"He did what?"

Izuku waited until Mei looked up, her eyes refocusing from the mass of metal and wires that she had spread out across the table in front of her. They had been sitting in Natsumi's basement workshop for the better part of two hours and Izuku still had no idea what exactly his best friend had been working on. The grin that spread across Mei's face every time he asked led him to believe that he was probably better off not knowing for the time being.

"I really wish I had more details, but that was all Aizawa-sensei could tell. Mainly because it wasn't anything I couldn't have figured out on my own if I had been interested enough to look. It was an official test, so anything else would be an invasion of privacy, a breach in his professional ethics, and all of that. I'm pretty sure Hizashi-san was going to tell me anyway, but Aizawa-sensei cut him off before he could."

Mei set the tool she had been working with down, resting her head against the palm of her hand as she picked at an exposed wire. "I haven't met Bakugou yet, a fact that I'm sure he's glad of even if he doesn't know it yet, but that doesn't seem like something he would do from everything you've told me about him. Are we sure that it was actually him?"

Shrugging, Izuku picked up one of Mei's discarded tools, twirling the metal rod between his fingers as he considered how to answer. "Aizawa-sensei wouldn't have told me about this if he wasn't sure. Apparently Nedzu noticed the. Well. The tension, I guess, between us after the whole kidnapping thing. He's planning on putting us in the same class this year. Aizawa thinks it's a trap, although he's not exactly sure what Nedzu has to gain from it Especially since we haven't had a real conversation since my mom made sure we were in different classes this year."

"And he just pulled some girl he didn't know from the wreckage? Didn't harass her first or anything?" Maybe it had been a bad idea to tell Mei everything that had happened between him and Bakugou, in hindsight. They hadn't officially met yet, but the look on Mei's face as she spoke said enough to make it clear that she had already decided that Bakugou Katsuki wasn't worth her time. Knowing Izuku's luck they were bound to meet in some explosive way, but whether that would be because of Bakugou's quirk or Mei's inventions was still up for debate. All Izuku could hope was that he was far away from the inevitable showdown. He had promised Aizawa that he would try to go at least a month before causing irreparable damage to school property, and any fight between his best friend and his past best friend/tormentor was bound to end with someone taking a trip to see Recovery Girl.

"He wasn't even on the same street as her when she was caught. He just heard her yell and went to help. Aizawa-sensei said he was the only one that stayed behind. A couple of other people helped some students on the way out but… It was the highest combined score they've had on the exam in years, and I am so confused." Izuku stopped the motion of the metal, tightening his grip on the tool in his hand. "I mean, I'm glad that he's changed, if that's really what's going on here. We don't need any more bullies praised as heroes just because they have a powerful quirk. I just don't understand what made him do it, and it's not like I could ask him. I can just imagine how that conversation would go. 'Hey, Kacchan, why aren't you as big of an asshole as you used to be?' That would definitely go over well."

"I mean. I could always-" Nope, nope. Better to cut that train of thought of before Mei became too committed to the idea of confronting Bakugou.

"I appreciate it. Really, you know I do," Izuku said, "but I think that I need to wait and just see how all of this plays out. Maybe he's changed, maybe he hasn't. Nedzu is going to put us in the same class either way. Aizawa-sensei will make sure that whatever happens doesn't get out of hand. I won't say anything to him about everything that happened-at the exam and at school- and if he doesn't bring it up then it's all fine.

Mei didn't seem convinced, but she didn't try to argue with him either, pulling her goggles down over her face as she turned her attention back to the project at hand. "Just know that I have plenty of babies that need a test run. I'll be glad to volunteer Bakugou's services as my dummy. I'm sure he would fit the role perfectly."

"It'll be fine, Mei. I promise. I have all of those lovely inventions of yours to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Now what are you working on?"

"Oh this?" Mei asked, grinning up at him again. "I don't know what you're talking about, Izuku. I'm not working on anything. We've just been down here talking, haven't we?" Sparks flew as she tugged at a wire, but the grin on her face didn't slip as she waited for him to answer. Izuku raised his hands in surrender.

"Nevermind. I don't think I want to know."

"Plausible deniability, Izuku. Plausible deniability. So which recommendation students do you think will be in your class?" Izuku let the conversation drift. Mei would tell him what she was working on when she was ready.

