Chapter Three: I Just Go With The Flow (REDUX)

Jirou hadn't seen Midoriya since that day, although they had texted pretty regularly despite his embarrassment, he seemed to always be too busy to meet up. It was odd, what activities could a nerd do to keep him busy for that long outside of school?

Jirou decided to just ignore it and go for a run at Municipal Beach, sure there was a lot of trash, but it helps as an obstacle course. Maybe she could get into doing some parkour… It would be beneficial to the activities she'd have to do as a hero.

As she headed to the beach, she heard grunting and metal grinding. Peering over the guardrail, who else does she see besides her broccoli-headed friend? What was he doing here, and lifting up such heavy home appliances at that? Was he avoiding her?

"Wh- Midoriya!?" She called out. Midoriya, who was carrying a fridge on his own, looks over and puts the fridge down. "What are you doing here? Have you been ignoring me!?"

"A-Ah! Jirou, strange seeing you here, huh?" He replied walking up the stairs to where she was. He knew she would assume he'd avoid her, but he couldn't let her find out about his secret training with All Might.

The main questions she had were; why was he here? Why is he so god damned ripped!? Seriously, the transformation that he went through really was surprising. Was he out here working out all those times she invited him to hangout?

"Well, I was going to do some training but what the hell are you doing here? Are you cleaning the beach? And how'd you get so jacked, dude!?" Jirou asked. Normally she wasn't one to pry into people's business but this was quite the big change from the Midoriya she knew! He's even stuttering less, this had to be some sort of miracle.

"Yeah, I-Im cleaning the beach. It's a part of my training regimen to become a hero! I'm doing this to help apply to U.A." He answered, rubbing the back of his neck. Jirou was quite confused, how was strength alone going to help him pass the test with no quirk? It wasn't that she didn't think he could, it just seemed more implausible without a quirk.

"Wait, aren't you quirkless, Midoriya? How are you planning on passing?" She questioned further. Just then a scrawny blonde man appeared from the parking lot, calling down to the greenette before her.

"Young Midoriya- O-Oh, who's this? A friend of yours?" He asked in his deep, raspy voice. Midoriya nods, and turns to the man, with Jirou following in suit. Who was this man?

"T-Toshi-san, this is Kyouka Jirou, A friend from school. Jirou, this is Yagi Toshinori. M-My uh… Trainer?" Saying that last part as a question started to make Jirou get suspicious. She squinted her eyes at the greenette, causing him to grow increasingly nervous. Perhaps the spike in his heartbeat wasn't exactly from the exercises.

"Right.. So 'Toshi-San', how do you plan on helping Midoriya here, get into U.A. if he's quirkless? Not to say that I don't believe in him, but I'm curious. What's your plan?" All Might visibly flinches. Should he tell her? He looks to Midoriya, and the look in his eyes tells him he can trust her.

All Might sighs and prepares himself for another long explanation.

"WHAT!?" Jirou exclaimed her eyes practically bulging out of her head. To say Jirou was baffled was an understatement. She looked to Midoriya for confirmation and he nodded. She looked back to All Might, then to Midoriya who had an intense look on his face. She sighed.

"Well, Midoriya, you have your work cut out for you. Seriously man, what have you gotten yourself into?" She says, looking at him with growing concern before scratching her head and sighing. "But I guess I have no choice but to keep your secret. I'll be here to help you every step of the way, if you'll let me. I'll even train with you! That way we can hang out a bit more."

Midoriya, upon hearing this, gets so excited he quickly wraps his arms around her, embracing her as tightly as he could. "That's a great idea, Jirou! Thank you so much!"

They both then realize what's happening and separate, blushing profusely. "S-Sorry, uh.. I-I-I didn't mean to do that, I j-just got too excited and-"

He starts sputtering out a million words a minute as his face is lit up like a tomato. Jirou's not doing too well herself and her face is also quite the nice shade of red. Toshinori watching all of this sighs in a hint of frustration. These kids sure were a handful.

"Ch-Chill Midoriya, it's fine. I-It's not like I didn't like it either, Cabbage Patch." She says, mumbling the last part. Of course Midoriya and All Might heard her, which puts Midoriya in a catatonic state. All Might just clears his throat so his presence is still known, snapping them out of their flustered states.

"Well, if young Midoriya is fine with it, then I can allow you two to train together. But no distractions, please." All Might stated. They both nod with a determined look in their eyes. The future of heroism is in the hands of this generation.

The two future-heroes then head onto the beach doing their own respective training for the day. All Might even offered to help fix up Jirou's training regimen much to her delight. The two ended up on a jog together back to Jirou's house due to Midoriya wanting to walk her home, but also maximize his workout time.

"I'm glad that we're friends, Jirou. I just want you to know that." Midoriya says after they had sat together in a long silence. Just their footsteps being heard. This statement puzzles Jirou, where is this coming from? Why was he saying this?

"Why're you getting all sentimental on me, Broccoli boy? I mean I'm glad we're friends too, but what's with the change in attitude?" She asked, turning to look at the boy, who was already staring at her. He smiled at her and shrugged. Jirou's heart throbs at the sight. 'What's up with that look on his face!? His smile too!'

"I don't know, really… I just thought I should tell you that. It's nice to have a normal friend again, so thank you. I appreciate it." He responds, turning his focus back on the jog. Jirou stops jogging and looks at the boy. He stops and turns around to see her stopped, and he quirked a brow.

