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!
IV
Hardship And Fellowship
'CAUTION: WET FLOOR.'
With a full tray in her hands, Nagatoro stared vacantly at the easel-like sign between her and the broad puddle of orange liquid on the floor.
Beyond it, the cafeteria appeared flooded by several students.
Distinct scents permeated the air surrounding her. Strong smells from specific individuals, along freshly-cooked food being passed around. All blended into an unrecognizable, stomach-churning aroma.
She made the conscious effort of filtering out the stench, so her appetite wasn't completely ruined.
Her ears, too, were overwhelmed. A hundred voices echoing closely, simultaneously.
Chattering groups could be heard on the nearby tables, joking, complaining about school. Just seizing the opportunity to strengthen their friendship.
Friendship…
You never know the value of what you have until you lose it.
Such cheesy adage somehow started sounding logical.
However, admitting the truth behind those words would be admitting her own truth.
As she gazed upon her usual spot ahead the noisy crowd, now territory of some faceless unknowns.
Unfortunately, Gamo, Yoshi and Sakura weren't there to reclaim the place.
Hell, even her current partner in crime remained absent, since Izuku missed school today.
The reason? He kept it a secret, because he didn't answer any of her messages for the entire morning.
'Izuku 'Goody Two-Shoes' Midoriya skipping school for no reason? That doesn't sound right…'
Whatever the case, Nagatoro only hoped that he was okay.
Still, the realization struck her with might.
She had become a loner. A stranger in a strange land…
'Is this what Senpai went through every day?'
Chuckling at the irony, she scanned the cafeteria once more, seeking a different haven.
She wasn't here to make friends, after all…
Although, if Senpai saw her like this, he'd definitely have some thoughts to-
"Nagatoro!"
Immediately, she turned, finding a notable personality from her classroom.
"Please tread carefully," Tenya Iida, one of Izuku's acquaintances, hastily approached her, talking in a booming but uniform tone. "Even if the administration installed these warning signs, we shouldn't be careless and risk another accident happening like yesterday!"
"Uh… Y-Yeah, sure," Nagatoro gave him a forced smirk. "I'll be careful, thanks."
Thus, she spun again, resuming her search for a tranquil spot to eat.
"Wait!"
Feeling a gentle hold on her shoulder, she swiveled a second time, meeting Iida anew.
"It has come to my attention," he spoke diligently, sporting the look of a detective who discovered a serial killer's hideout. "That you tend to eat alone during lunch breaks."
Taken aback, Nagatoro yelped, retracing a single step. An uncomfortable warmth seized her cheeks. Was she really that obvious?
"Shhh!" she hissed loudly through gritted teeth, glancing at the crowded vicinity in shame. "Come on, man! Keep your voice do-"
"Which is why I wanted to ask you to join us for the time being."
Frowning lightly, Nagatoro tilted her head, remaining silent.
"Eh?"
"I imagine you have valid reasons to keep to yourself, but that doesn't mean you should always be isolated from your colleagues."
When Iida's sentence concluded, Nagatoro endured speechless.
While she wasn't oblivious to his stern antics, and actually thought them a bit amusing, she also couldn't see herself befriending someone of his kind.
Yet, his offer seemed inoffensive enough…
"Fine, you win," she finally said. "Lead the way."
"Yes!" Iida exclaimed before spinning on his heel. "Please stay close! Our table is not far from here."
Nagatoro merely rolled her eyes as she followed him. She soon started regretting her choice, but acting impolitely probably wouldn't get her anywhere.
Only a few feet past the spilt juice, they arrived to a small table with four seats, one of which already occupied by another familiar face from her class.
Short auburn hair barely reaching her shoulders. Round, rosy cheeks. Brown, lively eyes. And a wide smile that could thaw the coldest heart.
"Iida, you made it!" she beamed. "I'm glad that you could join us, uh… 'Nagatoro', right?"
"Y-Yeah," Nagatoro replied softly. "Hi…"
Afterwards, Iida sat down, then Nagatoro did the same, placing her tray on the table.
"It's so nice to finally meet you!" the grinning girl continued. "I'm 'Uraraka', by the way. 'Ochaco Uraraka', but you probably knew that already, since we're in the same class. But I don't think we've talked yet?"
"I… I guess not…"
"It's so weird, because Deku has told us a lot about you."
