Important Author Notes:
- Male Izuku in all Female class 1-A
- Homeroom teacher Bubble Girl AU
- Genderbent Iida, Todoroki, Kirishima, Kaminari and Mineta
- Was initially written as an RP, not a fic, may contain odd formatting choices as a result.
- One-shot, co-written with my boyfriend, Syber_Slash.
U.A. high school, the number one hero course in Japan. It was illustrious, prestigious, an insight into what society valued most. And it was no stranger to the woes and wiles of teenagers, like any high school, but unlike most high schools U.A. had to deal with superpowers atop the usual craziness.
That was just par for the course being the top hero school in Japan. It brought many unique challenges, such as accommodating mutation types, keeping rare foods and materials on hand, having the best medical equipment available…
And sometime in the last few decades, before the current principal was instated, their predecessor had decided one of the big issues that would have to be dealt with was how some powers could take on quite a… lewd, or personal manifestation sometimes.
With this in mind, they had pushed and pushed, and just before they departed forever managed to make their lasting mark on the school with a change. The separation of boys and girls in classes. It happened just after one of the greatest heroes the school would ever produce, All Might, had left their doors that it was decided there would be all boys classes and all girls classes, and with plans within plans and documentations set by the principal, never again were the twain to meet.
…. At least until a certain green haired boy with a penchant for unintentionally throwing what everyone assumed to be the natural order into whack had been born, and a certain blue skinned staff member and teacher at U.A. watched this boy, Izuku Midoriya, break himself and undoubtedly achieve a place within the heroic halls of the school.
It took only one glance to her side for the blue skinned Kaoruko Awata, homeroom teacher of class 1-A, the girls class, to realize that her counterpart, the scruffy and bedraggled looking pro hero known to the staff as Shota Aizawa, was looking at Izuku disapprovingly.
Kaoruko didn't like that look. She'd never agreed with her colleagues "teaching" methods, which rang much more clearly with signs of laziness or incompetence rather then anything to do with helping the students, but she felt that since Nezu, the current principal, allowed him to remain anyways, she likely had no leg to stand on if she were to bring it up.
Yet something about this case spoke to her. Something about Izuku felt… off. Maybe it was the way camera's revealed him shaking before. Maybe it was how he seemed so jumpy when anyone went near him on the camera's before the exam started, maybe it was how willingly he'd used his clearly out of control quirk which only raised more questions…
Or maybe it was the way that even when he landed all he focused on was helping the girl he saved, but something told her he needed someone who would help him. Every one of her instincts told her he needed a good teacher. He needed help.
Aizawa wouldn't do it, so what was she to do? Well… it was drastic but, she made sure to grab the copy of Izuku's file the next week before Aizawa got the chance when they were sorting out class rosters and potential interactions the two classes might have in future.
She hadn't been certain she would actually go through with her plan until she'd read the file and seen the listing for a quirk having a note beside it. A note that indicated said quirk having come in late. In fact, the date it had was listed, and Bubble Girl's mind was made up.
She subtly slipped Izuku's folder into her class roster and made sure to register it all before Aizawa could begin on his own roster. She'd deal with the potential fallout later, she may only have a day or two with the deliberate paperwork error, but she'd do everything she could in that time to prepare him before Aizawa could get his claws on him.
She'd take any potential punishment she might get for her actions later, as long as she could help a student in the here and now.
When Izuku Midoriya joined class 1-A on the first day, and they discovered this wasn't some kind of error on the boy's part, the girls of class 1-A were confused and hesitant, but tried to be nice. An explanation was sure to come soon.
That hesitant niceness quickly turned more genuine when they realized Izuku's nerves were a lot worse than any of theirs about this predicament and he seemed so genuinely worried about upsetting them. It made him more endearing, and assured them somewhat that the temporary addition to their class wouldn't be too much of an issue as one might have worried.
Hell, Ochaco, the girl who Izuku had saved at the entrance exam, was at least elated. She was being super friendly, glad they could share classes at least for a little while.
But it was during the wait for their teacher again in the field outside the school, when she'd told them they would be having a later orientation than normal to assess something important, that it happened.
Izuku wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, whether it was nerves, the desire to try and prove himself as not just some random guy who would be ruining the girls' first day somehow or just trying to force more of a backbone now that he felt he should have a fresh start…
But he found himself approaching a tall raven haired girl during the wait, who kept reaching back and adjusting her ponytail. Every few moments, it seemed she had to fix it, and it seemed to be bugging the taller girl to no end.
