Months had passed since the entrance exam to UA. Izuku still couldn't believe it. His life was so fortunate now. It was hard to believe that for so long, that wasn't the case. His dad was never around, he was quirkless, and not even his mom could say "I believe in you. You can still be a hero."

Izuku didn't hold any animosity towards his mother. He still loved her. She had still been a positive influence in his life and had done her best to make up for her shortcomings in that department. He had noticed one of his notebooks missing and his mom acting suspicious, but he had decided he would look for it later. He might have left it at Mina's for all he knew.

He said goodbye to his mother and headed out the door, nearly jumping out of his skin when Mina was waiting right outside the door, school uniform on. Aside from the shock of her being right there (which he really should have expected), Izuku also couldn't help but notice how cute she looked in her school clothes.

"Gooood morning, Izu~! You excited? I know I am! I can't wait! We're going to UA! We're going to UA! Let me see what homeroom you're in!"

Mina Ashido crawled onto her boyfriend like a hyperactive child and tried to sneak a peek at the greenette's paperwork for school, which was still in his bag. Inko noticed this and tried to keep a straight face. Even after years of this, she still couldn't get over how cute her son and his girlfriend were.

"Wah! Hey! Easy, Mina! I-it's 1-A. I'm trying to walk!"

The pink girl gasped. Her eyes sparkled as she bounced up and down while grabbing Izuku's shoulders.

"YESSSSS! WE'RE IN THE SAME ROOM! YEAH BOYYYYY! C'MON, LET'S GO! MAMA IS HOPPED UP ON ESPRESSO AND WANTS TO SEIZE THE DAY!" In an instant, Mina yanked her boyfriend and dragged him comically towards the train station.

Izuku merely smiled as he and Mina headed to school. It wasn't long until they reached the station. They used their passes and took their seats. The pink girl could barely stay in her own. The excitement was palpable.

"My aunt is coming in to visit this weekend by the way. Want to come over? " Mina recalled with a shine on her face. Izuku winced a little.

"I-I dunno. I like your aunt, but she's like an adult version of you. One Mina is enough." Izuku sighed. The pink girl definitely had a lot in common with her favorite aunt. Said Aunt even looked like an older Mina in a few key ways, except without freckles and with fangs.

"You spent too much time with Bakugou. You're being a bully. Stop bullying me." Mina pouted and proceeded to poke her boyfriend repeatedly.

"I-I'm not b-bullying you, Mina. O-or your aunt. Pffft. Cut it out!" Izuku wiggled as his girlfriend tickled him. He tried to get free but she overpowered him. "M-Mina! We are in public! P-Plea-HAHAHAHA!"

"Ahem!" An old lady nearby cleared her throat and shot an annoyed glare. The two kids settled into their seats after that. That is, for five minutes until Mina poked Izuku in the side and grinned widely.

The Ashido clan really was a family that loved to tease one another. Izuku had seen it first hand. However, if you were a close friend or more to one of the Ashido clan, you were pretty much part of the family. That made you a prime target. Izuku knew this very well from the slimy wet willies he had received if he didn't share a soda with Mina.

Admittedly, he liked her brand of teasing. It wasn't like the kind he experienced at school, where he was put down and cast aside, if not flat out targeted.

Here, he was in on it and that was the difference. It really boosted his confidence, being around Mina for so long.

He felt nervous. He had been quirkiness for so long. He had been friendless for so long. We're things the best they could be? He shook his head and looked over to Mina, bouncing in her seat as she leaned against him while chewing bubble gum. His thoughts drifted to a couple days ago. He really hoped Kirishima was ok.

Before...

"What happened to your hair!?" Mina was utterly shocked. Izuku was as well but in typical fashion, was muttering to himself and trying to figure out who Eijirou reminded him of with that hair.

"I am saying goodbye to the old me, the weak humanly me."

"Are you still hung up on that?"

"Yeah. I don't get it Kirishima. How can you say goodbye to something that never existed?"

"Smoothe, babe."

"I...you two...you are more heroic than I was. You faced villains to help people. I froze up in a similar situation."

"Kirishima..I ran screaming and crying at a villain and threw my backpack at it. I'm not the picture of bravery. I just did what felt right, even if it was to save someone who made growing up a living hell. "

"Neither am I. I sobbed pretty hard after I stepped in. That big dude was scary. Did you see him?"

