On most days his nap during lunch would get him through the rest of the day, but today was different. His last period of the day is history, one of his favorite classes, but instead of his regular teacher there was a substitute and they didn't know what they were doing. So instead of continuing with the topic they were currently working on, the sub handed out a worksheet and made them go through the textbook to help them answer the questions on the worksheet.
It was one of the hardest things Izuku ever had to do. Just keeping his head up was a challenge in itself, and when you add the task of re-reading a textbook just to find an answer that might not even be in the book, Izuku felt like he would pass out there on the spot. He almost cried when he heard the final bell.
After packing up his things he met Fumikage outside of his classroom and they began to walk home.
"There's this new burger place that opened up by my house, would you and Tsuyu like to join me later for an early dinner?" Fumikage asked.
"I'll ask Miss Azumi to see if I can go," Izuku responded with a yawn.
"Didn't get enough sleep during lunch?"
"I did, it's just because of last period," Izuku answered while rubbing his eyes. "We had a sub."
"Got it," Fumikage said while nodding.
They reached the part of the road where they went their separate ways. They said goodbye and made their way to their homes.
"If you're allowed to go, we'll be meeting up at my place around 5," Izuku heard his friend call out. He responded with a thumbs up, signaling that he heard him.
After a short jog, Izuku made it back to the orphanage. After entering the building, he took off his shoes and made his way to a closet, and pulled out a vacuum cleaner. Since none of the caretakers were at the orphanage they asked him to clean the place up while they went to get the children. He put on his headphones and got to work.
He first vacuumed the downstairs before making his way upstairs and continued cleaning. After vacuuming, Izuku then started to dust around the house. He was just about to finish the living room when he saw the front door open and all the children and caretakers walk in.
"Hey, Miss Azumi, I'm almost done with this," Izuku said when he saw her. She responded with a smile and took the duster from his hand.
"Don't worry about it, I can take it from here," Miss Azumi said as she continued where Izuku left off. Izuku knew it was pointless to argue with her, so he just let her continue cleaning.
Seeing that he was done with his chores for the day, Izuku went up to his room to work on his homework. As he was on his way to his room, Izuku walked past Glasses, and ever since he returned from the hospital she changed.
First would be the obvious, her appearance. Her once fully black hair now has a couple of gray strands and her skin was white as snow. But what changed the most was her attitude towards Izuku, no longer the stuck-up, nagging businesswoman, but now more of a reclusive intern trying her best not to anger her boss. Izuku didn't know what Miss Azumi did to her, nor did he want to know.
Izuku entered his bedroom and sat at his desk and began his homework.
An hour passed as Izuku was just finishing up with his last problem. It wasn't a lot of work, but when you're as tired as he was, a few worksheets could feel like a seventeen-page essay. Izuku rested his head on his desk, trying to sneak a few minutes of sleep. Try as he might, Izuku wasn't sneaky enough because there was a knock on his door, ruining his dreams of sleeping.
Izuku opened his door, revealing Miss Azumi with a basket full of clothes.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting something, I'm just here to collect your dirty clothes," Miss Azumi said as she started pulling out dirty clothes from Izuku's hamper.
"It's fine, I wasn't doing anything anyway," Izuku replied.
"Ok," Miss Azumi said as she finished cleaning out the hamper. "Just to let you know, we're having yaki udon for dinner."
"Actually, Fumikage invited me and Tsu out to dinner."
"To his place?"
"No, to a burger place that just opened up."
"When?"
"We'll be meeting at his place around 5."
Miss Azumi was quiet for a couple of seconds causing Izuku to worry. Ever since he was released from the hospital, Miss Azumi became apprehensive whenever he went out late, especially when it's around the time when the sun sets. The only time she would ever let him go out late is when she's there with him.
"Alright, just make sure you're back before it gets dark."
"Really?!" Izuku said in shock.
"Yeah," she said as she made her way to the door. "I don't want to prevent you from hanging out with your friends."
"Thanks, Miss Azumi."
"You're welcome, but promise me that you'll make good decisions and be safe."
"I promise," Izuku told her with a hand over his heart.
"Good," she said as she started to leave, but stopped as she turned back to Izuku. "Also, the other caretakers and I are going to be cleaning all the bedsheets later, so don't be surprised if you come back to see your bed stripped of its sheets."
"Alright, thanks for letting me know," Izuku said before Miss Azumi left to do the laundry.
