-H-Ha-Hat-Hatsume?!" Izuku exclaimed loudly, his voice cracking.
"That's me!" the girl replied boisterously, all while giving a cheesy salute. Then, she leaned her head to the side, peering into Izuku's backpack. "Now let's see here-"
"AGH!" He scrambled forward in an attempt to retrieve his bag, but Mei reacted more quickly, snatching it away from his grasp.
"Interesting," she said, her eye twinkling mischievously as she regarded Izuku. Then, she looked inside the backpack and gasped dramatically. "Oh. My. GOSH! Is...Is this it?!"
"K-Keep it down, Hatsume!" Izuku said in a hushed voice as he shot up on his feet. He looked over his shoulder and saw, much to his relief, Sorahiko still sweeping the track field, all the while grumbling and ranting incomprehensibly to himself. Then, before he could look back at Mei, he was nearly knocked over.
"Is this really the costume that you wore when you beat up those crooks?!" Mei asked in a frenetic voice. Her yellow eyes were glinting madly, the grip on his shirt was frighteningly tight, and his Yamikumo costume hung from one of her hands, flowing downward like a cape. "Well?"
"L-Look, Hatsume, I-I-"
"Just tell me, Midoriya!" Mei stared into his green eyes hungrily. "I won't tell anyone else if you do!"
"Why do I get the feeling she'll go back on her word as soon as I come clean?"
Nevertheless, Izuku looked away sheepishly, his cheeks slightly pink, and he replied, "Yeah..."
An indescribable energy quickly flowed into Mei's face like a violent torrent. She released Izuku and stared intently at the costume, zeroing her focus in on many aspects. If one were to look at her eyes, they could swear her pupils were dilating like camera lenses.
"Wooooow..." Mei looked at Izuku again. "Please tell me this is custom!"
"It's not," Izuku replied flatly. "The sewing you see on some parts is my mom's work."
"So your mom fixes up your costume?!"
He blinked slowly. "She doesn't fix up my costume. She only did it once because I asked her to."
Mei looked at the costume with admiration once again. "It's impressive work, though! I wish I had your mom's repairing skills! I mean, look at that handiwork!"
Izuku sighed heavily. "Why're you here, Hatsume?"
"I was lookin' for you, why else?!"
"...Looking for me?"
"Uh-huh!" Mei looked at him with so much passion and intensity that her stare could rival Tenya's own. "You didn't get to answer my long-sought-after questions!"
Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but Mei cut him off, her voice talking a mile a minute.
"But, seeing as you've got your Yamikumo costume out while you're pretty close to a crime scene, that little-wittle turn of events has caught my interest even more. So tell me, Mi. Do. Ri. Ya..." She leaned her head towards Izuku's, and her cunning smile caused him to blush. "What exactly are you planning on doin'?"
"Wh-Wh-What am I pl-pl-planning on d-d-doing?" repeated Izuku. The poor boy was clearly in a fluster. "W-Well, y-y-you see, H-Ha-Hatsume, I, uh-"
"Again with the uhs and ums!" Mei giggled. "You're pretty cute, Midoriya, you know that?"
"I'm-I'm...w-wh-wh-what?!" He started to feel dizzy.
The otaku girl withdrew her head and placed her hands on her lips. The proud look on her face was unmistakable.
"Well, since you're too much of a mess to tell me, I'll just guess!" Mei glanced at the taped-off locker rooms. "So...you're near the locker rooms, a place where a devious crime had occurred only a few hours ago! You've had your sights on it for at least a couple of minutes, but you haven't gone out onto the track field because Old Man Sorahiko is there. And since you've had this costume in your backpack for the entire day, I'm gonna assume you were waiting for a good opportunity to play superhero again! And, lo and behold, you know have the chance to investigate a crime like any good superhero'd do! But since Old Man Sorahiko is still wandering about, being his usual crazy self, you don't have a good plan on how to lure him away from the scene!" Her haughty grin widened. "Tell me, was I on point, Mi. Do. Ri. Ya?"
Izuku blinked twice in absolute shock, before replying sheepishly, "Pr-Pr-Pretty much..."
"Ah-HA!" Mei pointed an index finger in the air, her entire form radiating arrogance. "As I suspected! You're trying to find all the underwear Mineta stole! How very Yamikumo of you, Midoriya!"
"Keep it down, Hatsume!" Izuku cast a worried glance over his shoulder, and was relieved to see Sorahiko still sweeping the track field. "And...th-thanks, I-I guess..."
"Well, since you're gonna get to the bottom of this mysterious vanishing act, I'm gonna help you out!"
"It's more than just-" He looked back at Mei. "Wait, what?"
"I'll help you play superhero detective, Midoriya! Free of charge!"
"No, you shouldn't, Hatsume! What if someone finds out what we're doing? They might think we're involved with Mineta somehow!"
"Re-laaaaax, Midoriya! No one's gonna find out!"
"H-How?"
She gave him a cheeky smile. "'Cause you're the one with the Yamikumo cosplay, after all!"
"...I don't see how that helps things..."
"Listen here, Midoriya." Mei stared intently into his eyes, her yellow contact lenses shining just as brightly as the evening sun. "You don't know how to get past Old Man Sorahiko without attracting attention, which is why you need a sidekick for these kinds of things! And I'll gladly be that sidekick! All ya have to do is trust me, and it'll all be fine!"