Perhaps it was just the look on her face of defeat for a moment when she seemed to get fed up of trying with the ponytail, but he found himself in front of her, and the words had left his mouth before he knew he was saying them. "D-Do you need some help w-with that? N-Not t-that you have to t-take it from me or a-anything, but I c-could help? I k-know how to tie hair up in a f-few different styles."
The girl had blinked in surprise, before thanking him and hesitantly leaning down somewhat to give him easier access to her hair, while introducing herself as Momo Yaoyoruzu. Izuku had set to work, fixing up her hair while humming, getting lost in the task and doing it with a sort of quiet elegance and purpose as though he knew exactly what he was doing with every move. Probably because he did.
It took him several seconds once he was finished to realize all eyes were on him after he'd told the girl he was done, and she had beamed, thanking him. When he did finally notice, he just blinked and blushed.
"W-Why are you all staring?"
"That was amazing! How are you so good at tying hair?" Mina asked excitedly and curiously.
He blushes. "O-Oh, well I uh, I l-live alone with my mother, a-and mom's too much of a workaholic to r-really make a lot of friends. I d-didn't really leave the house much, so I learnt a lot a-about things like hair c-care from my mom, it w-was one of the ways we liked to spend time together."
"That's pretty neat, the hair care part. Boys usually don't understand how important it is to us," Kyouka said with an approving nod.
Izuku blushes and chuckles nervously as he runs a hand through his own hair nervously, shrugging cutely, unaware of how adorable he looks doing so. "W-Well uh, k-kinda have to know with curls like these."
Mina giggled, running her hand through her own incredibly similar wild hair. "I know right?"
"Hey, do you know how to braid?" Setsuna suddenly asked, an excited glint in her eyes.
Izuku blushes but nods. "Mhm. S-Sometimes when the internet went out and I was home alone if I g-got bored I'd practice on my own hair to pass the time, so I know how to d-do a few different hairstyles."
Setsuna's face lit up. "Can you teach me later? I've always wanted to braid my hair, but I can never figure it out from internet videos."
He blinks but nods as he tilts his head confused. A little too confused really at such a simple request. "S-Sure I guess? I've n-never really did it f-for anyone other than mom b-but I'll do my b-best?"
Tsuyu raised a hand. "I'd like to learn too. Can I join?"
Izuku blinks in surprise, and immediately deferred to Setsuna to everyone's surprise, as if it was somehow up to her and not him when it was his time being they'd be taken up to do so, looking at her worriedly.
Setsuna blinked at him. "Why are you looking at me? You're the teacher."
"O-Oh, j-just cause I w-wanted to be sure it w-was okay." He said, sounding almost instinctive as he did, turning to Tsuyu. "I'd g-gladly teach you too, if you w-want me to!"
"Can anyone join?" Itsuka asked curiously, turning her own attention towards him as well.
Izuku blinked. "You'd want t-to?" he asks with far too much genuine shock. Itsuka would be offended, if it wasn't for the fact it didn't seem to be aimed at her, but all of them as he saw others agreeing.
"What, you think just cause you're a guy, we wouldn't want to hang out if you turn out to be cool?" Setsuna laughed, but a slightly pained look passed Izuku's face for a moment that most of them only just barely caught. She tacked a last assurance quickly, a tad more confused. "Cause we would, promise."
"G-Guess it's just a new experience is a-all." He chuckles quietly, before smiling sweetly, and he seems okay again, which is great! … But it doesn't stop them all being just a little worried about what he didn't say.
"Ribbit. Midoriya, are you okay?" Tsuyu asked as she tilted her head.
"Yeah? Why?" He asks with a gulp, before blinking. "Is it m-my stutter? I'm s-sorry if it's annoying, I've j-just never really been able to get rid of it all together. It g-gets worse when I get nervous."
"Your stutter is cute. Are you nervous now?" The frog girl asked.
"I mean... I g-guess a little, it is the first day in a new school." he tries to brush off with a small laugh. And then he mutters quietly, not meant to be heard, but spoken anyways for those closer to hear. "P-Plus i'm still getting used to f-friendliness..."