Izuku looked at his clock and saw that it was a quarter past 4. Knowing that it would take over half an hour to get to Fumikage's house, Izuku quickly changed out of his school uniform and into a plain white t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and his green sweatshirt. Izuku then grabbed his notebook from under his mattress and put it in his sweatshirt pocket, not wanting Miss Azumi or any other caretaker to find out about his late-night escapades, and some money as well. Izuku made his way downstairs after he finished getting ready.
"I'm going now," Izuku called out.
"Alright, have fun!" Izuku heard Miss Azumi shout from the kitchen.
Izuku exited through the front door and began his journey to Fumikage's house. He texted in the group chat that he was on his way and quickly received a response from Fumikage, indicating that he saw it.
Knowing that he has a long way to go before he reaches his friend's house, Izuku started to brainstorm on how he'll be able to get direct evidence to help put the villains he faces away for a long time.
'I could try recording my fights, but how would I be able to record them and with what? I could always use my phone, but that would mean I would either have to fight with one hand or waste time setting it up to record the fight, risking a citizen's health, the villain getting away or both. Maybe I'll buy a video camera, but I'll be in the same situation that I would be in if I used my phone. And how would I be able to turn in the video without it being traced back to me?'
Izuku groaned in frustration, he never thought that getting evidence would be so hard, and that stuff is always left behind at crime scenes.
"Maybe some food will help me think," Izuku said as he quickened his pace to Fumikage's house.
It didn't take as long as he thought it would to reach Fumikage's house as he saw it in the distance. It's a one-floor house with a small porch out front. He lives in the weird part of Musutafu where his house is close to the city, but still far enough away to be classified as the suburbs. Izuku was a little jealous of where his friend lives because of how close it is to the city.
Izuku was about to run the rest of the way but stopped in his tracks when he saw Tsuyu walking towards Fumikage's house. Even though Izuku was far away, he was able to point out that she was wearing a white sundress, black leggings, and was carrying a green purse.
Ever since she visited him at the hospital, things became awkward between them. They haven't really talked much since then, only whenever Fumikage invites them out, like tonight.
"Well that has to change," Izuku said to himself as he began to jog. "We need to get over what happened and have things go back to the way things were."
Tsuyu didn't know why she was here. Maybe it's because Fumikage invited her or maybe she just wanted to get out of the house. But whatever the reason was that compelled her to show has faded because she wants nothing more than to leave right now, and she knows the cause for that.
Izuku Midoriya.
Now, Tsuyu doesn't dislike him, not in the slightest, but she just can't bear to be near him. It wasn't even Izuku's fault that she feels this way, it's because whenever she sees him she thinks back to what happened at the hospital. She gets flustered just thinking about it.
Now, finding herself in a situation where she knows she'll have to interact with him, she began to feel apprehensive.
"Maybe he doesn't even remember what happened?" she muttered to herself. "No, he would. Anyone with a good memory would remember that, ribbit." She stood before the door, thinking about her next step.
"I can't do this," she said out loud. "I should leave before anyone sees me."
Tsuyu turned to leave but froze when she saw Izuku standing behind her.
"H-hey Tsu," Izuku said lightly.
They stood before each other awkwardly, waiting for the other to make the first move.
"L-listen-"
"I-"
Izuku indicated for her to continue.
"I just want to say sorry," Tsuyu told him.
"For what?" Izuku asked.
"For what I did last week, ribbit."
"Oh, that," Izuku said softly. "Don't worry about it."
"B-but I-"
"Listen," Izuku interrupted her. "What happened, happened. All we can do is acknowledge it and move on or pretend it didn't happen."
"Alright, I think I can do that, ribbit," Tsuyu said, feeling a massive weight being lifted from her shoulders.
"So, should we let Fumikage know that we're here or just keep standing on his front porch like a bunch of solicitors?" Izuku jokingly said, indicating towards the door.
"I guess we should, ribbit," Tsuyu said while turning towards the door. "Besides, we don't have anything to sell or advertise."
"If you give me some time I can come up with something," Izuku joked, causing Tsuyu to chuckle as she knocked on the door.
It didn't take long for Fumikage to answer. He was dressed in a purple t-shirt, covered by a gray jacket, and black khakis.
"You ready to venture out into the concrete jungle to vanquish our hunger?" Fumikage announced as he stepped out of his house.