Not too long ago Izuku would have said his first official day at Yuuei was still forever away. He had been dreaming of it for so long, even before he decided to track down Aizawa, and it had felt like the day was never going to come. Now here he was. The night before his first official day as a Yuuei student. It still didn't feel real.

Izuku had over a year to become accustomed to the fact that he would be entering Yuuei as a recommendation student and it hadn't seemed to fully sink in until that now. During the demonstrations Izuku had been more focused on his nerves and not making a fool of himself in front of all of the people who thought that he didn't have a right to be at Yuuei at all, let alone given the opportunities that would come by getting in on recommendations. Now though, with all of that behind him, he couldn't help but think of the challenges that he would still have to face.

He almost wished he had been able to take the entrance exam as well. At least then he would have some proof to show to his classmates that he did deserve to be there. Nedzu had said that he recorded Izuku's test against Aizawa's old class, but Izuku doubted that he would let Izuku have it simply to make his life easier. The principal seemed to run games within games, and from what Aizawa and Hizashi had told him making Izuku prove himself to his classmates seemed like just the kind of test Nedzu would find entertaining. Izuku wondered what he thought of their plan keep his connection to Aizawa and Hizashi quiet for the time being. Whether they were disrupting whatever plans he had or playing right into his hands.

It would be hard not acting familiar with them after all this time. Izuku had gone to Aizawa's apartment looking for a teacher, but he hadn't counted on the way his mother seemed to adopt anyone she felt wasn't being appreciated properly. In hindsight he maybe should have seen it coming, but now he couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have Aizawa over for dinners or movies or whatever else they were doing that week. Hizashi adopting Izuku too had been just as unexpected, but where Aizawa went Hizashi followed(and vice versa). Inko had not been opposed to bringing one more into their family.

Izuku understood the reasoning for the deception, of course. They weren't planning on keeping it a secret forever, but there would be plenty of people opposed to a quirkless student in the hero course without adding the accusations of favoritism to the mix. Anyone who knew about the connection between Aizawa, Hizashi, and Izuku had signed an agreement not to disclose that information. As long as they were careful no one should find out until they were ready to share that information themselves. Izuku would have the chance to prove that he deserved to be there on his own merit. He just hoped that he didn't waste it. Or give the mentorship away by laughing at Aizawa's blunt brand of sarcasm.

And then there was the issue of All Might. Yagi Toshinori. Izuku still couldn't keep it straight in his head. His mother had done what she does best and pulled Toshinori into her circle of dinners and care packages, but it was clear the hero still didn't feel quite at ease with the situation. Izuku didn't blame him for the disastrous route their initial meeting had gone-Toshinori had made it clear that he hadn't meant to offend Izuku or Aizawa in his offer- but he couldn't help but feel that despite his words Toshinori still hoped that Izuku would change his mind.

He wouldn't, of course. That ship had sailed a long long time ago. Being a hero in the same way as All Might wasn't what he wanted anymore. All Might would figure that out eventually. There would be a whole class of upcoming heroes-to-be. All Might could find his successor among them, Izuku was sure. If Toshinori meant what he said about supporting Izuku any way he could, then he would look. Izuku wasn't going to be changing his mind. Toshinori would have to accept it.

If Aizawa had been unsure about Inko bringing Toshinori into their already established circle he didn't voice his complaints to either Izuku or his mother, but their conversations were still difficult. Hizashi wasn't oblivious to the tension between them, but he had fallen in line with Inko almost immediately. Aizawa's problem with Toshinori, he had explained to Izuku quietly one night as Aizawa helped Inko clear the table, wasn't as simple as his accidental insults. Aizawa Shouta took his job as a teacher extremely seriously, and when Nedzu had first announced that All Might would be joining the staff as a teacher for the incoming first years Aizawa had immediately listed some concerns-primarily the fact that All Might had zero credentials or teaching experience. He had been overruled, of course, but this latest incident hadn't done much to assuage the doubts that Aizawa had already possessed.

How could he be left in charge of the safety and teaching of children when he had never done anything like that before? Hizashi seemed to share Aizawa's concern in that regard. "I didn't go back and get degrees in English and Lit for no reason, Izuku. I hate homework as much as my students," Hizashi had said. "Nedzu has been trying to get All Might to agree to being a teacher for several years now. Things like degrees and certifications didn't seem to matter as much in comparison to his actual experiences, but I see where Shouta is coming from. I've talked to Toshinori though. He knows he can come to either of us if he needs help getting used to being in a classroom. Shouta may not be happy with the decision to let him teach, but he won't turn him away if he genuinely wants to learn."