Kirishima looked at his two friends as the cherry blossoms fell. The two fluffy-haired youths almost seemed to sparkle. His face flushed as the two smiled. Why was he like this?

"I guess I have growing to do." Ojirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"We all do. We're just entering high school. Just know that we'll be here for you when you move past this." Mina placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

Izuku wished he could be that inspiring. It was what he wanted to say but he didn't have the confidence to back it up. Still, he echoed her sentiments. "Yeah. We'll all do our best together. "

"You guys…" Ojirou nearly cried, clenching his eyes closed and making a fist. He lifted his head gently. "Come on. Let's go to the arcade in celebration. On me!"

The trio cheered and went off to enjoy a pleasant day out before the beginning of their high school careers.

Now...

The train stopped, bringing Izuku back to the present. He always thought Kirishima was a cool guy, confident in a way he wished to be. It turned out that the feeling was more mutual than initially believed. Izuku made a mental note to ask his friend how he was doing and maybe go out for burgers. Perhaps that would help.

Mina popped out of her seat and offered her hand.

"This is our stop! C'mon, Izu! Let's mosey!"

Izuku nodded and smiled. The normally meek boy felt riled up. His dream was coming true and he wasn't alone. That infectious Ashido enthusiasm had bitten him. "Right! UA here we come!"

X

The two arrived at the gates of UA once more, this time as students. They had only seen a little of it before and would now get to dive in head first. The young pair was definitely excited. Izuku was focused on finding their homeroom, however.

"Room 1A. Room 1A. God I hope that guy with the glasses isn't in our class. Or … you know...him…" Izuku gulped.

"If they are, I'll be there, Izuku. So will Tsu and Kiri. Ooo! I could scout ahead! There it is!" Mina encouraged her boyfriend before finding their homeroom. She rushed inside like a puppy off her leash.

"Uh oh, Izu," her voice rang out, causing Izuku some anxiety. He supposed it was only a matter of time, though. Steeling himself, the One-for-All inheritor entered

Sure enough, Izuku saw the blue-haired boy with spectacles speaking to a familiar blonde with spikey hair.

"Shit!" the greenette said to himself. At least he saw Kirishima and Tsuyu in his class. And there was that boy from Mina's dance class. The same one he took the entrance exam with. The look he gave Izuku was worrisome to say the least. No words. Just a sparkly stare and a wink.

"Dammit... It's you… Outta my way, nerd! I gotta get to class. Glad I don't have to see your stupid face every day. Move it."

"Wait...you're not in 1-A?" Izuku's eyes widened?

"No. I'm in 1-B. Outta my way, Nerd. I am not going to be late because of you."

Oh thank goodness. He was in a different class. Maybe there was justice in this world. He still had to deal with the serious boy from before. Sure enough, said boy spotted Izuku and strolled over.

"There you are. I was hoping to see you. I… wanted to apologize for my rudeness. I was most disrespectful and I hope you can forgive me ..."

Izuku was taken aback. On one hand, this kid was still intimidating with how loud and upfront he was. On the other hand, the humility and willingness to ask forgiveness was refreshing.

"I...Sure. I appreciate it. I'm Izuku Midoriya."

"Tenya Iida. I hope we can both do our best to uphold UA's reputation and legacy."

A brunette appeared in the doorway right beside the two boys, gasping as her eyes fell upon familiar faces

"It's you two! The plain boy and the girl with cool eyes! Hey! It's me, from the entrance exam! Glad you both made it in!"

"Oh hey! It's you. The gravity girl! I was hoping to bump into you!" Mina cheered and leapt out of her seat, ready to shake the hand of a new friend.

"Yeah. So was I. Thanks again for offering your points...and for helping me...twice I guess." Izuku blushed and laughed. He was still not the best in these situations but he had gotten better. "Wait, plain?"

"Hey, I think you're cute," Mina teased, giving her boyfriend's hand a squeeze.

Izuku was definitely relieved. Not only was he not in class with Katsuki, but he had some familiar faces to help ease him into things. It was going to be okay.

"I see I am going to be your classmate."

"Are you done blocking the door?" a tired sounding voice sounded up

A disheveled looking man with long black hair and tired eyes appeared behind the small group, wrapped in a yellow sleeping bag.

"Everyone suit up in your training uniforms. We're about to test your quirks.

