Izuku had been by Yuuei's campus several times before his first official day of classes, but he had never taken the train there. He had never made the journey there by himself before. Aizawa and Hizashi had wished him luck the night before, and while both would be at his house again for dinner to hear all about his first day, Izuku couldn't help but wish that he had been able to go with them to class the first morning. Hizashi, as was their yearly tradition before the first day of school, had been staying over at Aizawa's. It would have been so easy to meet them there before heading to campus.
That would have defeated the purpose of keeping their mentorship a secret though. Aizawa probably would have let him stay over as well, even if it meant intruding on their yearly traditions, but Izuku had refused to ask. He needed to make a place for himself at Yuuei. He couldn't hide behind Aizawa and Hizashi, especially if he was trying to keep his connection to the two of them a secret. So train it was, even if Izuku spent the entire ride thinking about all the ways this day could backfire in his face. Being the only quirkless student in the hero program had seemed amazing when he wasn't actually having to attend classes, but now that the distraction of his family was gone the same troubles from the night before ran in circles in his mind as the train brought him closer and closer to the school grounds with every second.
Aizawa had done everything he could to prepare Izuku for this day, would continue to work with him outside of classes, but the whole point of Yuuei's program was to push potential heroes as hard as they could to prepare them for pro work, and Izuku would not be except from that simply because he started with a disadvantage. This would be the hardest three years of his school career, and he had to do everything he could to make it all count.
Pulling the the chain around his neck that held the charms Hizashi had given him before the demonstrations, Izuku forced his mind away from the unending questions focused on the conversation that he had had with Aizawa before the two teachers had headed out for the night. Hizashi had been down the hall explaining to Inko his new theory about the drama they had been marathoning when Aizawa had pulled him aside.
For a moment they had simply started at each other, Aizawa eyes hooded by his long hair. Izuku was grateful once again for the reminder that communication was something that his mentor still struggled with as well. It was something else, besides their instinct to throw themselves head first into danger for the sake of others, that had allowed them to connect over the last two years. Izuku waited, watching, as Aizawa gathered his thoughts, his expression still characteristically blank until he hesitated, just for a second, before starting to speak. When he finally spoke his words were soft enough that only Izuku could hear, although he doubted Inko and Hizashi would be trying to eavesdrop. The two couldn't have been more obvious in their attempt to give Izuku and Aizawa space if they tried.
"You don't need to be worried about tomorrow, Izuku," Aizawa said. "You've worked hard for this. You deserve it."
Izuku wouldn't deny that he had worked hard. Everything he had done for the last two years had been to move him towards that goal. To deserve it. But getting an opportunity and earning it were two very different things, and in the eyes of his classmates what had he done to deserve this chance? Nothing that they would be able to see on that first day. Whispers and rumors had always been a part of school for him. The quirkless kid who wanted to be a hero. The quirkless kid who just didn't know when to quit.
Was this how it was always going to be? A long time ago Izuku had said that he didn't let other people's words define him, and it had been the truth. That didn't mean that their words didn't affect him though. That their taunts didn't latch onto some hidden part in his mind waiting for the moments when he had almost forgotten the hurt to surge forward as an unwelcome reminder of all the reasons he hadn't been enough in their eyes. He knew it was stupid to let their words get to him after everything he had been through, but his self confidence only seemed to make an appearance when staring down villains or heroes whose egos were as ridiculous as their fake beards. In the quiet moments he struggled to muster that same level of feeling.
Aizawa had seen the doubt on his face and placed both hands on his shoulders. "You do deserve it," he repeated, a slow wide smile spreading across his face. "Do you think I would have been wasting my time these last two years if you didn't?"
"But what if-"
"Stop. No hypotheticals tonight." Aizawa's smile dropped again, his expression turning serious once more as Izuku still fidgeted in front of him.
"Things will be different once classes start. It will get harder, and you're going to have to deal with people questioning why you're there, but you won't be alone. Each and every one of those students is going to have to prove themselves to us, to their classmates, to themselves. Your classmates might have the advantage when it comes to their quirks, but I haven't invested so much into you to let you go it alone now. Hizashi isn't going anywhere either. You told me once that you didn't need a quirk because you knew how to think, how to see people, how to pull their weaknesses apart, and you were right."