He did not realise that one of the girls had enhanced hearing, and very clearly heard him. "Getting used to friendliness? What's that supposed to mean?" Kyouka asked with confusion, not thinking of the fact he said it quietly.
He startles slightly and noticeably stiffens. "U-Uh! N-Nothing, just t-that, y-you know, this is..." he trails off then looks away. "It's..."
Mina, of all people, softened suddenly with a realization. "Midoriya, do you have any friends that you're missing from middle school?"
...
To everyone else, it was a very weird sudden question. To Izuku, he realized it was a surprisingly smart misdirect, a way to get an answer within another answer. After all, he was pretty sure he knew what Mina was really asking... and he just sighed. "N-None."
The girls were quiet for a moment. "None? Like at all?" Setsuna asked with confusion. She hadn't realised what was happening.
He shakes his head. "T-The only friend I hav-" There was a noticeable pause in his speech for a moment before he suddenly corrected course correct, looking more noticeably uncomfortable. "...h-had is in 1-B."
"Had?" Ochako repeated aloud with confusion as she tilted her head.
"It's... a l-long story." "...Well, i'll be your friend, then!" Mina said suddenly, and put on her best confident but soothing smile.
Izuku raised his head in visible shock, but before he could say anything, Ochako spoke up as well. "I'm already your friend after you saved me, your best friend," she said with a wide smile.
"Can you really just claim that that easily?" A girl with short black hair asked with a quiet deadpan monotone as she stared blankly at the brunette.
Izuku however blushed yet managed a shy smile. "Y-You two would... a-actually want to be friends?" He asks, sounding a little too surprised for anyone's liking
Mina giggled. "Well yeah, why not? You're really nice, you haven't tried to take advantage of this whole situation. Plus, you're cute too~" She teased, but not too heavily.
Izuku blushed and sputtered, before blinking confused, and managing to both floor them and yet reaffirm how little of an issue his presence really was with his next words, revealing just how innocent he was and just how safe they were as a result. "W-Wait take advantage? H-How would someone even t-take advantage of being in an unexpected class? It d-doesn't affect our grades does it?"
The girls stared for a moment. "Holy crap he's so innocent..." Setsuna and Kyouka muttered in tandem, with the former cooing and the latter holding back a coo.
"Don't worry about it, Midori." Setsuna grins, flashing her sharp teeth. "You're cool, you know that right? I'd be down to be your friend too!"
Izuku stared at her. "Y-You would? B-But-"
Before he could say whatever he was going to the sound of footsteps caught their attention and a chirpy voice, Bubble Girl, their homeroom teacher, spoke up. "Okay class! Are we all here?"
As she asked that, she began to go through a list of names, Izuku finding himself the fifteenth to be called meaning there was still five left, surprising him since a part of him for some reason expected to be last.
"Minerva Mineta?"
"Here!" A short girl with purple orbs for hair said as she raised her hand.
"Taka Iida?"
"I am here, Miss," a girl with glasses said from the middle of the group.
"Doi Kaminari?"
"Right here." A blond girl with a black streak running through her hair said from the edge of the gathered class.
Bubble Girl nodded with a smile, turning next to a redhead. "Eiko Kirishima?"
"Here Miss!" A redheaded girl with spiky hair replied enthusiastically.
"Shoko Todoroki?"
"Here." A monotone reply came from off to the side, where a two toned long haired girl was standing and staring with a coldly blank expression at the teacher.
Bubble Girl nodded and looked at them all. "Well, I'm glad to see none of you have been having any trouble interacting, even despite unexpected circumstances!" She smiles. "Now, would anyone like to take a guess at what a quirk apprehension test is? Since that is what we will be spending our time doing before orientation."
A few hands raised into the air.
Bubble Girl tilts her head, looking around at them all contemplatively before smiling softly and surprising them all when she picked a student who hadn't put their hand up. "Midoriya, do you think you could give it a shot?"
Izuku jolted, and then curled in on himself as all the girls turned to look at him. "M-Me?"
Bubble Girl nods encouragingly. "Don't worry, there's no shame in a wrong answer when you're still learning, correcting them is why I'm here after all, but from what I've read I think you should be able to figure it out." She said vaguely but gave him her softest most non-threatening smile.
Izuku watched her for a moment, then swallowed nervously. "I-It's... a-a test to help y-you, or us, f-figure out where we are w-with our quirks, a-and how to help us improve them w-while we're here?"