All things considering, it was probably a good thing that the number one hero wouldn't be making an appearance at dinner tonight though. Inko may have been determined to clear the air between them all before the start of the school year, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to be as easy as she had expected. Awkwardness from his awful attempt at offering help aside, Toshinori didn't seem to have that many people skills in general. He fumbled when Inko tried to draw him into conversation and every invitation, no matter how many times Inko asked, was always met with the same level of surprise and confusion as if he wasn't quite used to people wanting him around outside of his persona as a hero. All Might may have fans across the country, but Izuku couldn't help but wonder how many people actually knew and appreciated Yagi Toshinori. It couldn't be that many from the way he reacted at every simple kindness Izuku or Inko offered, and it made Izuku sad to think that his once upon idol had been alone all this time.

Toshinori didn't deserve that. The few times that they had managed to have him over he had seemed so happy to be included. This issue between Aizawa and Toshinori would have to be solved. Izuku would need to take a more active role in figuring out a way to make everything work out if Inko's continued attempts to bridge the gap between them all continued to be ineffective, but there wasn't anything he could do about that at the moment. Because he was starting at Yuuei tomorrow. The school he had been dreaming about since he was old enough to understand its importance. Izuku could only deal with so much at a time and he was already at his limit nerves wise.

Aizawa and Hizashi would be a welcome distraction, if only they would get there already. Instead Izuku was left to go over the same useless questions again and again. Mei had put it in his head initially, and Izuku would gladly put all of the blame on her. Bakugou was a given, but who else would be put in Izuku's class? Had Nedzu stuck with whatever method he usually used to divide the classes up, or had he done something specifically to set up whatever he had planned. If he had anything planned. Aizawa's paranoia might be more catching than Izuku had originally thought.

Izuku had asked all both Aizawa and Hizashi about his future classmates, but they had both refused to answer. He knew that he would be in Aizawa's homeroom, that had been a given from the very start, but he had no idea what other students would be in his class. For the first time in two years Izuku wouldn't be getting premade profiles on all of the incoming first years. Unfair advantages, Aizawa had claimed. Izuku knew that his mentor was right. If he wanted profiles on his classmates this year he was going to have to make them himself. A new notebook had been added to his backpack for that very purpose, but it would make Izuku feel just a little better to know the other recommendation students in his class at the very least.

If he were being honest, Izuku wasn't sure who he preferred. Kendou and Yaoyorozu had both seemed nice. He hadn't spoken to Honenuki enough to have an opinion about him either way. And Todoroki? Izuku had explain what had happened to Mei and she had been just as baffled as Izuku. While that gave him hope that it hadn't just been his lack of people skills that caused Todoroki's cold responses it still didn't help him figure out what to do about it. Or whether he needed to do anything about it at all.

Maybe Todoroki was just shy or nervous. Maybe that was simply his personality. It was possible that there was someone who had worse social skills then Izuku, after all. Highly unlikely at this point, but still possible. It was another potential problem that fell in the category of thing that Izuku couldn't address at the moment. Todoroki might not even be in his class, and if he was… Izuku would have to pay attention. He knew what it felt like to have no friends, knew what it felt like to try to convince himself he didn't need them. Mei had been one of the best things to come from tracking down Aizawa that day. It was something to think about at the very least.

Izuku heard the door open and close from his room, the sound of Hizashi's booming laughter clear through his closed door.

"Izuku!" Hizashi called. "I need you to come and prove Shouta wrong!" Aizawa answered, his voice too low for Izuku to make out individual words, but Hizashi laughed again. "We both know I'm really his favorite. Izuku wouldn't lie to me."

Perfect timing. Spending a few hours watching his mother try to referee Aizawa and Hizashi's banter would be the best distraction. Tomorrow he would go to Yuuei and deal with his classmates and the criticism, Nedzu's potential scheming and Toshinori's well meaning attempts at helping. Tonight he could have one more night of calm before the storm.

Grinning before he even opened the door, Izuku called out, "Whatever Hizashi-san said is right!"

"See! Izuku knows I'm always right!"

AN: Shorter chapter this time, but Yuuei arcs start next chapter. I finish my last class of the summer semester tomorrow, so updates should be back to a more regular schedule until my fall semester starts in September.

Thanks to everyone for commenting last chapter!