Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned here.
This story was made with the sole purpose of entertainment and is not intended to be taken seriously in any social, political or religious context under any circumstances.
As such, the actions and/or viewpoints expressed by the characters in this story do not automatically reflect the opinions of the author.
This purely fictional tale is not meant to neither educate nor serve as any kind of moral example to follow by whomever consumes this type of content willingly.
"My Hero Academia" and its characters created by Kōhei Horikoshi.
"Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro!" and its characters created by Nanashi.
Please Be My Hero, Nagatoro!
III
Quirk Of The Quirky
"Katsudon."
Puzzled, Izuku glanced at Nagatoro beside him.
"W-What?"
"That's your favorite food, isn't it?" she replied, keeping her sight onwards as they walked together to the front gate of U.A.
She was right, he loved katsudon and ate it every time he had the opportunity. He even had some before leaving for school this morning.
Although, Izuku couldn't remember mentioning that earlier. How she found out remained beyond him.
"Y-Yeah, it is, a-actually. B-but how did you-"
"You always have that funny smell on you. Pork, egg, rice and…" she paused, then unexpectedly leaned closer, and began scenting the air in his vicinity. "Black pepper?"
Instinctively, Izuku withdrew a little, shivering.
Was the smell really so persistent? Or she simply, politely, suggested his hygiene needed more work?
"I-I uh…"
"So I figured you either eat katsudon quite often, or you really need to get another perfume."
And Nagatoro backed off, continuing her stroll without additional thoughts.
'Her sense of smell is quite sharp…'
Anew, she surprised him thoroughly, all while making him feel slightly ashamed.
Nevertheless, the occurrence brought to light an important, albeit rather-obvious fact which, somehow, went under his radar until now.
Looking down, Izuku slowed his pace, quietly pondering about the discovery.
'But I wonder what kind of quirk does she-'
"Hey, hurry up! Class is about to start."
Startled, he perked up, shaking his head. Hastily, he rushed towards Nagatoro, who stood a couple of steps ahead because, again, she was right.
Classes would begin soon, and Mr. Aizawa wasn't prone on showing mercy for the unpunctual…
Nagatoro has a quirk.
Izuku was sure about it.
He just couldn't deduce what type of quirk she wielded.
Her performance during the apprehension test didn't showcase anything extraordinary.
Well, nothing aside her apt physical condition that earned her a place above him in the final results.
Asking directly? Not a chance since, following the situation with his notebook, she saw him as 'some kind of quirk fetishist'.
Unfortunately, Nagatoro wasn't interested on ending the mystery herself.
Therefore, Izuku resorted to his only real option…
Observe.
After literal years of studying professional heroes from afar, recognizing patterns became second nature for him.
It shouldn't be difficult, because he already knew one clue.
Yet, the second clue manifested a bit too subtly. He certainly would've missed if it wasn't by his dumb luck.
Amidst a glacial-paced lecture, everyone mentally journeyed to a different world past the lesson, including Nagatoro.
Her back turned as she sat a few rows ahead him. Fidgeting in her seat, she absentmindedly stared into a particularly interesting corner of the classroom, impatiently tapping her claw on her desk.
Wait… Claw?
Izuku narrowed his eyes, unconsciously leaning forward.
He blinked once, twice, double-checking that he hadn't imagined it.
Even so, the strange vision persisted…
From the tip of Nagatoro's index finger emerged a pointy nail curved downwards, at least one inch long. It looked sleek, polished, despite being sharp enough to start denting the hard-wooded desk.
Utterly intrigued, Izuku frowned lightly.
He would definitely remember seeing such thing before, anyone would.
His thoughts still drifted far off Mr. Aizawa's words, and instead centered on the small nugget of knowledge obtained here…
Another day delivered another clue.
During an especially busy period at the cafeteria, dozens of students speedily went back and forth, deep in conversation.
A fortunate scenario, for it meant that several others beheld the same astounding feat which occurred next…
"Midoriya."
