The majority of the weeks after Eri visited U.A went to preparing for the festival.
Izuku and the other members of the band had managed to actually start sounding similar to a actual band. The disharmony that is often present in most amateur bands was dampened if not eliminated entirely.
While the dancers had begun moving with greater grace than they had when they began.
And the staging team was able to devise a entertaining accompaniment for the dancers and band.
On the morning before the festival 1-A was getting the last few preparations done.
Izuku leaned against the wall of the dorms a small smile on his face as he watched his fellow students work.
"Midoriya?"
The greenette looked to his side where his fellow student Yaoyorozu stood. A tray filled with tea cups in her hands.
"Would you like a cup?"
Izuku looked at steaming cups of tea. Sniffing at the strong aroma that came from them.
"Is that the Imperial Golden Tips black tea?"
He asked remembering the aroma from his father's office. When the boy was young he often sat in his father's lap as he worked on paperwork and sipped the tea from a china cup he had apparently acquired over a century before the boy's birth.
The boy's father was angrier than he had ever seen him when he accidentally broke that cup.
Yaoyorozu seemed surprised at him knowing of the tea.
"Yes. Would you like one?"
She asked offering the tray.
Izuku nodded grabbing the cup she had offered.
He leaned back against the wall and watched the girl leave. Before a flask appeared in his hand courtesy of a storage quirk.
And poured some of it's golden contents into the black liquid.
'How my father ever enjoyed tea is beyond me.'
Before drinking the spiked tea.
'Scotch's more my speed.'
And grew a smile at the combined flavor.
Later into the night Izuku was still up with the night owls of 1-A. When Aoyama mentioned that the rope that the staging team was using had become frayed.
"I'll pick up a new one tomorrow. I have to go out for something anyway."
Kaminari looked at him confused.
"Why can't we just have Yaomomo make a new one?"
Izuku glared at him.
"She actually has a use outside being a tool for others unlike yourself human charger."
Kaminari deflated at his statement.
"Aw come on man why you gotta do me like that?"
Izuku shrugged and walked away.
The next day Izuku quickly dressed and went to the nearest convenience store. Quickly leaving (not before using his storage quirk to take a bottle of whiskey) and going to the next.
And the next... and the next... until after half a fucking hour he managed to find a store than carried ropes.
Izuku ran down the street. Two bags in his hands not looking at the exact place he was going.
And so he accidentally ran into two people.
"Sorry."
He said looking at the two who wore large amounts of clothes. That made it almost look like they were trying to hide their faces.
"You surprised me." The taller of the two said. His smooth voice sounded... familiar. "The aftertaste of the imperial golden tips was almost ruined."
Izuku could feel the man glaring at him. But didn't care he was focused on the man's familiar voice.
"That house back there is a cafe then?"
The greenette questioned and the man seemed surprised.
He turned ignoring the shorter woman who tried to stop him.
"I was expecting you to ask "what are imperial golden tips?" but you to already know of it." The man said leaning on his cane to look more closely at the shorter male. "But you seem to be of the few who know of it's splendid taste!"
The man spread his arms in joy.
"It's nice to meet you my high-class fri-"
"It didn't taste that good at first. Tea was always more my dad's speed." Izuku gave the man a smirk. "It tasted far better with some high quality scotch added to it."
The man gasped aghast that anyone would taint such a exquisite tea with a alcoholic beverage.
"Your voice sounds quite familiar sir." Emerald green glared into the man's glasses. "So tell me... are you the criminal Gentle?"
The man seemed surprised. Before giving a hearty chuckle.
"I've never heard of this Gentle fellow my friend. But he sounds like a wonde-"
"Then explain why your quirk is just like his."
Izuku said taking a step toward the man. Looking at his chest with a silver light bounced within his sternum.
"My, my quirk?" The man nervously asked. "How could my quirk me like another's?"
Izuku glared at him.
"Don't you dare lie to me... Gentle." He said taking another step towards the man. Dropping his bags to the ground as he did. And grabbing the man by the front of his trench coat pulling him down so they could be face to face with him.
"You will not lay one of your grimy villainous hands on U.A."
Burning emerald swirled with images of the young girl he had saved.
'She needs this.'
"A little girl needs this festival." Izuku growled as he glared into the man's hidden eyes. "You will not ruin the chance for her to feel joy for once in her life."
The man seemed to smile before he yelled out.
"La Brava! Prepare the camera and don't stop filmi-"
He was cut off by a fist that sparked with purple and green lightning smashing into his face. Blasting him away with a intense concentrated blast of air pressure.