Aizawa poked him gently in the chest as he spoke, a physical weight added to the heaviness in his tone. "You're going into this with more knowledge and experience than any of your classmates. Remember that, and don't think for a second that you don't deserve this."
Everything had seemed so simple in the moment as Aizawa had spoken, but all it had taken was a few hours of restless sleep and a school uniform to wash away the confidence that Aizawa's words had coaxed back into him.
Overhead the name of his stop scrolled passed, and Izuku picked up his bag from the ground. The Eraserhead backpack he had carried for the last two years replaced by solid black. Pulling at the chain still tucked under his shirt, Izuku took a deep breath. Yuuei might be the most competitive school in the country, but it was still only a school with students who were just as worried as he was. There was no reason to panic before he absolutely had to.
Media crowded the barrier around Yuuei's main gate. Izuku stood back at the edge of the crowd watching the chaos, glad that he had planned on getting there as early as possible. News coverage of Yuuei's first day had always been something that he had looked forward to in the past, but he hadn't really considered what it was like on the other side of the camera until he had been admitted himself.
As the top hero school in the country everyone was interested in both the returning students as well as the first years who would be trying to make their mark. It was never too early to start discussing Yuuei's famous Sports Festival and no one wanted to miss a glimpse of the student who would eventually take home the championship. Nedzu, Izuku knew, would have been able to clear the crowd out if he had wanted too, but Yuuei needed the publicity and most would give up by the end of the first week anyway.
It did make getting to classes a bit of a hassle though, and Izuku wished that he had been allowed to take one of the other entrances. Aizawa had tried to fight Nedzu on that, but the principal had been adamant. Everyone took the main gate the first week of school. As long as no one was injured he didn't see the problem in giving the media a little bit of what they wanted. As long as it furthered his goals, of course.
Izuku could see his point, in a way, but the crowd gathered outside the gates seemed a bit excessive. Did Nedzu really expect his students to fight their way through to the guard in order to show their ID?
"You might want to get a move on, kid," a voice said to Izuku's left. Startled, Izuku turned to see a reporter smiling down at him, a small notebook tucked under their arm.
"What?" Izuku had hoped that if he stood far enough away from the crowd he wouldn't be noticed until he was ready, but apparently he hadn't been the only one to think of that.
"Only amateurs would stand that close to the barricade," the journalist continued. "But even they are bound to notice you eventually. That uniform isn't doing you any favors, Midoriya Izuku, and the rest of those vultures aren't going to be kind enough to warn you before they attack."
This was exactly why Izuku couldn't have gone to school with Aizawa and Hizashi this morning, but Izuku still wished they were there to help him navigate this inevitable minefield. "You know who I am?"
"Sure," they shrugged. "I do my homework unlike some people. Midoriya Izuku, the mysterious recommendation student. No one knows who your sponsor is and no one seems to know what your quirk is either. Nedzu seems especially tight lipped on the subject." The grin turned sharp. "Care to make a comment?"
Izuku once again felt relieved for Aizawa's paranoia because even though they hadn't planned for this exact situation- getting ambushed outside the gates on the first day of classes- the official story had been drilled into his head enough that he could answer without hesitation.
"My sponsor wishes to remain anonymous due to safety concerns. As for my quirk-There's not one listed because I don't have one. That should have been included in my file as well though."
"Oh it was, but I'm sure you can understand my need to double check that the information was accurate. Trust, but verify and all that." The reporter paused, looking at Izuku of the rim of tortoiseshell glasses. "Interesting story, I bet, about how you managed to get in on recommendations. Yuuei is known for only taking the best of the best."
"I'm still a student," Izuku said, stepping away from the reporter and towards the crowd gathered around Yuuei's gates, "and I don't think you're supposed to be talking to me without a school representative present. Or my guardian. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get to class. Being late on the first day of the year is probably not a great idea."