Upon taking a bite of food, Izuku lowered his fork, glancing to Iida sitting beside him.
"Over there. That's your friend, isn't she?"
Following Iida's direction, his view encountered the buzzing crowd on the front.
Immediately, he spotted Nagatoro amongst the multitude, alone, looking around like a kid lost in the mall.
"We should invite her to join us," Iida said. "It wouldn't be appropriate to just let her eat by herself."
That sentence got Izuku to think, to fully comprehend…
He always spent time with either Iida and Uraraka, or Nagatoro separately.
Instantly, mercilessly, guilt infected his conscience, more so after realizing he didn't know where Nagatoro went whenever they weren't together. And he couldn't recall her having alternative acquaintances outside the classroom.
'She just moved in, after all… Her friends must've stayed behind in her hometown…'
In his hour of most need, Nagatoro answered his prayer, became his hero. Keeping her company was the least he could do to repay the favor…
"You're right, Iida," Izuku spoke solemnly, raising his hand above his head. "Nagat-"
Then, the third clue appeared…
Suddenly, a girl with long, golden hair and tall horns protruding off each side of her head, skidded over a wet patch on the floor, spilt milk from a previous lunch period.
Yelping, she stumbled backwards, unwittingly throwing her tray and all its contents into the air.
She surely would have fallen, were it not for Nagatoro, who rapidly dashed forth as if she had foreseen the incident.
With her left arm, she caught the blonde girl before her body touched the ground. At unison, she captured the volant tray in her right hand, which she used to catch the raining food, angling it like a perfect game of tetris.
'T-Those reflexes!'
Rendered mute, Izuku kept staring, disbelieving his very eyes.
"Such coordination…" Iida whispered, being equally amazed by the jaw-dropping scene.
Afterwards, the chattering crowd hushed, freezing to a complete halt…
However, one student unexpectedly began applauding. Soon, another cheered loudly, clapping too.
Eventually, every soul inside the building engaged in a unified ovation for both girls, resembling the fervent appraisal of an overly-populated concert.
It didn't last, though.
Shortly later, the students resumed their path across the cafeteria, rekindling the collective, noisy prattle.
Meanwhile, Nagatoro helped the blonde regain her foothold, also giving her back her tray.
Even from afar, Izuku heard the horned girl exclaim "thank you!" prior to her joining the fast-flowing multitude.
In that moment, his gaze accidentally met Nagatoro's.
And she just waved at him…
Smiling broadly, nonchalantly, oblivious to the remarkable impression she left on him.
Instinctively, Izuku simply waved back, enduring shocked until she blended anew with the crowd.
When he lost sight of her, he slowly dropped his hand, and looked down contemplatively.
For all the things he held true, the relation between Nagatoro's peculiar talents still evaded him, despite having witnessed them personally.
Then again, she disconcerted him in many ways, so it wasn't very unusual that her currently-unknown quirk could enhance her chaotic and outgoing trai-
An abrupt slam interrupted his line of thinking.
Bewildered, Izuku quickly turned, finding Iida standing up with his palms firmly pressed against the table. A noticeable frown contorted his face while he glared frontwards.
"I-Iida? Are you alri-"
"This cannot stand…" he muttered, maintaining his stiff posture. "The administration must be notified about this incident, or a grave tragedy will occur next time… I'll be right back, Midoriya!"
Without letting further questions be asked, Iida stormed off, hastily vanishing amidst the multitude.
"I-Iida!?"
"Deku!"
Taken aback a second time, Izuku awkwardly jumped in his seat, for the sudden call actually accelerated his heart.
Calm and greater panic seized his mind once Uraraka occupied the empty chair beside him, flashing that warming smile of hers as she placed her tray on the table.
"Did I miss something? Where's Iida?" she inquired innocently, glancing at the surroundings.
"I-I uh…" was everything Izuku managed to utter from the thoughts tumbling through his head.
'Where do I even begin?…'
It was only beginning…
Numbed out of sheer boredom, Izuku leaned against the steel pillar near him. His gaze settled forth, but not centered on anything in particular.