Bubble Girl beams. "One hundred percent correct, nicely done!" She says, before nodding and turning to Tsuyu. "For a demonstration, I was hoping Asui might help me?"
"Ribbit. How Miss?" She asked curiously as she approached the teacher.
"I assume you did the standard fitness tests in school, yes?" She asked, getting a nod and smiling as she pulled out a soft ball from her bag. "Excellent, tell me, do you remember your farthest softball throw?"
Tsuyu thought for a moment. "Forty-two meters, I think."
"That's impressive. Now, I would like you to try and beat that score." She told the girl, giving her the softball. "And, this is the important part, I want you to use your quirk to do so."
Tsuyu tilted her head. "My quirk?"
Bubble Girl nodded. "Yes, this is just a taste of what we'll be doing. Just think of a way to maximize the distance with your quirk. No wrong ideas, just try to get as much distance as you possibly can."
Tsuyu stared for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "From here?"
Bubble Girl points out a stand. "From that plaque on the ground there." She smiled. "Good luck."
Tsuyu nodded, then walked over and stood on the plaque, then looked down at the ball. After about a minute of thinking, Tsuyu's tongue shot out of her mouth and wrapped around the ball. She then began to spin, while letting her tongue get longer and longer, making the ball spin in a wider and wider arc. Then, eventually, Tsuyu let out a 'Kero!' as she let go of the ball, letting it soar into the air with impressive height and speed.
Everyone watched in amazement as it soared high through the air, before coming down far out of view of most of them. Bubble Girl smiled happily and turned with a tablet in hand, showing them all the results. "194 metres! As you can see, by utilizing her quirk, Asui has both dramatically increased her potential result and stimulated her creative problem in the process of figuring out how to use said quirk most effectively. That's what we're going to be doing before orientation, all of us!"
Awe was the initial feeling everyone felt, but it was quickly replaced by excitement as chatter began to spread around.
"We get to use our quirks like this?"
"This is so exciting! It's going to be so much fun!"
Bubble Girl nodded a tad more solemnly with an exasperated sort of smile as she let out a more hollow chuckle.
"You're lucky I'm not 1-B's teacher, he'd be a lot harsher on comments like that. Still, I warn you now, this is the start of your training. That doesn't mean that training can't be fun, but don't forget it is training, and your focus should always be on improvement! You are here to get better, faster, stronger and learn how to be heroes. It won't always be fun. Sometimes it will be hell, and for some of you, this will be nothing but frustration, setbacks and struggles... so, are you all plus ultra enough to get up and keep trying anyways?!" She called out in her best motivational voice
The class was full of smiles as almost everyone pumped their fist into the air. "YEAH!"
Bubble Girl beamed. "Excellent! Now then, who's ready for the fifty metre dash?!"
All the girls raised their hands, and Izuku meekly raised his, but not very high as he kept his head low.
Bubble Girl beamed. "Perfect. Now then, let's get to it, starting with Reiko Yanagi and Momo Yaoyoruzu."
The two girls in question stepped forwards and got ready at the startline.
Momo used her quirk even before the race was on, but given Bubble Girl said nothing, it must've been allowed. She seemed to use her quirk to… Did she just create a pair of roller skates?
Yanagi's boots meanwhile seemed to take on some kind of pink glow, and then, at the word go, both girls were off!"
As Momo set off, she very quickly realised she had made a mistake, rather than give herself a speed boost.
The track was a dirt track, and she'd made regular plastic wheels.
She was reduced to having to more or less carefully half run half skate, causing her to pass the finish line well after Yanagi.
"9.8 seconds." A robotic voice announced.
"Oh ouch, that's gonna be a shot in the pride." Setsuna winced nearby Izuku, letting out a small 'oof' at the other girl's misfortune.
Izuku absentmindedly nodded. It would've been a good idea on a concrete, or at least more solid track, but on dirt it would've been much easier just running. It would definitely sting.
But it could also be a learning experience. Be mindful of whether your ideas would benefit or hinder before going through with them.
He voiced as much out loud, making Mina let out an "Ooh!" as he beamed. "That's a way better way to look at it then just someone failing, you should tell her that, might make it sting less when she comes back!"
Izuku sputtered. "I-I-I said t-that a-a-aloud?!" He squeaked out fearfully.