X

Izuku spoke too soon. No Bakugou but there was still the chance he could either destroy his body again or get expelled. And if he had several events to complete, he would need his stamina.

He had seen glimpses of his friends' quirks before, but now he got to see them on showcase in a series of events tailored to evaluate them. If Izuku wasn't freaking out about getting sent home, he would be geeking out. He was already feeling out about Eraserhead, the underground hero who served as their homeroom teacher. Even that was fleeting, however.

"Hey. Don't sweat, Izu. Don't freak out about turning your bones into popcorn. Not everyone here has super physical quirks. You worked out a lot, right. You're in pretty good shape. Just lean on that when you need a rest." Mina leaned in and raised her fist. She couldn't help but be encouraging. It was in her nature, especially in regards to a certain nerd.

It made sense, but Mina's words still didn't quell her boyfriend's worries, nor did his realization of who their teacher was.

Izuku was new to having a quirk and that is just what they were being tested on. Everyone else had either been born with theirs or developed them by an early age. Izuku had barely had time to develop his. Even the months he had since his acceptance into UA felt inadequate.

Stepping up, he felt like once more, he would lose his chance. He had already come close before. His luck could run out.

No. He had come this far. Others believed in him. But what if he let them down?

Izuku took a deep breath. With a snap, the greenette tossed the ball as hard as he could, concentrating his energy into his finger. It went flying with a satisfying velocity. Aside from the pain of a broken extremity, it felt good.

"Holy...did you know he could do that?"

"Maybe? Not exactly that though! NICE JOB, BABE! YOU SHOULD PITCH FOR THE ROGERS!" Mina could not contain her excitement she knew she would have to though. Nobody else among the students really knew Izuku's secret. She felt bad, knowing that there was a reason but that her and Izuku still had to lie to their friends. It felt wrong. Perhaps in time, All Might would ease up, but even she knew when to ease up.

The quirk apprehension tests continued until all were ranked. Her spine tingled, knowing that someone would probably be sent home. What if it was Izuku, even after all he went through? She supposed she had to be prepared for that but it still had her on edge. Sure, she was willing to stand up for him to All Might of all people.

Unlike All Might however, this Aizawa guy was scary. That erasure quirk made her quiver. How come the guy who could punch a building had to be less intimidating than the sleepy hobo with the scarf. The world was weird.

Similarly, Izuku was shaking.

"Well, the time has come. After judging you all accordingly and tabulating your scores, the one going home is...nobody. I never planned on eliminating anyone."

"It was a logical ruse." Aizawa gave an unsettling smile, the smile of someone who was not used to smiling. "If I offered up that threat, you would all push yourselves to do your best without holding back. Looks like it worked. Don't think things will be easy from here on out though. And you..." Aizawa pointed at Izuku.

"That is a strong power but you clearly don't have a good handle on it. Fix that…"

And with that, the Erasure hero rounded a corner and headed back to the classroom.

X

It had only been a day or so, but Mina had gotten to know the rest of her class a little so far. She was hoping to see the other class though. Apparently Setsuna was in that one, as was Bakugou. The pink girl felt bad for anyone who had to deal with him. She still wasn't sure of Izuku's reasoning for not having him expelled. She trusted her boyfriend and would respect his wishes, but she still wasn't a big fan of it or Bakugou.

At least she didn't have to worry about her boyfriend's abuser trying to beat the shit out of him again.

"Ashido, was it? You know people in 1b, yes?" Ibara asked. She seemed nice, if not very devout.

"I mean, mostly two. Bakugou is a big jerk. How much, I can't say out of respect for... someone else. But Tokage is really cool. Her aunt and mine have a daughter together and we have been in the same dance class for years."

"I suppose. I hope we can build a kindred relationship with our sister class, even the wicked one of which you speak."

"I suppose he is pretty wicked. I kind of wish Izuku had spoken up about him. He clearly is still afraid...but he said he wanted to let Mr. Explosions prove himself and learn to grow. Is that too forgiving?" Mina asked, clenching her mouth shut when she had almost let slip the history between Izuku and Bakugou.

"Forgiveness is something we must all do, I suppose. There are wicked souls who must be punished and shown the light, but perhaps wicked is another word for lost?"

"I mean...I'm pretty lost about the kid's deal but I suppose. At least he is in another class. Anyway, thanks for listening, ibashio!,

"Iba...shio?"