The train had been delayed, that became pretty much obvious by this point. Luckily, the station wasn't too crowded. Everyone around him looked just as bored as he was, waiting a ride which took its sweet time to pick them up.
He yawned silently, barely keeping his eyes peeled after staring into the proverbial void for a small eternity.
A moment later, the buzz of the multitude started lulling him. The unintelligible gossiping from strangers sharing their daily experiences amongst each other. A thousand footsteps clicking upon the vast, tiled floor beneath.
Honestly, supposing he didn't lack a comfortable place to lay on, he absolutely would've fallen asleep right then and there.
"Midori!"
Through the bustling of the people surrounding him, he perceived that familiar voice.
Reinvigorating his dulled senses, Izuku spun, getting acquainted with an enthusiastic Nagatoro approaching him.
"Catch!"
A fast-flying blur spontaneously crashed onto his face, startling him.
Though the impact was… soft? And whatever struck him promptly fell off.
Nonetheless, he reacted properly this time, catching the mysterious projectile before it could meet the ground.
As a faint, wrinkling noise sounded, Izuku glanced down, encountering a golden, round-shaped biscuit between his palms, squishy, packed inside transparent plastic.
"A-A bean bun?"
"A 'premium' bean bun!" Nagatoro added when she reached his side. "I can't believe I got them in a vending machine, they're super rare in my hometown!"
In one hand, she held her own bun, already opened and almost wholly eaten. In the other, she carried a glass bottle filled with orange juice.
At that instant, Izuku's focus landed on Nagatoro's delicate fingers. He wanted a closer look to the sharp claw he discovered days ago during class.
Surprisingly enough, her nails seemed completely normal, much like his, or like anyone else without a mutant quirk.
'Could it be retractable? Or is she shapeshifting?… Or maybe I did imagine it afte-'
"Hey, I didn't buy two buns just for you to keep salivating at mine."
Taken off guard, Izuku swiftly lifted his sight, finding the annoyed stare of Nagatoro on him.
"I-S-Sorry!" he blurted out, clumsily unwrapping his bun. "A-A-And thank you very much!"
Snickering, she withdrew, returning to her usual self as if a switch was simply flipped within her.
Following that, Izuku merely, quietly observed Nagatoro happily munching on the last morsel of her bean bun.
Her beverage didn't escape his notice, since he conveniently remembered his bottle-opener keychain.
"I-I have a bottle-opener," Izuku said while he searched for his keys in his pockets. "Let me just-"
Then, he heard it…
Slowly, he raised his vision anew, meeting Nagatoro with her fizzing juice uncapped, and a crown cork trapped betwixt her teeth.
His eyes widened. 'Did she just-'
"What?" she asked nonchalantly, spitting the bent cap into her free palm. "I don't feel like going back all the way to the vending machine just to uncap my juice."
"B-But why with your-!… teeth?"
He hadn't realized until now.
Peeking down over her lower lip, he could see ivory. Pristine, pointy ivory…
'She has fangs…?'
"My teeth?" Nagatoro tilted her head, arching her eyebrow. "Ah, right!"
She rose her hand, and curled her forefinger around the corner of her mouth, pulling it back like a hook so all her pearly whites were visible.
"By canines are bretty sharf, see?"
Speechless, Izuku continued looking fixedly at the tiny spearheads that caught his attention earlier.
Keeping track of Nagatoro's oddities only got increasingly difficult, not to mention exhausting.
Still, every surprise she had in store for him inadvertently made the truth more tangible. He couldn't give up yet, being this near from unraveling the mystery.
'That has to be another clue! She must be a-'
"It's fine, I do it all the time!" Nagatoro unexpectedly spoke, driving him out of his reverie.
Abruptly, she took a step forward.
Gasping, Izuku stepped back as Nagatoro invaded his personal bubble, locking her probing gaze with his.
"N-Nagatoro!?"