"Sure," both Izuku and Tsuyu said, unaffected by how their friend speaks.
"Then I shall lead us to our destination," Fumikage said as he led both of his friends away from his house.
It didn't take them long to reach their destination. They stood before a corner store with a sign that read, "Flippy's Bites" on the window. Other than the window, the restaurant was just a plain building that blended into its surroundings. Izuku and Tsuyu didn't know what to make of this place, but since they were hungry they decided to save their opinions until they ate.
They entered the building and it was like they traveled back in time because the restaurant's interior had an American 1960's aesthetic. It had a black and white checkered-patterned floor, a teal-colored wall decorated with signs and posters of famous figures from history, popular food and drink products, and a road sign. There was also a bar area with red-cushioned stools.
They walked up to the hostess area and were greeted by a woman with short red hair, who was wearing a yellow-colored polo with a white collar, and a white apron covering a yellow skirt.
"Hello, how many are we serving today?"
"Three."
"And would you like a booth or a table?"
"A booth would be fine."
The hostess grabbed three menus and beckoned for the group of young teens to follow her. She led them to a booth that was close to the bar area, and just like the stools, the booth cushions were red. Izuku was the first to sit down with Tsuyu sitting next to him while Fumikage sat across from them. The hostess handed out menus to the teens before heading back to her post.
"Well… this place is colorful," Izuku said.
"Yeah, I never thought you were into the 1960s American aesthetic, Fumikage," Tsuyu added.
"I'm not, I just didn't know this was the restaurant's theme," Fumikage stated.
"How did you not know, ribbit?"
"When my family and I were in the city the other day, I saw this place have its grand opening and I thought it would be nice to invite my friends out for dinner," he answered.
"Well this place does have its charm," Izuku said while looking around at all the decorations. "There's even a jukebox in the corner."
"Yeah, and there could be worse places to eat, ribbit."
"Let's just try the food first and if we like it then we could always come back," Fumikage proposed as he began to look through his menu. Both Izuku and Tsuyu agreed as they read through their menus as well.
As Izuku read through each item on the menu he could both hear and feel his stomach rumble. Everything sounded good and the few pictures that he saw on the menu looked delicious. He wondered if both of his friends were feeling the same way he is. They pulled away from their menus when they heard footsteps stop at their table.
"Hello, my name is Jun and I'll be your waitress tonight," she said. She was wearing the same uniform as the hostess. "Is this your first time eating at Flippy's?"
"It is."
"Well first off, welcome, and second can I start you off with any drinks?"
"I'll have an unsweetened iced tea," Tsuyu started off.
" A Diet Dr. Thunder," Fumikage said.
"And I'll have a Frosted Punch," Izuku finished off.
"Okay," Jun said as she finished writing down the drink orders. "And are you ready to order or do you need a few more minutes to look over our menu?"
The group looked amongst themselves.
"Well, I'm ready to order," Izuku said.
"As well am I," Fumikage retorted.
"Alright, then I'll have the turkey burger with coleslaw, ribbit."
"The black bean burger with waffle fries," Fumikage ordered.
"The bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato chips, please," Izuku requested.
"Alright then, your drinks will be ready in a little bit," Jun said as she took the menus and headed back towards the kitchen.
"Coleslaw? Really?" Izuku asked Tsuyu.
"What's wrong with coleslaw?" Tsuyu asked defensively.
"Nothing… if you're a fan of soggy salad."
"I don't understand why you aren't a fan of coleslaw, ribbit. It's one of the best sides you can get with burgers," Tsuyu retorted. "And besides, it's not the weirdest thing someone in our group eats. Fumikage likes pineapple on pizza and you like to eat rice with ketchup, so relatively speaking me liking coleslaw is pretty normal, ribbit."
"Ketchup gives rice that added extra flavor. What flavor does coleslaw have?"
"If done right, it's a great mixture of sweet, sour, and salty."
"I just don't understand how you could eat that slop."
"How about this, if you eat some of my coleslaw then I'll try ketchup on rice," Tsuyu proposed
"Fine," Izuku turned his attention to Fumikage. "Do you wanna get in on this?"
"Sure, I will partake in this little venture of yours. Though I am skeptical about eating ketchup on rice," Fumikage said while Dark Shadow nodded.
Jun came back with their drinks. She gave Tsuyu her iced tea, placed Fumikages soda in front of him, and slid Izuku his red slushie before returning back to the kitchen. Tsuyu added some sugar to her drink so it had the right amount of sweetness. Izuku took a couple of sips from his drink before yawning.