"You don't have to thank me y'know? I'm just as happy about all this as you are." She said walking back up to the boy, and lightly punching his shoulder. The two looked at each other and smiled, it was then that any doubt that Midoriya had about telling Jirou his secret was pointless. He could, and would trust her.

"Besides, we're here. Want to come in for a drink?" She asked, pointing to the house they were in front of. Her dad was staring out the window at the boy, angry as all hell. This caught Midoriya's eye and he started shaking violently.

"U-Uh, I-I think I'm g-gonna have to pass this time, J-Jirou. I think y-your dad hates me enough already." He replied, gesturing to the window. At which Jirou glares at her father, and he flinches before walking away. She sighs and nods.

"Alright, but don't let the old man scare you. He can't hurt a fly. But I'll catch you tomorrow right? Maybe after training we could go to the mall or something?" She offered. Midoriya pondered it, but if it's just one day after training why not?

He nods and starts to walk off, waving to Jirou as she walks inside her home. Jirou, upon walking inside and closing the door behind her, screams for her father. She stomps her way over to the living room where he is cowering in fear behind her mother.

"What the hell is your problem, old man!?" She shouts out, taking a step towards her parents. Her mother puts a hand out halting the girl completely. The two women glared at one another before Jirou sighs, "Fine, go ahead and ask your questions, I already know you want to."

Kyotoku Jirou speaks up, "Who was that, boy? I've never seen him around before. Why didn't you tell us you got a boyfriend?"

Jirou smacks a hand on her forehead and blushes, "H-He's not my boyfriend. He's a friend from school, and starting today we're also 'workout buddies'. Along with his trainer that is." The girl then rolls her eyes at her parents' gazes and heads up to her room.

Honestly her dad can be really annoying but her mom was just either a massive bully, or the scariest person you would ever meet. Jirou sighs as she plops down on her bed, looking back to what just transpired, I mean do her and Midoriya really look like they could be dating? Yes definitely but there's no way in hell she would agree to that.

I mean he obviously values their friendship way too much to try and date her. Plus he's trying to be a hero! There's no way she could interfere with that, there'd be too much guilt on her conscience. Not only that, but she wasn't exactly the best person to date. She hardly even seemed like a girl, probably even more so in his eyes.

Jirou gets up and decides to shower and just get her mind off of it, unfortunately for her that means having to look at herself in the mirror. Now in reality she was a lot more attractive than she thinks, but in her eyes she sees a pretty flat chested girl with a boyish haircut, and a deep monotone voice. She's kinda… Bland.

"What would that boy even see in me, if he did like me?" She said, smirking at the thought of Midoriya fainting at the sight of her right now. Though she knew for a fact that could never be the truth. He would probably be disgusted by seeing her.

Speaking of Midoriya, he was at home with the image of Jirou in a sports bra and leggings burned into his memory. Muttering to himself in his room about not being able to believe it, before his mom comes knocking on his door.

"Uh, Izuku honey? Come out here for a second, you got something from your father in the mail!" She called, urging him to come out. Izuku sighs, of course his mood would have to be ruined at the mention of his father.

Hisashi Midoriya, although a friendly man and seemingly all about family, has never been a part of the young boy's life aside from letters and the occasional phone call on Christmas. Regardless of that it's rare for his father to actually send something to him.

He walks out of his room to see his mother holding quite the large box, to which he quirked a brow at his mother. She just simply shrugs and gives him a nervous smile.

"This better be something good, he never sends anything worthwhile besides some money-" He starts, being cut off by his mother's huff of anger. She always hated the fact that he resented her husband, though it was always understandable. Hisashi was hardly around, so Izuku had no choice but to grow up not feeling any certain way about his father.

"Izuku! Be grateful he got you a gift! Open it, he said he picked it out himself. Said he wanted to share a bit of his own ambitions with you." She scolded. Izuku opened the box to see a guitar? Izuku looked at his mother to be looking at it with nostalgia rushing through her.

"A guitar?" He questioned, looking at his mother who seemingly started tearing up. This was actually quite baffling for Midoriya because his father never seemed to be one for music, in actuality Hisashi was quite as 'plain' as he was. At least he had some stubble going for him.

"Your father used to play guitar when he was in highschool, that's actually how we met." She answered bashfully. Izuku looked at his father's electric guitar which seemed to be hydro-dipped in green and purple?

"Mom, I don't mean to alarm you, but I can't play guitar. What am I supposed to do with this?" Izuku really was very hard to please when anything came from his father. Inko knew how he had felt toward Hisashi but they were the two most important men in her life and god dammit they would get along!

"W-Well maybe I can pay for you to have some lessons or maybe one of your friends can teach you?" She said, excitedly. Quickly stepping in front of Izuku as she stared at him with pleading eyes. "I-I know you don't like your father very much, but could you please try, Izuku? For me?"

Midoriya sighs and nods, he can't so no to his mother's pleading face. Maybe learning the guitar would be kind of cool, at least then maybe he'd have more in common with Ji- Wait!

He could have lessons with Jirou, isn't she all about that? He'll have to ask her tomorrow when he gets the chance.

All Midoriya could do is hope she'd actually agree.

Here's the next REDUX chapter!

With this chapter we see Izuku taking on the training for OFA as well as Kyouka founding out about Izuku's secret.

We also get some hints into Hisashi Midoriya, but again, not too many changes are made.

Anyway, as always, I hope you guys enjoy!

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