"He-… He talks about me?"
Uraraka nodded fervently. "He told us that you come from Kanagawa. I've never been there, how is it like?"
"It's-…" Nagatoro's sight fell upon her untouched bowl of rice.
Training at the GAMOU Gym. The colorful fireworks in the summer festival. Or just buying shaved ice from her favorite place.
The conversation evoked her dearest memories. A simpler life she begrudgingly left behind. A better life she could never return to.
"The town where I lived wasn't big. Not much happened because there weren't a lot of heroes or villains around, definitely not like here in Musutafu. The summer festival was always great, though. Same for the beach near my house."
"Whoah…" Uraraka trailed off, her eyes peeling as if she had unearthed an ancient relic. "We should go to the municipal beach one of these days! Maybe when vacations roll around. What do you say?"
"M-Me?" Nagatoro blinked and perked up. "I mean, sure. But, would you guys be okay with me tagging along?"
"Of course!" Iida added enthusiastically. "Any friend of Midoriya is our friend as well!"
Once again, Nagatoro said nothing in response.
Quietly, she pondered about the strange feeling rising within her. A certain type of tingling inside her gut.
Hunger? Anxiousness?
She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. She solely recognized an alien warmth embracing her, not wholly unwelcomed.
'For a socially-awkward creep, Midori got himself quite the merry band…'
Which reminded her…
"Hey, speaking of the devil, do you know why he didn't come to school today?"
Rendered mute, Uraraka and Iida exchanged puzzled stares before turning back to her.
"A-Actually," Uraraka began. "We were hoping you could tell us, since you two seem to be close."
"He didn't tell me anything," Nagatoro resumed, growing crestfallen. "And he hasn't answered any of my messages either…"
"A student's prime responsibility is academics," Iida chimed in. "So I'm sure that Midoriya has a good reason to miss school. I just hope it's not an urgent matter which we should be concerned about."
"It's a shame," Uraraka poked her food pensively. "Mr. Aizawa said that we would be choosing a class representative after lunch, but Deku is going to miss it and I think he could've been a great candidate."
"Indeed. Midoriya's courage and initiative are not to be overlooked. Such traits will make him an excellent leader for the whole class. After all, he's the only one of us who managed to see through the entrance exam."
'Courage? Initiative? Leader?'
Nagatoro's eyes narrowed, her lips also parted slightly.
Were they talking about the same stuttering, quirk-obsessed nerd she knew? They painted him like a professional hero.
Truth be told, she had respect, even some admiration for him. Nonetheless, they apparently knew a version of him she didn't. That made her feel… things…
"What about you, Nagatoro?" Uraraka unexpectedly addressed her. "Would you like to be the class representative?"
"Nah," she answered instinctively. "Sounds tiresome, too much responsibility. Frankly, I think Iida would be better suited for the job."
Taken off guard, Iida adjusted his glasses in a way that caused her an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu.
"I-I appreciate the thought, Nagatoro," he responded self-consciously. "I didn't realize you had such a favorable opinion of me."
"Don't mention it. Because if you do become the class representative, I could get a pass to sit on my desk, right?"
"A-Absolutely not!" Iida blurted out as he compulsively started moving his hand up and down. "That is not only an inappropriate way of using the school property, but also a grave disrespect for the people who made the desk and our colleagues that make use of them! As a student of U.A., I expect you and all our classmates to know better than that!"
"Alright, alright, I get it," Nagatoro chuckled. "It was only a joke, no need to lecture me about it."
"It's just-…" Iida ceased his chopping motions. "As students of the hero course, we're supposed to hold ourselves to a higher standard."
"The world is not going to end if you loosen up a little, Iida."
"It's not that," Uraraka said between giggles. "Iida is just trying to live up to his family's legacy?"
"F-Family's 'legacy'?" Nagatoro gazed to Iida, twisting her eyebrows.
"Yes," he replied, clearing his throat. "I come from a long lineage of heroes. The turbo hero 'Ingenium' is my older brother, and my example to follow. I strive to be like him, a hero who honors rules and inspires the next generations. That is why I cannot allow myself to 'loosen up', not even a little."
Genuinely awed, Nagatoro released an inaudible gasp.
She was vaguely familiar with Ingenium and his hero agency in Tokyo, following her months-long research for the entrance exam.
But she never expected to meet one of his siblings at U.A.