"Oh, don't worry…" she whispered, her tone sultry and husky. "I don't bite… too hard…"
She concluded by clacking her teeth together, never losing her mischievous smirk till she retreated in the next bit.
"I-I…" Izuku mumbled sheepishly, feeling his face growing warmer. "I j-just-…"
Another brusque sound cut him off short.
The quaking of the steel rails, and the loud hissing from the train steadily halting a few meters ahead.
"Hey, the train's here! Let's go!"
With that, Nagatoro abandoned his side, rushing into the platinum carriage opening its doors for her.
"W-Wait! Nagatoro!" Izuku hurriedly followed her, along the many other travelers heading to the same destination.
Once inside the train, the journey home passed like a distant memory, the sole constant in his mind was the unsolvable riddle of Nagatoro's quirk…
"You're a vampire!"
Nagatoro stopped walking, and Izuku unwittingly mimicked her, tensing.
Remaining silent, she turned to him, gave him a perplexed look.
"What?"
Again, the two teens found themselves before the main gate of U.A., long past departure time.
The last sunbeams became a gown of dusk, tinting the orange clouds in violet shades while a gentle zephyr led them beyond the horizon.
"Y-Your quirk, it's related to vampirism, i-isn't it?" Izuku uttered, feeling his newly-acquired boldness dissipating. "I thought it would explain your fangs and your claws and your sharp senses. I-… I wanted to ask earlier… but I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, so I tried to figure it out on my own… I'm… I'm sorry if I invaded your privacy…"
He clamped his eyes tightly shut, bowing his head when his words drew to a close.
Judgment. Disapproval. Disgust…
Fearing the worst, he fortified his heard, expecting all of that and much, much more.
Instead, he earned… laughter?
Thoroughly confused, he opened his eyelids, being instantly greeted by a smiling, giggling Nagatoro in front of him.
"Alright, alright, I'll give you points for creativity," she replied between chuckles. "But you really missed the mark there."
"Mi-Missed?" Izuku raised his head anew, furrowing his brow.
"Yeah, I mean, I'm standing right here in broad daylight, not glowing or burning. And I promise you that my reflection does appear in the mirror."
"Your… reflection? I don't underst-"
"But…" Nagatoro pressed one finger to his lips, effectively shushing him. "How about this? If you can guess what my quirk is, I'll give you a reward…"
"A reward?" he mumbled against her digit.
"You heard me… Interested?" lowering her hand, she winked at him with teasing demeanor.
"A-Are you going to give me another clue?"
"Nope."
Humming, Izuku dropped his gaze, a thoughtful frown manifested on his face.
In the few weeks they've known each other, he hasn't seen Nagatoro projecting her will onto the world around her. So he confidently assumed that, whatever quirk she had, it wasn't of the 'emitter' type.
Plus, aside from her fangs, her body also seemed to lack any brusque alterations, thus he discarded a possible 'transformation' quirk as well.
'It's like looking for a needle in a haystack…'
Every chance she got, Nagatoro always played the part of the predator and he was her prey, an endless game of cat and mouse.
Wait…
Like pieces of a puzzle, everything started clicking together.
He rehearsed the clues in his mind, searching for the missing link.
'Heightened senses. Superior eye-hand coordination. Razor-sharp claws and fangs… That has to be it!'
Now that he fully held the evidence, Izuku looked up, then made his claim.
"You're… You're a 'cat-girl'?"
"Ha! Bingo!"
Out of the blue, Nagatoro's fist collided with his bicep, making him wince and hiss loudly.
"W-What was that for!?" slightly annoyed, Izuku rubbed his numbed arm, lessening the ache spreading to the rest of his muscles.
"Your reward, for guessing right."
A beaming grin followed her response, whereas he was just left dumbfounded.
'She really enjoys doing this to me, doesn't she? Additional note, she's strong. Very strong…'
"S-So um… Your quirk lets you do whatever a cat can?"
"If I tell you, are you going to put it in your gross notebook?"