"Well, I'm gonna take a short nap. Wake me when the food gets here," Izuku said as he rested his head back on the cushion.
"OK," Fumikage said as he drank his soda.
A minute passed without anyone talking. Tsuyu was busy texting her family while Fumikage paid attention to his drink but every now and then he'll look at Izuku. Tsuyu noticed this and decided to ask him about it.
"Why do you keep looking at Izuku, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked, startling her bird-headed friend.
"Oh, um, you know how it's been two weeks since Izuku was released from the hospital?" Fumikage inquired.
Tsuyu nodded. Ever since her hospital visit, Tsuyu limited her interactions with the group, only ever talking with them over the phone or in the group chat.
"Well, it started about a week ago when I talked with Izuku before class, he seemed tired. I didn't think much of it then, but now it seems like he takes a nap when the opportunity presents itself."
"Maybe that one caretaker piled his workload at the orphanage, ribbit?" Tsuyu inquired after taking a sip from her iced tea.
Fumikage shook his head. "No, that's not it, he told me himself that his workload was reduced after he was released."
"Then do you think that maybe he's hiding something? Maybe the doctors found something wrong with him?" Tsuyu asked, feeling a little alarmed.
"I don't know, but he does seem happier than he was before."
"Do you think that could mean something?"
"Maybe, but if you're right and the doctors did find something wrong with him then maybe he's trying to live his life to the fullest?" Fumikage suggested. Tsuyu didn't like hearing that, she didn't like the thought of her friend possibly dying and that he's keeping it a secret.
"Don't say that!" Tsuyu exclaimed, causing Fumikage to choke on his drink. "Don't say something that serious, if Izuku was really sick then he would tell us, ribbit!"
"I'm not, all I'm saying is that he hasn't really been the same since his release!" Fumikage clarified. "If it really was something that serious then don't you think Izuku would tell us about it?"
"I guess, but did you ask him why he's been sleeping so much?"
"No, because if it was important then he would've told us about it," Fumikage said while looking at his friend. "And besides, he's happier now than he was before so I didn't really think much about it."
"Do you think we should ask him about it then?"
"No, if it was important then he would've told us already," Fumikage pulled out his phone to check any missed messages he had during their conversation. "And besides, it's not like he's breaking the law or anything."
"I guess you're right, ribbit," Tsuyu said. "So, who you texti-!"
"My mother, she wants a picture…" Distracted by their conversation both Tsuyu and Fumikage failed to notice Izuku's head slide from the cushion and land on Tsuyu's shoulder. Tsuyu tried her best not to get overly flustered, while Fumikage tried to suppress Dark Shadow long enough to prevent him from taking another picture.
They were saved when they saw Jun heading towards their table carrying their meals. Quickly, Tsuyu nudged Izuku off her shoulder, waking him up in the process. Jun passed out their dinners to each of them, but before she headed back to the kitchen Fumikage asked her to take a picture of them. She agreed and took a picture of the trio and headed back to the kitchen.
"Make sure you send me that," Izuku said.
"Don't worry, I'll send it to the group chat later," Fumikage said as he put his phone away.
Izuku was about to dig into his burger when Tsu plopped a small piece of coleslaw onto his tray, causing him to groan.
"I was hoping you forgot about that."
"Never on your life, ribbit."
(Line Break)
After finishing their meals and paying for their dinner the trio began their walk back to Fumikage's house.
"Ah, that was good," Izuku said as they exited from the restaurant.
"I have to admit I was pretty skeptical after seeing the decorations, but the food was pretty delicious," Fumikage added.
"I could see myself going back there, ribbit."
"Same here," Fumikage spoke. "Do you guys want to do anything else?"
"No, I promised Miss Azumi that I'd be back before it gets dark."
"And I need to get back home before my siblings drive the babysitter insane," said apologetically.
"Alright, maybe we could meet up for another time then," Fumikage chirped.
"Yeah, maybe we could…" As Izuku was talking, the world around him began to slow down. He quickly looked at his surroundings trying to find out where the danger was coming from. When he turned around he saw the face of someone he thought he would never see again.
"GET DOWN!" Izuku quickly tackled both of his friends to the ground.
*KABOOM*
"Deku!'
"H-hey Kacchan," Izuku stammered as he picked himself up. "H-how've you been?"