Mina giggles. "You didn't notice? It's a super smart take on it so I dunno why you're embarrassed!"
"I-It's- I-... y-you… a-aren't… a-angry about it..?" Izuku asked with quiet confusion.
Mina blinked several times before looking at him as though he had just announced the sun had turned into cheese. "Uh… why on earth would I be angry? You have a right to talk and it wasn't even about me or about anything bad?"
Izuku's eyes went wide with shock. This was so far beyond what he'd been allowed in the past.
"I have t-the right?" He asked without thinking.
Mina looked at him, then her face fell before she gently took his wrist and squeezed it. "Of course you do, and if anyone ever tells you you don't, tell me who said that so I can melt 'em, okay?"
Izuku stared at her, not fully registering the action she just took, more focused on her words. "But… Are you s-sure?"
"Positive." Mina said. "Everyone has a right to talk, Midori. Everyone."
Izuku was… well, speechless, but his expression said it all.
Shock and disbelief.
"Next up, Mina Ashido and Ochaco Uraraka."
Mina perked up. "Guess it's my turn." She turned back to Izuku with a smile. "Why don't you go over and tell Yaoyorozu what you said before? I bet she'll be glad you said it."
"I-I… r-right!" he nods, before gulping and turning to a somewhat dejected looking Yaoyoruzu walking back to the crowd. Without really knowing what he was doing, he walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Y-Yaoyoruzu?"
The jet black haired girl jolted and whipped around with wide eyes.
She relaxed after a moment. "A-Ah, hello… Midoriya, yes? I'm sorry, I was… thinking," she apologised with a smile, though it seemed a bit strained.
"I g-get that, sorry for interrupting but i k-know what's it like to get lost in your own head." He said, frowning. "T-Though when the thoughts aren't nice to you, I also know what that's like… it's n-not fun, but you have nothing to feel too bad about, r-right? I mean you tried, and you gave us all something valuable to t-think about early on in the test rather than late into it? I mean now we know that just because we can use our quirks every time, doesn't mean we should, and it's t-thanks to you testing that, and I mean, this just means you can show us a much better showing later. It was a really good idea, j-just in the wrong place!"
Momo stared at him for a few moments, her eyes slightly wide with surprise. "You… think so?" She asked with surprise, though it was hidden. He nodded and smiled.
"A-And hey, I know I probably won't be in this class long term." For some reason, as he said that, a pit suddenly formed in his stomach and a flash of realization that he'd be forced in with Bakugou soon hit him, causing a flash of pain and sadness he didn't realize was visible to Momo before he shook his head and continued. "But w-while I am, I mean, wouldn't we all be better heroes but learning f-from each other and lifting each other up? Even when one of us f-falls, if we all learn, then it's not exactly a loss and we'll make sure to lift each other back up, right?"
Momo stared at his face for a few moments.
Then slowly, a smile spread across her face, not a big one, but a genuine one. "You're correct. Thank you Midoriya, I… think I needed to hear this."
He smiled wide, before hearing the results behind him, that Ochaco had gotten about 6.8 seconds while Mina had breezed by on an acid trail letting her get a cool 5.2 seconds.
"Next up! Izuku Midoriya and Setsuna Tokage!"
Izuku froze for a moment. "M-Me?" He squeaked out.
He wasn't ready, not so quickly, he hadn't even gotten over his current situation yet, there was no way he could-
"Woo! Heck yeah, come on bush head." Setsuna laughed and gently punched his arm before dragging him over. "I wanna see what you can do physically if you're this cool at everything else!"
Izuku sputtered. "I-I'm not c-cool!" Was all he could think to squeak out as he was pulled over to the start line.
Setsuna smirked. "Right, right, you're hot, sorry I forgot."
"No flirting on the track." Bubble Girl called out with a sigh.
Izuku immediately went nuclear and sputtered out incoherently.
"On the count of ten." Bubble girl began counting down, and Izuku barely got his head back onto the task at hand at the six second mark, before suddenly realizing an incredibly crucial worrying detail he somehow had glossed over before.
He still didn't know how to safely use One for All!
He went completely rigid, very visibly rigid as he stood ready to run, his mind running a thousand miles a second trying to figure out what he was going to do.
There was no way he'd get a good score without being able to use One for All, but he couldn't use it, because he'd end up with broken bones.