"Yeah. Ibara Shiozaki...but like, shortened. Like it?" Mina asked in a sing-song manner. Ibara frowned slightly.

"I am not sure. You seem like a friendly and kind soul, so I suppose I can get used to it." Ibara nodded with a polite smile.

"See? We're friends already. Hey! You know, you, my boyfriend, and my one friend in 1-B could form a team! Team green bean!"

Ibara blushed slightly at the enthusiasm and folded her hands.

"I...I am good, thank you. I appreciate your spirit though. I must go pray for now. I wish for the Lord to give me strength."

Mina found it odd that the new girl was praying right before lunch but that was her prerogative. Christianity was rare in Japan, even these days. It wasn't unheard of though. With that, the pink girl called over to her friends. "Let's get some food, everybody! I can't wait to dig in!"

Perhaps Ibara could be among her group some day.

X

Lunch Rush cafe was one of the best parts of UA. It was like if a food court and a school cafeteria had an affair and the resulting child had all the best traits of its sexier parent. Mina and Izuku found themselves at a booth with Ochako Uraraka and Tenya Iida, with Tsuyu and Kirishima joining them not long after

"So how long have you been dating? How did you meet?"

"I hate to say it, but you and Ashido seem like quite an odd pair."

"I think they are cute. It's like they are a couple of Pink and Green pom poms"

"I mean...she has been one of my biggest cheerleaders. Even before we realized how we felt, she became one of my best friends at a time I...didn't have any."

"Yeppers. We literally ran into Each other. It was like something out of an anime. How's that for a meet-cute?" Mina cheered, picking up some broccoli with her chopsticks and cheerfully feeding it to her boyfriend.

"We were there too. We kind of had a bet going on to see how long it would take for them to date. I won." Tsuyu croaked cheerfully as she ate her bento, which she had made herself in a frog-themed arrangement.

Ochako was torn between the cuteness of Tsuyu's froggy food and the equal cuteness of her first two friends at UA. She was foaming at the mouth at how romantic it was. "I'm so jealous. I hope I find a cute romance like you too."

"Need I remind you all that we are here to become the next generation of heroes and not for high school hanky panky." Tenya adjusted his glasses in a serious fashion, trying to appear authoritative. Instead, he came off as a stick in the mud. A stick that could go zoom on orange juice fumes.

"Nice wordplay, dude. Sounds like a hair metal album. No need to be so serious though." Kirishima noshed thoughtfully on some barbecue ribs he got from Lunch Rush.

"Yeah, dad! Lighten up!" Mina laughed as she took a bite of natto.

Izuku smiled at the whole scene. He felt truly happy. He was in his dream school, working to become a hero under his idol. He had friends, and even a girlfriend. Things had looked up for him since that day. The day he met All Might. No. Even before that.

The day he met Mina. Things were making up to get challenging and he was still not used to it, but he felt he had good support.

Likewise, Mina was happy. She had always been praised as a good potential hero by people who knew her, but Izuku helped her put into focus what she liked about it.

Sure, she had wanted to fall in love, but that was a back burner thing. Helping others who were treated poorly and offering them a lifeline and a source of warmth was something she found to be just as cool as stopping any villain.

X

Meanwhile...

Katsuki sat in his seat, listening to Vlad king explain their training exercises. He had done well in the apprehension portion, but still had growing to do. That seemed to be the car for everyone. This was such a slog.

He had heard the homeroom teacher for 1a had expelled an entire class before. The thought of Deku and his stupid fan club getting kicked out gave him some joy but it turned out to be nothing more than a ruse. Could he have anything good happen? Even getting into UA felt spoiled for him.

Back in middle school, he was a big he was nothing more than a fish in a large lake rather than the biggest one in a pond of small dry.

And that wasn't even waiting for the other shoe to drop. That kid with the shitty hair, Deku, raccoon eyes, and the frog knew about how he had treated the quirkless runt. Apparently said runt was not as quirkless as believed.

And now he had the balls to abandon that damn nickname. It took him long enough.

So why was Katsuki so worried? Why were things changing so much? How was he not expelled? Was Deku dragging it out? What was going on? This was going to drive him mad. Not even the bell for lunch gave him any relief.