"What are you doing here Deku?" Bakugo growled.
"J-just h-hanging out with my f-friends."
"You have friends?" Bakugo laughed. "What kind of freaks would be friends with a quirkless loser like you?"
"Who're you calling a freak?!" Tsuyu spoke up.
Bakugo looked at the two characters that stood behind Deku. One was a girl with ugly frog features while the other one was a boy with a raven head and a bird shadow towering over him.
"These would be the type of freaks that would befriend you, a son of a bird fucker and frog face," Bakugo said.
"Hey shut up!"
"Huh?" Bakugo turned his attention to frog face who was giving him a cold look. He moved in close, his face just inches away from her's. "And what's gonna happen if I don't?"
"Two things are gonna happen. First, you're gonna back away from me. And second, you're gonna leave us alone, ribbit."
Bakugo paused for a second. Then he began to chuckle as he backed away from Tsuyu. "She even croaks like a frog too." He looked over to Fumikage. "Do you tweet like a bird?"
"I'll do more than tweet if you don't leave my friends alone!" Dark Shadow grew taller, yellow eyes glaring down at the ash-blonde teen.
"Is that a threat?" Bakugo said confidently as small explosions popped in his hands. "Because I'm not afraid of your shadow."
Even though he wasn't in any danger, time slowed down for Izuku. He looked around and saw that they were drawing a crowd, some were even recording the event in front of them. Public quirk use is against the law unless it's used in self-defense, and even though Bakugo started the altercation, Izuku knew he would fabricate the narrative where he was the victim, while he and his friends were the instigators. Izuku placed a hand on Fumikage's shoulder.
"Calm down, he's not worth it," Izuku whispered in his ear.
"What! But he attacked you and insulted me and Tsu!" Fumikage was flabbergasted, he didn't understand why his friend didn't want him to defend his friends against this psychotic bomber.
"I know but there are cameras and you don't want to do something that you'll regret for the rest of your life," Izuku squeezed Fumikage's shoulder. "Just calm down and walk away."
Izuku was right, Fumikage knew he was right as he looked around. He saw every phone pointed at him and felt Dark Shadow tower over him. He knew if he wanted to get into UA it wouldn't be great if there was a video of him attacking someone, even if they deserve it.
"Dark Shadow, let's go," Fumikage said as he turned to leave.
"What? After what he did, you just want to leave!?" Dark Shadow exclaimed as he got into the face of his host.
"He's not worth it," Fumikage broke away from the crowd and walked down the sidewalk.
"Wait up Fumikage!" Tsuyu cried out as she chased after her friend.
The crowd dispersed after they realized there wasn't going to be a fight. Izuku started to chase after his friends but froze after he heard Bakugo speak.
"Good to know you're still a coward, Deku," Bakugo said to him. Bakugo walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me tell you something, you are not special. You're just a quirkless nobody that no one would miss if you went missing or died, so why don't you do the world a favor and take a swan dive off of the tallest building you could find."
Izuku was mortified. He couldn't believe that his former childhood friend hated him so much that he told him to kill himself. Izuku looked at his former friend and didn't see the kid that wanted to be a hero, but a villain that's trying to masquerade as a hero.
"You're a monster," Izuku said softly.
"What was that?"
"You're a monster!" Izuku said louder. "No better than a villain!"
"No better than a villain?" Bakugo paused for a second, processing what was just said to him. His face turned red in anger, tiny explosions popping in his palms. "I'll show you who's a monster!"
Bakugo thrust his palms towards Izuku, intending to blast off Izuku's lie-spewing mouth. But Izuku was ready as Split Second activated, allowing Izuku time to grab Bakugo's wrists and point them back at his face.
*BOOM*
"AAHHH!"
With his opponent discombobulated and blinded, Izuku swept Bakugo's legs and ran after his friends.
(Line Break)
It took him a while to find his friends, but he found them on the outskirts of the city. He saw Tsu consoling an agitated Fumikage.
"Where have you been?" Tsu asked when she spotted the green-haired boy.
"Sorry, I was packing away a few loose ends," Izuku answered before turning his attention to Fumikage. "Hey buddy, how're you holding up?"
"Not too good. He's been like this for a while now, ribbit."
Izuku patted his friend on the back. "Listen, I know it was hard but you did the right thing."
"How?" Fumikage finally spoke. "He attacked you and insulted both Tsu and me, and all I did was walk away."