Izuku turned but the reporter grabbed his arm before he could move farther away, shoving a business card into his hand. "You seem like a smart kid, and you've got be have some kind of skill to make it this far. I don't need to tell you the kind of criticism you're going to face while you're here. It would help if you had a friend in the media in case things go south. When things go south. The fame of pro heroes is a fickle thing, Midoriya Izuku, and not everyone likes the way the current quirk system works. I'm not asking for an exclusive, just...keep that in mind. And good luck."
Shoving the card into the front pocket of his bag, Izuku turned without another word. He would have to tell Aizawa and Hizashi what had happened, but for now he needed to figure out how to get through the crowd before he really was late. Not even he would get a pass if he really was late to Aizawa's homeroom.
Fighting through the media and getting onto campus took just as long as Izuku had expected. By the time he reached the main building where most of their classes would be held he had only a few minutes to reach his classroom. It was a good thing that he had been to the campus before or he might never have found it on time. The door to the classroom still stood open, a hum of voices audible from the hallway.
Aizawa cleary hadn't entered the room yet, but knowing him he would want to make sure that his entrance was as dramatic and impactful as possible. People always wondered how the friendship between the quiet hero and Hizashi worked when they seemed like such opposite personalities, but Izuku had been around them both enough to know that they were more similar than either of them liked to let on. Whether Aizawa's particular brand of dramatics had always existed or whether he had picked it up from Hizashi, Izuku couldn't be sure but the effect was the same. His classmates weren't likely to forget their first homeroom meeting for a long time.
Stopping just outside the door, Izuku closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He was finally at Yuuei, finally about to meet his classmates. Everything that he had been doing for the last two years had been leading to this moment. So many things depended on this moment, on his first impression, on his classmates, on-
"Are you lost?" A voice said behind him. "I can help you find where you're going if you need it, but you're blocking the hallway. Other students need to be able to reach their classes."
Despite the offer of help, the words sounded cold. This couldn't possibly be one of his classmates, could it? Izuku didn't want to think about all the ways this conversation could end up causing problems for him in the future. In fact, all he wanted to do was push pass the nerves and step into his classroom. Unfortunately not responding would probably have the same outcome as whatever anxiety induced rambling he knew he would fall into as soon as he turned around.
"That really isn't necessary," Izuku started. "I'm sorry I was blocking your way. This is my classroom." He turned, backing slowly towards the open door. "I was just… preparing myself, you know? Big day, important moment. Savoring the last break before whatever is thrown at us today. I didn't mean to get in the way."
The person behind him was definitely a student and not a teacher like he had been hoping. A first year by the looks of it. He looked at Izuku through a pair of square glasses, his expression serious. From the way he stood at the edge of the hallway, back straight and eyes narrowed, Izuku got the impression that he was used to being listened to. Whether that was because of the strength of his quirk or some other reason Izuku had no way of knowing, but whatever the reason it wouldn't help his situation at all to make an enemy on the first day.
"Nerves and all that," Izuku continued ducking his head. "I'm Midoriya Izuku. Are you also in class 1-A?"
The boy tilted his head and for a second his hair looked almost blue in the light. A physical manifestation of his quirk or a trick of the light? Since the spread of quirks it wasn't uncommon for people to have different hair colors that were in no way connected to their ability, but sometimes they could be connected. Now wasn't really an appropriate time to ask though, considering the severe expression on the boy's face.
"Iida Tenya. And yes I am also in class 1-A. Although I'm glad that you aren't lost, class will be starting soon. Would you allow me into the room, please?"
Nodding, Izuku moved out of the way letting Iida pass. "Really am sorry about that," Izuku said again. "I'll be more mindful in the future."
Iida gave him one last appraising look before nodding as well before disappearing into the classroom.
Okay. So that hadn't gone as badly as he had been anticipating. One classmate down, only eighteen more to meet. Gathering himself together Izuku followed Iida's lead and stepped into the classroom.
Most of the class seemed to have arrived already, milling about their desks while they waited for their homeroom teacher to arrive. A few of the closest students looked up as Izuku entered the room but they quickly returned to either their conversation or staring at their desk. Only three of the students looked familiar, but that was what he had expected. Another downfall of not taking the entrance exam. He hadn't been able to make any friends or scope out his future competition. He wondered whether Mei had already arrived at campus. She might have as much experience with friends as he did, but he didn't doubt that she would find a group of followers quickly.