"T-Tr-Trust you?" Izuku flashed back to all of the times Tenya complained about Mei, and all of the times he observed Mei engaging the rest of her club in one of her crazy schemes. "I'd-I'd rather trust a snake over you!"
"Gee, that's hurtful, Midoriya." But Mei didn't look the least offended as she thrust the costume into his arms and started prancing onto the field. "Just wait for my signal!"
"W-W-Wait, Hatsume! S-So-Sorahiko will-"
Then, to his utter shock, Mei called out loudly and energetically, "Yoo-hoo! Old Man Sorahiko! Over here!"
The elderly groundskeeper stopped rambling and flicked his head at her direction. His scowl became more pronounced as he scanned Mei from head to toe.
"Whaddaya want, Hatsume?!" he snapped irritably. "I don't have time for ya antics!"
Mei clapped her hands together in a pleading posture that looked blatantly fake. "I'm so sorry, Sorahiko-san, but I was at the swimming pool and I accidentally opened up the storage room and a whole bunch of volleyballs are everywhere now and-"
"Goddamn it all!" Sorahiko started marching towards her. "I told ya kids to stop messin' around with the equipment! How many times do I have to tell ya kids to stop messin' around?!"
"If it makes you any better, I'll clean up all the volleyballs myself!"
"Ya better! I don't want any of ya runts running out on their responsibilities!" The groundskeeper's eye glinted. "Which is why I'm gonna be watchin' ya every step of the way! That way ya don't mess around again!"
Mei smiled from ear to ear. "Oh, I promise, Sorahiko-san! There'll be no messin' around!"
"Don't make promises ya can't keep, Hatsume! Now..." He raised his broomstick like it was a weapon, and aimed it down a certain direction. "Lead the way!"
"Sure thing! Follow me, Sorahiko!"
Mei started walking down the direction Sorahiko pointed out, with the groundskeeper slowly following after her. Realizing what she was doing, Izuku slowly looked down at his arms, which were still holding the Yamikumo cosplay.
"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."
"I can't believe I'm doing this again..." thought Izuku. "I shouldn't even be doing this. I should be walking home with my new friends and having fun and appreciating life beyond manga... I should be doing what Shimura-san told me to do... But..."
"MIDORIYA! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! I DIDN'T DO THIS, I SWEAR! TELL THEM, MIDORIYA! TELL THEM I DIDN'T DO THIS! TELL THEM, PLEASE!"
"I believe Mineta..." He narrowed his green eyes and looked at the taped-off locker rooms. "I believe him. I believe him now. I don't think he did this. He's a pervert, without a shadow of a doubt, but he didn't do this."
Without another second of hesitation, Izuku started putting on the costume. At first, it felt a little uncomfortable putting the fabric over his school uniform, providing an unnecessary, extra layer of insulation that gathered heat inside him. But once he put on the sleeves and zipped up the costume over his chest, Izuku felt like he was home again. Even his arms, still covered in their casts, felt as if a new energy had begun surging through their veins.
"Someone's setting Mineta up...and I'm gonna find out who. I won't let Mineta's voice be unheard, no matter what."
With that, Izuku put on the Yamikumo mask and stared determinedly through its eyelids.
A/N: And that marks the end of this chapter. Izuku will unlock the mystery of the stolen underwear in the next one! And when it happens, oh boy, that's going to kick-start the true meat of this story, which is, of course, the titular Hero Club!
Once again, I apologize for the lack of IzuMina and Kacchako scenes in this chapter. Once again, the shippings didn't feel pertinent in this one. But don't worry, we will start delving into those shippings in a couple more chapters! The Hero Club needs to be in full swing first, because that will help me segue into that material.
And yes, Mineta didn't do it. He's definitely a pervert, but he was framed for this one. After this, I will attempt to salvage his character as much as possible, because I know how unpopular he can be with the fandom. Fortunately, I'm at a great advantage with this AU style.
Anyway, I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing:
-YukiNikki: Well, this is what's coming next: Izuku independently investigating a crime at his school under his newfound superhero persona! Hope it's interesting!
-MarvelNinja10:
1) Whoa. I never imagined how biographical this fic turned out to be for you. Who would've thunk it? Anyway, I hope it elevates the reading experience for you! :D
2) Yes, that made sense. And I'm glad I'm being very accurate and realistic with Izuku's thoughts, not to mention taking what I learned from my college creative writing course and putting it to good use! I knew I'd love that class!
3) Sadly, I actually have a couple of summer classes, but they are both literature-related, so let's see what I learn there and what I can apply in my fics.
-Tasia'sENDLESSDreams:
1) I am glad you saw Eijiro and Denki's OOC behaviors that way! Yes, without heroes to rely on, and with crime running rampant while the police are helpless and inefficient in doing anything, cynicism and apathy become the only attitudes to rely on for survival. Naturally, Izuku is the first to get sick of it, and look at what's happened! He's going to do something about it at last! :D
2) YES! You noticed the callbacks to the original manga concept! Of course, I needed to do some world-building for the Our Hero Academia manga introduced in this AU, and I instantly looked to the original manga ideas for inspiration. It's all pretty neat, ain't it?!
3) I'm excited over your anticipation of the Kacchako moments! And it will happen soon but you'll have to wait for a little bit. I just need to get Izuku's newest foray into heroics out of the way first. ;)
-AllAcid (guest reviewer): Obviously, no. They'll start getting comfy with one another in a few chapters, though.
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!