"Because you didn't give him any power over you." Fumikage gave his friend an odd look like his nose grew or his face shrunk. Seeing that he confused his friend, Izuku tried to clarify himself. "What I mean is, people like Kacchan like to make others feel inferior so they could feel superior. So when you walked away you showed him that you were better than him and that he held no power over you."
"Thanks, Izuku, I needed to hear that," Fumikage said as he shared a hug with Izuku. After they broke away they saw that Tsu had a thoughtful look.
"You know, you seem to know a lot about him," Tsuyu said and Izuku sighed. He never thought he was ever going to reveal his past to his friends, but then again he never thought he'd see Kacchan again.
"Yeah, it's because we used to be friends," Izuku revealed, shocking both of his friends.
"WHAT! But, you're nice!"
"And he's the complete opposite of nice, ribbit!"
"I know it's hard to believe, but we were friends at some point."
"When?" Fumikage asked.
"I guess since we were babies up until I was diagnosed as quirkless," Izuku said, which seemed to anger Tsu as she clenched her fists.
"So you're saying he stopped being your friend over something you had no control over?"
"I guess?"
"He's an asshole!" This shocked both Izuku and Fumikage, never before had they heard Tsuyu curse before.
"I have to agree with Tsu. What kind of person would do such a thing?"
"I guess you're right? I still remember the last thing he said to me the last time I saw him."
"What did he say?" Tsuyu said in a low voice. This was the angriest she ever felt. All the times she was bullied she would either just brush it off or never listen to what they say. But after hearing, and seeing, what that monster did to her friend, she wished that Fumikage unleashed Dark Shadow onto the psychopath.
"Well, shortly after my mother died, it was my first day back to school after the tragedy. We didn't really interact during the day until school ended. I was leaving the school grounds when he attacked me, gave me some serious burns too," Tsu gasped while Fumikage stayed silent, even though he was seething with rage on the inside. "After burning me he told me that it should've been me who died instead of my mother."
Fumikage and Tsuyu were quiet, processing what their friend told them. They experienced a variety of emotions of sadness and anger. They couldn't believe that someone so young had that much hate and anger in their heart.
"That son of a bitch," Tsuyu said.
"Hey! His mother was very nice to me," Izuku said defensively.
"I don't care! She should've done something about her psychotic child!" Tsuyu argued while Fumikage nodded in agreement.
Izuku sighed while running his hand through his hair. "She did. She tried yelling, grounding, and spanking him but nothing ever worked. I even remember her forcing him to sell some of his toys to help my mom replace my school uniforms that he destroyed, but that only made him angrier."
"Sounds like Kacchan's mom should've considered some anger management sessions," Fumikage said, causing Izuku to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Sorry, it's just the first time I heard someone else call him that," Izuku received some confused looks. "His real name is Katsuki Bakugo, but I call him Kacchan."
"Why?"
"I guess it's because it's what I've always called him."
"Then you should stop then," Tsu said bluntly.
"Huh?"
"Nicknames are only used for friends and after what you told us tonight, he's not your friend, ribbit."
"I know, it's just a force of habit you know."
"Well you better make it a habit of calling him Bakugo," Tsuyu said sternly. Izuku just nodded meekly, knowing it wouldn't be a good idea to argue with her.
"You know, he might even have to do that," Fumikage spoke up. "I mean this will probably be the last time we'll see him."
"I wouldn't count on it."
"Why?"
"When me and Kac... I mean Bakugo, were kids we always talked about being heroes. He always said he was going to be the future number one."
"And how does that affect us?" Tsuyu asked.
"He said he always wants to be the best and wouldn't want to settle for anything less," both Tsuyu and Fumikage realized what their friend was telling them. They didn't like the thought of the possibility that they'll be going to the same school as that lunatic.
"You're kidding?" Tsuyu said in shock. "He's probably one of the less heroic people in Japan, what makes you think they'll let him into UA?"
"Sometimes schools will tend to look the other way if they believe that one of their students could become a hero, and they'll use that student's success to promote their school," Izuku explained. "It's kind of messed up when you think about it."
"Schools don't do that, it's unfair to other students," Tsuyu argued.
"Just think about it, does anyone in your school get any unfair advantages? Like extra credit, teachers give them more attention than others, maybe even ignore a few missed assignments," Izuku said as he saw gears turn in her head.