This school indeed resembled a transitional point where many paths converged.
"Fair enough. But you make it sound as if heroes weren't people too."
"Heroes must always abide by the law. Otherwise, there would be licentiousness among people."
"Pfft!" Nagatoro shrugged nonchalantly. "If you really believe that, then I won't be able to tell you what I did a few summers ago."
"W-What did you do?" Uraraka lowered the piece of bread she was munching on.
Smiling wickedly, Nagatoro leaned forth and gestured for the other two to come closer, who obliged without hesitation.
"This one time at band camp," she whispered. "I used my quirk to pick-lock a closed door so I could-"
Suddenly, a ceaseless, deafening ticking rumbled across the atmosphere, earning the attention of everyone inside the cafeteria.
"Security level three has been breached," announced an automated voice through several speakers in the ceiling. "Attention to all students. Please evacuate the premises in an orderly fashion."
So the students hastily abandoned their tables at unison. Hurried chatter and panicked screams drowning the sound of the alarm.
"What the hell is going on!?" Nagatoro shouted, covering her ears.
"I-I'm not sure!" Uraraka replied unnerved. "Maybe a drill!?"
"I highly doubt it!" Iida retorted. "I don't recall reading anything related to security levels in the pamphlet of U.A."
"So what do we do!?"
"Follow the instruction!" Iida swiftly rose from his seat. "Quickly! To the emergency exit! Stay close and let's not lose sight of each other!"
"Let's go, Nagatoro!"
After that, Uraraka got up and joined Iida.
Maybe it was the collective frenzy, or perhaps their amicable interaction.
Either way, Nagatoro chose to tread on the heels of Izuku's friends during the chaos. Could she call them her own friends yet? She wasn't sure.
She couldn't even consider it while the three of them rushed towards the wide hallway connecting the cafeteria with the rest of the school.
Though the path soon became blocked by numerous students trying to pass at the same time.
The frightened horde mimicked a river flowing in one direction. A thousand pebbles attempting to traverse a thin bottleneck.
Amidst the almighty swell of people, Nagatoro felt panic rising in her chest.
She glanced to her flanks, ensuring that she remained near Iida and Uraraka.
A blink later, they were gone…
Lost in the waving sea of a thousand faces, which drove her farther and farther away from her original spot.
"Iida!? Uraraka!?" she had no option but to move with the multitude, hoping to avoid being trampled underfoot.
"Hey! Watch it!" despite the air conditioner working at full capacity, Nagatoro still sensed the warmth of all those bodies pressed onto her, sharing breaths.
She could smell them too…
An unholy agglomeration of perfumes, body odor and over-applied cologne assaulting her nostrils.
Eventually, the human current led her to the broad window on the side of the passage. Her cheek firmly pressed against the cool glass as she was forcefully squished between it and the bustling crowd.
Now, she screamed, out of sheer frustration, just like her increasing claustrophobia.
'My sister was right! I should've picked the Seiai Academy!'
Completely immobilized by the swirling mob behind her, Nagatoro performed the sole action available to her in that position.
Peer beyond the crystal.
Much for her utter bewilderment, she found another crowd gathered before the main building.
A plethora of men and women carrying backpacks, elongated microphones, along huge cameras from which blinding lights flashed repeatedly.
'Journalists?'
"Nagatoro!"
Slowly looking over her shoulder, Nagatoro met with Iida zig-zagging through the multitude.
"Iida-Iida! Look!" she strenuously tapped her finger on the window, pointing at the people outside.
"It's the press!" somehow, Iida managed to reach her, then his gaze followed her direction. "They've been here the whole morning trying to get an interview with All Might!"
"Then why is everyone freaking out!?"
"Nobody has noticed yet! Everyone's still panicking!"
"S-Somebody has to tell them!"
When her patience inevitably grew thin, Nagatoro began to gradually, forcibly push herself off the window, and quickly spun so she could face the crowd.
"It's the press!" she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. "We're not under attack! It's just the press!…"
But it didn't work… The frantic students paid her no attention.
"We need to get their full attention!" Iida exclaimed.
"And how are we going to do that!?"
Abruptly, he hushed. His sight dropping in sign of deep thought.
A few seconds later, he stared up to her. A decisive frown marking his expression.
"I have an idea!" he declared. "Stay here!"