"Only-… Only if you are okay with it…"
"Sure, I don't mind," Nagatoro placed her hands behind her back, and gazed away sheepishly. "It's not like I can stop you anyways… But if you're going to do it, I should at least make sure that you get the facts right. So, go ahead, ask away!"
"Um… C-Can you-?"
"No, I can't meow, or purr," she glanced to him afresh, sporting a cynical stare. "Just in case you're thinking of something lewd."
"I-W-What? No!" Izuku's cheeks reddened at this. "I didn't-… N-Nevermind. What about your-… Your claws?…"
Ensuing his question, Nagatoro brought her palm upwards, curled her fingers a bit, and they appeared again…
Her nails began lengthening, narrowing into the honed, hook-like claws engraved on his memory since he spotted them during class.
"They're retractable."
"Whoah…" Izuku trailed off, his eyes peeling in sheer awe. "They look sharp. And sturdy…"
"I can climb trees with these! One time at band camp, I managed to pick-lock a closed door."
"Really? But why would you-"
"Don't ask." as she lowered her hand, her fingernails quickly shrunk, assuming their original shape.
"Oh, alright… W-What about your eyesight? Can you see in the dark?"
"As well as I can in daylight, yeah."
"That's amazing! And if you happen to fall, do you always land on your feet?"
"Uh, kinda?" Nagatoro twisted her eyebrows and scratched her nape pensively. "I can turn around and land on my feet if I have enough room to maneuver. It's like, a tingling in the back of my head, it tells me that I have to spin when I'm in the air. I also can jump really high. When I was little, I got on the roof of a house with just one leap. That's how I was able to catch you in the entrance exam."
"W-What?"
"When you were, you know, falling to your death like a wet noodle. Don't get me wrong, your quirk is super impressive. But it would be even more impressive if you could actually use it without crippling yourself each time."
"Um…" Izuku's enthusiasm turned to embarrassment. "W-Well, you see-…"
"Seriously, no wonder you didn't use it in the test of the first day. Because, somehow, you managed to break your finger while throwing a ball. A ball! Ha-ha!"
Nagatoro wasn't wrong. However, she didn't know what he went through so he could earn his place in U.A.
His dream being crushed, learning that not all men are born equal. The months of hard training he endured to become a worthy vessel for One For All.
Yet, no explanation he came up with could ever forgive her next action…
"My name is Izuku Midoriya. I was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning I break my legs, and every afternoon I break my arms…"
Her act unflattering. Her imitation greatly exaggerated. And her tone an intentional mockery.
Izuku's sight fell upon his shoes. Unconsciously, his hands coiled into fists.
"I… I don't actually sound like that, do I?" he muttered.
"Huh? Oh, right! I forgot the st-t-t-t-t-tutering!"
The cruel jokes, the incessant laughter haunting him throughout middle school.
By Nagatoro's derision, the traumas lived anew, the scars re-opened…
She didn't understand, because she didn't know. That's why it's easy for her to say such things.
'If only she knew. Maybe if she knew…'
He shouldn't. All Might trusted him this secret. Too much depended on it. Not even his mother knows.
But Nagatoro told him about her quirk. Perhaps, it was only fair that he did the same…
"Like, what kind of overgrown maggot can't control his own qui-"
"Because it's not my quirk!"
Izuku abruptly yelled, cutting her off. An unnerving quietude engulfed them both later on.
After his outburst, Nagatoro just stared at him blankly, the tiniest glint of wonder manifested in her gaze.
Whilst Izuku remained shocked with his own reaction, and guilt immediately gripped his heart.
"I'm-… I'm sorry… It's just…"
'There's no turning back now. Might as well take the opportunity to explain myself…'
A profound sigh escaped his throat, his rigid stance loosening, as if a heavy burden vested on his shoulders was finally lifted.