"Oh my God," Tsuyu was mortified because there is someone in her school that gets that kind of treatment. "How could they do that, it's unfair."
"I'm living proof that life is unfair."
"What can we do to change that?" Fumikage asked.
"It's pretty simple," Izuku put his hands on his friends. "You need to show that it doesn't matter what type of quirk you have to be a great hero."
(Line Break)
"I'm back," Izuku called out when he returned home. He saw some of the kids were watching a movie in the living room while a few were doing homework at the dining room table. Izuku made his way to the living room and sat down on the couch to see what they were watching. It was an animated movie about a dog or something, Izuku wasn't really paying attention. Izuku was currently zoning out, thinking about what happened that night.
Running into Bakugo and having to relive his past for a little bit opened up a few old wounds for Izuku, especially when he mentioned his mother. It's hard for him to think about her knowing that he'll never see her smile again or hear her soothing voice. He also remembers her telling him stories about his first word or the time when his father actually loved him. It's those stories that make him wish that his mother was still alive.
"Hey Izuku, how was dinner?" Izuku saw Miss Azumi walk into the living room carry a basket full of dirty bed sheets. "Are you feeling ok?"
"I'm fine," Izuku said.
"Then why are you crying?" Miss Azumi asked. Izuku realized that he was crying when he zoned out.
"Oh, no reason," Izuku said after wiping away his tears. "Are my sheets clean?"
"They are but are you sure you're feeling ok?" Miss Azumi gave him a worried look, but Izuku brushed her off.
"I am, I'm just gonna get to bed early tonight," Izuku made his way to his room.
"Alright, good night," Azumi said and made her way to the laundry room.
Izuku sat down at his desk after entering his room. He sat in silence with his face in his hands for a short time. He always does this to calm down whenever he thinks about his mom. He knows he should talk to someone about his emotions, but it's difficult for him to talk about.
His phone buzzed, bringing him out of his stupor. He saw that it was a message from Fumikage in their group chat.
"Here's the picture from tonight"
Izuku pulled up the picture and smiled. It was him and his friends sitting in the booth smiling, Fumikage raising his drink, Tsuyu with rosy cheeks, and him holding up a peace sign. Even though the night didn't end well, Izuku was glad to be able to spend time with his friends.
"Love it," Izuku replied. Izuku put his phone away and looked at the clock.
"I don't think I need to go out tonight," Izuku said to himself. "After the day I've had I think a good night's rest is what I need."
Izuku reached into his sweatshirt to put away his notebook, but when he felt around his pocket all he could feet was air and lint. In a panic, Izuku ripped off his sweatshirt and started to shake it in hopes of his notebook being stuck inside of it. Izuku then looked in his pocket, but he found nothing but lint.
"Where is it?!" Izuku said panicky. "Don't tell me I lost it! Please don't tell me I lost it!"
Izuku thought back to when he last had it and when he could've lost it.
"I remember having it on the way to Fumikage's house and when we got to Flippy's. Maybe it fell out of my sweatshirt when I took my nap? No, either I or Tsuyu would've noticed it, so it must've happened after dinner when we were attacked by…"
Izuku started to panic again, of all people to find his notebook, after the police, pro heroes, some street thug, or Miss Azumi, Bakugo was the last person he would want to find his notebook.
Izuku hastily put his sweatshirt on and arranged his pillows to make it look like he was sleeping before escaping through his window.
(Line Break)
Izuku rushed back to the spot where Bakugo attacked him, telling himself that Bakugo didn't notice it. The sidewalks were crowded and the sun was setting, making it harder for Izuku to notice anything.
Izuku started to think that he might not even be in the right spot and began to move closer to Flippy's thinking that maybe the wind carried it up the sidewalk or someone kicked it. He kept telling himself that as he was getting closer to Flippy's, but as he got closer to the restaurant's entrance his hope started to dwindle. When he reached the entrance without finding the notebook he felt anguished in his heart. He sat down by the entrance and buried his head into his knees.
"How could you be so careless?" He berated himself. "You finally find something that brings you joy and you lose the one thing that could ruin it."
"You feeling alright?" Izuku looked up to see a girl with shoulder-length salmon pink hair with crosses in her eyes that make them look like scope lenses. She was wearing black baggy sweat pants, a black jacket, and brown boots. She was also carrying a styrofoam cup.
"I'm alright," Izuku lied. "I just needed to rest."