"I just have to show them. I'll show all those extras who belongs here." Katsuki growled to himself as he made his way down the hall

"You ok?" A girl with a ponytail and freckles politely tapped his shoulder. Her name was irrelevant to Katsuki but he was sure he heard it as Kendou.

"Don't you fucking touch me, you ginger bitch! Who wears side ponytails anyway?"

Kendou sighed and frowned. Apparently that wasn't going to work.

"You remind me of that hag I call my mother." the blonde boy scoffed.

"Guess I have to find a different way to reign you in, huh?"

"I don't need a fucking muzzle. You need to mind your own business."

"On the contrary, my rude friend. I think that is exactly what you need. And quite possibly a better personality," another blonde-haired boy spoke up, his voice oozing with the kind of smarm Katsuki couldn't stand as if he wasn't pissed enough as is. It was a different kind of anger, but anger nonetheless.

Kendou was about to back off, planning to regroup. Unfortunately, she needed to step in and quell her two classmates.

"Ok, that is enough of that." She sighed, knocking some sense into the other boy; Neito Monoma. With that, she dragged Monoma away and left Katsuki alone.

Katsuki seemed driven and had a lot of potential. However there was definitely baggage there. She just hoped he wouldn't take it out on everyone else. As for Neito, he was similarly driven, but seemed to be a different fish entirely. One that was a handful, and yet potentially less tricky than his explosive counterpart.

The class' big sister would have to keep a cautious eye out for the bombshell boy in particular. Her eyes followed his, however, to a table where 6 1-A students were sat.

They seemed like a pleasant bunch. Setsuna knew some of them pretty well. Her grumpy classmate apparently knew them too. Perhaps if she got to know them, she could get some clues on how to get this boy to interact with his classmates more.

X

Izuku was both ecstatic and neurotic. It was time for a special class with none other than the Symbol of Peace himself: All Might.

Even after a year of training with the man, Izuku couldn't help but fanboy. And yet there was also the pressure of being able to adjust to such a powerful quirk his body wasn't used to, as well as inevitably being the next All Might.

And now here he was, walking a corridor into the training grounds for this basic training exercise. Everyone looked so cool and it was sort of intimidating. Still, even if his costume looked like a smiling bunny, the green-haired boy was proud of it.

Mina, who was nearby, had squeed over it and was about to use a nickname she had heard Ink use. That was until their friend from the entrance exams showed up, slightly embarrassed by how snug her super suit was.

Izuku averted his eyes a little while Mina just gushed. "OCHAKO, HOLY COW! YOUR COSTUME IS SUPER CUTE!"

The brunette rubbed the back of her head and smiled.

"Thanks. It is a bit form fitting but it is pretty similar to what I wanted."

"It's got an astronaut vibe to it! You're like a cool space girl!" Mina pumped her fist in the air.

"You like Space?" Ochako perked up and could feel a rush of excitement in her chest. Izuku couldn't help but smile. It was nice not being the only one nerding out for a change.

"Well yeah! I look like an alien. It comes with the territory. Plus, stars are so pretty!"

"I like your costume too, Uraraka. It reminds me of Thirteen!" Izuku finally chimed in.

"Thirteen is my favorite. That means a lot."

Mina gasped and, forgetting her surroundings, blurted out "Mine too! Eeeeee! Space sisters!"

The two girls chatted animatedly until All Might cleared his throat. "Is everyone ready? Let me explain the conditions."

The students gathered around and listened intently. One student in particular seemed intent on listening.

Her costume left little to the imagination but she seemed rather studious. Apparently, she had entered upon recommendation. There were only 4 students per year who made it in that way. Those who did not pass the entry exam often attended other hero schools.

"Do you think she knows Tokage?" Mina whispered to Izuku. He shrugged and focused on All Might's words.

"Ok, everyone!" All Might, explained. "It's like this!"

X

Meanwhile…

Crowds swarmed by. Musutafu wasn't the busiest area but it was far from sleepy. It was home to the most prestigious hero school in Japan, and possibly the world, after all.

And with news that the #1 hero was teaching at UA now, things could only get more hectic.

"It's just like sensei said…" a young man walked by, head hung low as he dug his hands into his hoodie pockets. He was extra careful about the finger placement. He only had so many goodies after all.

This young man had been scouting the area for a while now, ever since the rumors started swirling about.

A crusty smile crept onto the chapped lips of the young man.

"Time to start the game then. Press...start…"