"My… My quirk…" Izuku said feebly. "I-It was given to me, by someone else… I was actually born quirkless, but I've wanted to become a hero since I can remember. And that someone believed I could. That's why I can't control it yet, and why I avoid using it if it's not absolutely necessary. I-… I worked very hard to earn it, and I still have a long way to go, but… I won't give up. One day, I will make this quirk my own, and become a hero with my own power…"
Further silence succeeded the revelation.
Retrieving his senses, Izuku spoke once more. "N-Nagatoro, listen-"
Unexpectedly, a huff sounded, then a giggle.
Nagatoro's lips curved upwards, slightly at first, but subsequently, a full, toothy smile formed.
And she laughed…
Laughed and laughed and laughed until she threw her head backwards while rubbing her stomach.
Conflict. Her response summoned a deep sense of conflict within Izuku.
Shame, regret, even intrigue…
Still, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
Soon, Nagatoro's loud sniggering became rougher, huskier, eventually coming to an end with a delighted sigh.
"I-I'm sorry-" she wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, panting. "I'm not sorry… Oh man, that was hilarious…"
"W-What?"
"Listen," Nagatoro straightened her posture and looked at him, keeping her smirk. "It's fine if you feel weird about not controlling your quirk, but you don't have to make up a whole sob story to hide it. If you wanted to impress me, you could've said that you're an alien from a planet that exploded, or that you got your quirk from a radioactive spider. You really need to stop reading so many comics, Midori."
Izuku lingered voiceless, motionless in his stance. A thousand questions occupying his thoughts.
'She-She didn't believe me? Why didn't she-'
"Come on, it's getting late!"
Suddenly, she grabbed his wrist and metaphorically, literally, pulled him out of his trance.
"N-Nagatoro!? Wait!" Izuku exclaimed, hastening his pace as Nagatoro dragged him onwards along the road, cackling all the way.
The path to the station surely would be long and awkward, especially if she either addressed the subject again, or simply kept teasing him till they got home.
Although, no amount of time could prepare him for the scolding that most likely awaited him tomorrow…
"So… she didn't believe you…"
Izuku gulped, nodding without a word.
Like any respectable school, U.A. was a place of learning.
Yesterday, Izuku learned that he couldn't keep a secret to save his life…
So he naturally ended up informing his mentor about the incident.
Sighing, All Might leaned back onto the couch opposite to him.
"Are you really sure that she didn't believe you?" he asked, his tone low and tired, perfectly matching his lankier, less heroic form.
"Y-Yes…" Izuku replied weakly.
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, after I told her, she-…" he shuddered lightly, wincing at the memory of Nagatoro's hysterical mirth. "She laughed at me…"
"Laughed?" All Might frowned.
"That's just how Nagatoro is," Izuku resumed. "I-I didn't tell her everything, though. I didn't say that it was you who gave me O-One For All, she just knows that I used to be quirkless, a-and that someone gave me my quirk…"
As the sentence abandoned his lips, remorse struck him. He lamented breaking his promise and, more than anything in this world, dreaded disappointing All Might.
"I'm-I'm sorry, All Might!" Izuku unexpectedly exclaimed. He shut his eyes, bowed his head while he strongly clenched his fists upon his knees. "I'm sorry that I betrayed your trust. I promise to be more careful in the future…"
"Lift your head, young Midoriya," All Might said solemnly. "It will take much more than this to make me lose my faith in you."
Obeying the command, Izuku lifted his chin, opening his eyelids to face his mentor, looking at him with hope and awe. "A-All Might…"
"I know you didn't mean to reveal the secret," the hero turned master continued. "It was an honest mistake, and even heroes are not exempt from error. But it still doesn't change the fact that we have a problem between our hands."
Hearing this, Izuku tensed again.
"I suppose I don't need to remind you what would happen if the true nature of One For All became known by nefarious actors."
"N-No…" he answered softly. "B-But Nagatoro is not-"
"I know she's not. Young Nagatoro… She's the one who rescued you during the entrance exam, correct?"
"Yes…"
"I see… That means we don't need to be too wary of her intentions."
'Her intentions…'
Deep in thought, he hummed lowly.