"N-Not going anywhere!" Nagatoro replied. "Take your time!"
Nodding silently, Iida swiveled and blended anew with the crowd. "Uraraka!"
Meanwhile, Nagatoro was pinned onto the crystal once more.
The multitude enveloped her like bubbles in boiling water. They pushed and shoved and squeezed their way forward, never stopping for obstacles.
"Hey! Whose hand was that!?" at this point, Nagatoro couldn't bear the stench any longer. The suffocating heat, and the inability to maneuver without brushing someone else's soft spots.
Remaining short of choices, she only wished that Iida's plan didn't take too long.
'Just do your best, Iida…'
In that moment, as if summoned by her very will, Iida appeared, leaping over the agitated mob.
Then there was light.
A cerulean flame on his calves propelling him forth, until he gracelessly crashed against the wall above the emergency exit.
"Everyone!" Iida shouted, getting the attentiveness of the crowd, which instantly quieted to heed his call. "Everything's okay! It's just the press outside! There's absolutely nothing to worry about! This is U.A.! We need to remain calm and prove that we are the best of the best!"
Subsequently, the mass hysteria vanished, and the friendly chatter amongst the students reignited. They stopped bumping onto each other, displaying a modicum of respect for personal space.
Whilst Nagatoro sighed heavily, relaxing her rigid stance, since she didn't need to watch her moves anymore.
As relief washed over her, she kept staring at Iida holding for dear life to a tube in the roof.
Uraraka's words echoed inside her mind afresh.
With a faint smile she realized, they were witnessing the rise of their new class representative.
'He's got my vote, that's for sure…'
She had neither proof nor doubts about it. Only her keen intuition, like a whisper from a distinct dimension, where all of this might already have happened.
Izuku could've been a good candidate, a great one even. But he probably would support Iida assuming the role.
She just knew it.
The end of school for the day brought along the end of sunlight.
The wind became fresh and soothing. A golden, clouded sky loomed upon U.A. while several students made their pilgrimage towards the main gate.
This wasn't different for Nagatoro, as she sluggishly dragged her feet onwards. The security breach incident having reduced her to a barely-conscious state of existence.
Regardless, there was still a single matter worth her last energies.
Slowly, she pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. A myriad of notifications immediately popped up.
But no message from Izuku appeared…
Their latest interaction being the one-sided conversation she had with him in the morning.
Frowning, she stared absentmindedly into the device in her hand. She couldn't help the worrisome scenarios materializing inside her head. Radio silence from someone is never a good sign.
'I just hope he's okay. Maybe I can pay him a visit when I get-'
"Hey, Nagatoro!"
On cue, she stopped.
Curious, she spun, and was instantly greeted by a beaming Uraraka speedily approaching her. Her brown hair bouncing briskly during her run.
"You're going to the station, right?" she asked upon reaching her side.
Nagatoro nodded unconsciously, lingering poker-faced.
"Let's get going, then!" Uraraka's smile only widened.
"Don't be so brash, Uraraka." shortly later, Iida arrived, remaining stoic as ever.
"E-Eh, it's fine, Iida," Nagatoro said sheepishly. "Don't worry about it."
Iida hummed in response. "Well, in that case, we should get going. Mr. Aizawa said that there would be a special activity tomorrow."
"School is over, Iida," Uraraka rolled her eyes, chuckling. "You can stop being the class representative."
This time, Iida had no answer. He simply adjusted his glasses while looking down.
Before long, they started walking forth unto the sunset. Their banter chipper, unceasing.
However, Nagatoro stayed behind, rooted to her spot.
She had that feeling again.
An easing warmth swelling in her chest, spreading across her whole body, passing through her like a gentle ocean wave.
She was simultaneously calm and anxious. Relaxed, and also full of energy.
She was… happy…
"Nagatoro! Are you alright?"
Instinctively, Nagatoro gazed up at the summoning that dragged her out of her trance.
In the distance, she found the silhouettes of Iida and Uraraka, looking back to her expectantly.
A sly smirk appeared on her lips as she savored the moment, let the happiness soak in her heart.
"Yeah!" she gleefully exclaimed. "I'm right behind you!"
And so, she began sprinting, joining her colleagues on the horizon.
She wasn't here to make friends.
But she still thanked every star above that she wouldn't have to walk the path of professional heroism alone…