The first person that Izuku noticed was Bakugou. He sat by the window, an empty desk that Izuku was going to go ahead and assume was bound to be his behind him. Bakugou had turned to look when Izuku had entered with the rest of them, meeting Izuku's eyes for a second before his gaze slid away again, attention going back to the courtyard outside. Their relationship would never be good again, would never go back to the way that it had been before Bakugou's quirk had manifested and Izuku's hadn't, but a year apart had given him perspective. According to Aizawa's story about the entrance exam it might have done the same for Bakugou was well.
Izuku still had no idea how to handle their relationship with the changed dynamic. While they would never be friends again they still had to work together as classmates. Would Bakugou reference their shared history? Izuku didn't expect to receive an apology from his former friend-that might be a little too much growth to expect from him at this point in time- but would he even acknowledge Izuku at all? He didn't want to let Bakugou set the stage for them, but Izuku still wasn't sure what exactly he wanted from him. Hopefully Aizawa's first day plan would keep them busy enough that he would have time to feel the situation out before he had to make a decision.
The other two people were, of course, his fellow recommendation students. No one spoke to him as he made his way to his desk so he had to assume that they didn't recognize him as the mysterious fifth student to get in without an exam. From the not so subtle looks that continued to be shot in both Todoroki and Yaoyorozu's directions they were not quite so lucky. Todoroki seemed completely zoned out to the whispers around him, his eyes trained on the notebook in front of him. He didn't look up with other students entered the room, and Izuku had to wonder again whether that was because of nerves or lack of caring. Yaoyorozu on the other hand smiled at Izuku when she noticed him watching her. Despite not talking to her during the demonstration she gave him a small way which he was quick to return.
When Izuku approached the desk behind Bakugou he saw his name written across the top in Aizawa's neat script. His mentor wouldn't have put Izuku by Bakugou willingly, so this had to have been another move by the principal. He hoped he wouldn't have to spend the next three years balancing his school work with figuring out the tests and traps Nedzu had put in place for him. Whether this decision had been made to test Izuku or force him and Bakugou to work out whatever issues still remained between them, he was sure that Aizawa hadn't appreciated the interference. Izuku predicted some rearranged seating charts in the near future either way.
Bakugou didn't look up or speak as Izuku sat down and Izuku made no attempt to start a conversation on his own. They would have to talk at some point, that was unavoidable, but the longer he could postpone it the better. Izuku had just started to unpack his bag when someone else entered the room calling, "Bakugou-kun!"
Izuku looked up to see a girl with short brown hair and a bright expression waving at the boy in front of him. She closed the door behind her as she entered, heading straight for them. Izuku barely had a chance to wonder if this was the girl from the exam (It had to be. Why else did she seem unafraid of the closed off expression on Bakugou's face?) before she was beside them.
"Uraraka," was all Bakugou said in greeting, his voice low, but the girl didn't seem deterred.
"I was hoping that we would be in the same class. I didn't get a chance to talk to you after the exam."
"You don't need to thank me," Bakugou said, and that was a tone that Izuku was familiar with. Self satisfied with a touch of pride.
"Oh, I wasn't going to thank you," Uraraka said, hands on her hip. Her expression had dropped a little at Bakugou's words, but she continued on. "I saved you too, after all. I think we can call that even."
Bakugou huffed. Izuku expected him to point out that he wouldn't have needed saving if it hadn't been for her, for him to get angry at what she had said, but he just stared at her. Waiting.
"Was there a reason you wanted to talk to me then?"
"Just nice to see a familiar face, that's all. I'm sure we'll get the chance to talk more later, now that we're in the same class."
The bell rang as she finished speaking and Uraraka smiled. "I look forward to getting to know you this year, Bakugou-kun."
Everyone started towards their seats now, the hum of whispers going silent as attention focused on the classroom door. Uraraka might have closed the door out of habit, but Izuku knew it would work perfectly for whatever dramatic entrance Aizawa had planned for them, and he struggled to keep the grin off his face.
This was going to be fun.
AN: And Yuuei begins! Lots to set up here, but next up will be Aizawa's first test.
Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! It means a lot!