Nagatoro liked teasing him, he knew it well. She didn't hold her tongue when announcing her opinions. And her sense of humor, much like her overall extroverted, energetic personality, lacked restraint.
On the contrary, her devotion to become a hero was boundless, unquestionable. He knew it better than all.
Hence, holding ill will against her wasn't easy, because her fatuous mischiefs ultimately brought no everlasting harm for him or anyone else. Plus, they were greatly outweighed by her kinder side, even if it only shone sporadically.
"S-She's a little… carefree…" Izuku spoke serious-minded. "But her heart is in the right place, I'm sure of it."
"I'm… I'm happy to hear that, young Midoriya," All Might replied. "But this is not a matter of her keeping the secret. It's about her safety…"
"H-Her safety?"
"If the secret of One For All spreads, villains would definitely try to obtain it by any means necessary. You know that, right?"
Anew, Izuku nodded silently.
"Which means that anyone who knows this secret is bound to become a potential target. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I-… I do…"
"Very well. Now that we're on the same page, we need to figure out what to do about this."
"I'll talk to her!" Izuku suddenly raised his voice. "I'm sure I can convince her to-"
"No…" his mentor interrupted him.
"N-No?"
"You will say no more to her about One For All. If young Nagatoro truly doesn't believe what you told her, then insisting on the subject will simply confirm it."
"Oh… A-Alright. Then what should we-… What should I do?…"
"Just keep a closer eye on her. If she starts asking questions again, you let me know as soon as it happens, and I… I might need to speak with her myself. Is that clear?"
"Y-Yes, sir…"
"Alright, then," All Might rose from the couch, assuming his dignified, muscular shape in a flash. "Now, my boy, I think we've taken enough of each other's time. You should go home and get some rest. We'll figure it out eventually, together."
"T-Thanks, All Might," Izuku also stood up, bowing once more. "And s-sorry again."
"Don't apologize," All Might approached him, then affectionately placed his palm upon his shoulder. "There is no mistake that cannot be undone. I'll see you tomorrow in class."
Izuku gave his master a single nod before spinning on his heel and heading for the door of the teacher's lounge, leaving the room.
All that remained was a solitary, but tranquil journey home…
Guilt found him again after he dismissed All Might's advice.
Not intentionally, though, since his concerns about One For All actively kept sleep at bay.
Therefore Izuku considered, spending that energy on something might help him return to slumber.
Pensively, he stared into the hero entry he had just written. Only one detail was missing so it could be complete.
But a loud buzz derailed his current train of thought.
Perplexed, he put down his pencil and picked up his phone resting aside his notebook.
When he unlocked the screen, two unread messages from Nagatoro instantly appeared.
[12:32 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "Hey."
[12:32 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "you still up?"
Following the moment they first met, both usually texted each other outside the school.
Nothing exceptional, Izuku believed, because he also chatted with Iida and Uraraka rather frequently.
However, Nagatoro contacting him this late at night wasn't nearly as common.
'If she starts asking questions again, you let me know as soon as it happens…' his idol's words echoed inside his head anew.
Huffing, he started typing a reply, bracing for a potentially-awkward conversation.
[12:33 a.m.] (you): "Yes, I am. Is everything alright?"
(Nagatoro) is typing…
Izuku's lips flattened into a thin line, his fingers trembling around his phone while he anxiously awaited Nagatoro's response.
'Please don't ask about my quirk, please don't ask about my quirk…'
[12:34 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "Yeah."
[12:35 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "just wanted to apologize for making fun of u the other day."
Sighing relieved, Izuku pressed his sweaty palm against his chest. He definitely expected a different response, given how things went that day.
Besides, this made him truly comprehend, her heart indeed was in the right place…
He wrote another message merely a few seconds later.
[12:35 a.m.] (you): "It's fine. I don't mind, really."
[12:36 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "I'll get you another premium bun tomorrow."
[12:36 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "my treat!"
[12:37 a.m.] (you): "You don't have to, but I appreciate it."