"Are you sure? Because it looked like you were looking for something earlier," the girl said before taking a sip from her cup.
"I'm sure, you were probably just seeing things," Izuku told her, hoping that she'll just leave him alone.
"Maybe," she said then she pulled out his notebook. "Or maybe you were looking for this?
Izuku's eye's widened, he was ecstatic that some stranger found his notebook and they were just going to give it to him. He quickly stood up and noticed that he was taller than her by a few inches.
"Where did you find it?"
"I saw it on the ground after you knocked down the boom boom boy," she told him, causing Izuku to raise his eyebrow in confusion.
"Well, thank you for finding my notebook," Izuku reached for his notebook but the girl pulled away, confusing Izuku even more. "Um, can I have my notebook back?"
"I don't know? I was going to give it back to you earlier, but my curiosity got the better of me and I must say there are some juicy stories in here," she was fanning herself with the notebook as if she was cooling herself down.
"I-It's my dream journal," Izuku spat out. He knew that he should've come up with a better lie for when someone found his notebook, but when he found himself in that situation he just said the first thing that came to mind.
"You critique your dream self?"
"I'm weird like that. Now can I have my journal back?" Izuku reached for his notebook again, but she just moved her arm away from his grasp.
"It's weird that these are your dreams because I did a little digging and I found news article after news article of the same situations that you find your dream self involved in."
"I have very specific dreams."
"Do you find your dream self dressed like and jumping around like a rabbit in these situations?"
"What?"
"It's what almost all the news articles have in common," she said with a sly smile.
"Dressed like a rabbit? That's pretty weird, even for a dream," Izuku feigned ignorance hoping she'll buy it.
"I guess you're right," she started to skim through some of the pages. "Nothing in here says anything about a rabbit, not even in the costume sketch."
"Well, what are you gonna do. Can I have my journal back?" Izuku said with a hint of panic in his voice.
"I don't know? Maybe we should turn this into the authorities?" She said with a grin, causing Izuku to panic.
"What?!"
"Yeah, we could turn this in and help the authorities catch this masked crusader before he becomes a huge problem for them in the future."
"How would my dream journal help them?" Izuku said, slightly intrigued even though he was panicking.
"Your quirk!" She exclaimed, confusing Izuku. "It seems to appear that you have a quirk that lets you see crimes in your dreams."
"I don't have a quirk," Izuku told her, hoping that she'll buy everything that he's been telling her.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because it looked like you had a quirk earlier."
Izuku froze. No one has ever noticed him using his quirk before and now all of a sudden someone spotted him using it.
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't notice it earlier because I wasn't paying attention, but when you redirected boom boom boy's explosion into his face It was pretty easy to spot your quirk," she told him with a glowing smile.
Realizing that he's backed into a corner with no escape, Izuku knew it was best for him to come clean.
"Alright, fine, you caught me," Izuku sighed. "Everything that you read is true."
"What? No," she said sarcastically. "You're telling me this isn't your dream journal."
"I panicked ok," Izuku said defensively. "I never thought I was gonna be put on the spot like that."
"Yeah, but you could've come up with something better than 'Dream Journal'," she told him. "You could've said it was your crime observation journal and re-worded some of the entries so that it doesn't sound like you were there."
"Alright, I get it," Izuku said. "Now what? You gonna turn me in or are you gonna blackmail me into doing anything you want?"
"Pfft, I'm not gonna turn you in," she said, slightly offended that he thought so low of her. "But what I am gonna do is make you an offer."
"What kind of offer?" Izuku asked.
"I don't want to get into the logistics of it now, but it's the kind where you scratch my back and I scratch yours," she said, confusing Izuku.
"What?"
She sighed as she ripped out a back page of the notebook and wrote down an address on it and handed the piece of paper to him. "Just show up to this address around 11 pm tomorrow and more will be revealed, and make sure to show up in your costume."
"Alright," Izuku said while looking over the paper. "Can I have my notebook back now?"
"No," she said with a slight chuckle. "You at least need some incentive to show up tomorrow."
Izuku sighed in frustration. "Can you at least tell me your name?"
"The name is Mei Hatsume," she revealed. "And I'll be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night."
Mei left, leaving Izuku alone with his thought. From having dinner with his friends, to encountering an old bully and having to relive some painful memories, and ending the night off by agreeing to meet up with a stranger at some strange place left Izuku with a headache.
"What did I get myself into?"