[12:37 a.m.] (Nagatoro): " :3 "
[12:38 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "what r u doin up anyways?"
[12:38 a.m.] (you): "Working on some notes."
[12:39 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "Get another hobby dude."
[12:39 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "srsly."
[12:40 a.m.] (you): "It's not just a hobby."
[12:40 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "if u say so."
He yawned quietly upon receiving the last text.
For some reason, Nagatoro's obliviousness to his quirk granted him reassurance. Enough reassurance to rest with a clean conscience and an untroubled mind.
Thus, despite his desire of keeping the chat alive a bit longer, Izuku ended the exchange through a simple, honest sentence, as commanded by the tiredness plaguing him.
[12:42 a.m.] (you): "Listen, I'm starting to feel tired. Can we leave this conversation for tomorrow?"
[12:43 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "sure."
[12:43 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "Go get sum rest."
[12:44 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "btw I need to copy your homework tomorrow."
[12:45 a.m.] (you): "Sure. I'll try to arrive early so you can finish it before class begins."
[12:46 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "u r the best midori."
[12:46 a.m.] (Nagatoro): "good night!"
[12:47 a.m.] (you): "Good night to you too."
With a weak laugh, Izuku placed his phone back on the desk. He really shouldn't humor her like that.
'But that's what friends are for, right?'
Blinking, he yawned once more, his bed sweetly beckoning him.
But he still hadn't finished his sketch…
He retrieved his pencil and let it hover above his notebook.
In the paper, there was a drawing of Nagatoro wearing the gym uniform, alongside a small paragraph describing her quirk, according to his observations.
'Feline: Allows the user to inherit various traits from big and small cats, adapting them to enhance their human physiology.'
It just needed a minor addition.
Momently, a picture of Nagatoro's gentler smile flashed behind his eyelids.
That softer expression she sported when he thanked her for saving him at the entrance exam.
Izuku preferred to remember her this way, regardless of the hectic weeks she has given him so far.
Sealing the deal with a golden brochure, he drew that smile on the sketch.
TL;DR: Nagatoro is a cat-girl. A 'jaguar-girl', to be precise.
Why a jaguar-girl? Well, I wanted to reference that bit in the anime where Senpai compared his friendship with Nagatoro and company to being in a 'gathering of jaguars'.
Secondly, Nagatoro being a cat-girl it's just what goes more in line with her character. I know it's a low-hanging fruit, but there's a reason why Senpai unconsciously relates her to cats, because of her temerity and teasing demeanor mixed with her overall energetic attitude. And since she is sometimes depicted in the anime with feline traits, it's technically canon that Nagatoro is a cat-girl.
My original idea was to give her elastic powers like Mr. Fantastic (because noodletoro), but I decided against it since I wanted Nagatoro to have a quirk that enhanced her personality (and honestly it would've been a mess to write an elastic quirk in the long run, this chapter alone wouldn't have worked the same with that power).
Finally, when it comes to wild cats, jaguars are top tier. They are the third biggest cats in the world, only surpassed by tigers and lions. They also have the strongest bite among all big cats, which allows them to pierce the skulls of the alligators they hunt and shatter the shells of turtles.
Jaguars can also climb trees, run to speeds of 50 mph and they are excellent swimmers (this trait in particular is why I chose to make Nagatoro a jaguar-girl instead of a simple cat-girl).
I'll reveal more details about her quirk as the story progresses, but for now just think of Nagatoro as a discount Sabretooth (from the X-Men). I say 'discount' because I'm not planning to give her an accelerated healing factor.
But with all that said, I need to reiterate that I'm building this story piece by piece, so I hope that you're enjoying where it's going.
Until I'm through with the next chapter, thank you so much for reading and for having faith in this little story of mine. Any question/comment you have for me I'll be more than happy to answer!
May you be well and happy holidays in case I don't post anything before 2021 ends. Excelsior!
(P.D. Can you find all the pop-culture references sprinkled throughout this chapter? Let me know if you do!)