"Two- One- Go!" Bubble Girl called, although a frown already found its way onto her face as she watched Setsuna immediately separate and fly the whole way with her two disconnected body parts, while Izuku stalled, then nearly tripped over his own feet as he began sprinting.
It was… painful to watch such a foul start, especially when they could see that had he not been focused on whatever had freaked him out, he would of quite handily made quite the bit of speedy progress on the field even without a quirk, but his stalling cost him, putting him at only 6.8 seconds.
"What was that?" Tooru asked, confused, to Jirou and Ibara beside her.
Jirou held a frown. "I think he was panicking. His heartbeat was going crazy before he even started running," she replied with a worried tone.
"But, what on earth could have made him so worried? The lord seems to have blessed him with much in regards to his physicality, yet he seems so nervous. Perhaps… Do you think he is somehow uncomfortable with his own quirk?" Ibara pondered aloud.
"Maybe, or it's not something he can use in the tests. Whatever's going on, he's been nervous from the start, but it sounded like he was going to have a panic attack on the track," Kyouka replied with a small headshake.
Ochaco frowned nearby, having overheard all of this before turning her head to the boy, who was… apologizing to Setsuna for 'making himself look stupid' on her turn to shine? What?
"I'm s-sorry I d-didn't mean to t-take any s-spotlight." He said to her quickly and worriedly, as if he thought somehow the girl would be mad she wasn't centre stage during the run.
Setsuna stared at him with confusion and bewilderment. "What? What are you talking about 'spotlight'? It's just a test, not some sort of talent show. Are you okay though? I thought I saw you stumble out of the corner of my eye, you didn't fall, right?" She asked as she got worried.
"H-Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine… you r-really don't mind?" He blinks in confusion. "U-Usually people w-would at least yell at me if i d-did anything distracting while they w-were using their powers." he admits unthinkingly, completely unaware of how not normal that actually is.
Setsuna stared at him for a moment, then blinked, then blinked again.
"...Midoriya… that… uh… that's really fucked up honestly," she replied bluntly.
"It.. i-is? But thats ju-just what everyone did to me." He says, not even registering the very concerning final two words that made Setsuna's eyes widen slightly. 'To me.'
"...Uh… Bubble Girl? I think you need to hear this," Setsuna said as she raised her voice, now getting extremely worried for Izuku, in many ways.
If this is what he thought… holy crap so many things were starting to make sense, even to her.
Bubble Girl blinked and looked over, walking over. "Is there an issue Setsuna? Are you both okay? That stumble at the start was a bit chaotic, you didn't sprain something did you, Izuku?"
Izuku looked very, very worried, thinking he'd made a mistake that'd need the teacher. "I-I'm o-okay? U-Um… I-"
Setsuna turned to Bubble Girl. "Miss… If I had yelled at Izuku for messing up my chance to 'show off', you would have got me in trouble right because that would be something wrong to do?"
Bubble Girl blinked. "I… of course. This isn't any sort of place to show off, it's a test to see how well you can use your quirks. If you'd yelled, I would've given you detention in all honesty," she admitted very honestly.
Izuku blinks in surprise, tilting his head in supreme confusion. Setsuna meanwhile pressed on, and did her best to give a meaningful look at Bubble Girl as she put emphasis on her tone. "And that doesn't change, just because it would be Midoriya I would be yelling at instead of anyone else, right?"
Bubble Girl's trained eye caught the look with ease, and she realised something was going on.
It didn't really change her question. "Of course not. Midoriya is as much my student as you are, and you'd be punished the same whether you'd yelled at him or one of the other girls in the class," she replied firmly.
Setsuna nodded. "Good. You see Izuku? You really don't have to apologize for anything. The fact people did yell at you for that so much is wrong. Is that why you stalled, nerves?"
Izuku went stiffer. "I… um... "
Bubble Girl sighed. "Izuku, is there an issue with your quirk? You are allowed to tell me, I can only help if I know something is wrong."
Izuku was quiet for a few moments.
Then, he began to tremble. "P-Please d-don't e-expel me. I-I… I-I'll get b-better, I p-promise, I-I just… I-I…"
He was beginning to get emotional, maybe even breakdown.
Bubble Girl went wide eyed and in barely a second dropped to her knees, gently taking his shoulders and shifting his head to look him in the eyes. "H-Hey! Hey, no, Izuku, no one's getting expelled. It's day one, there's no need for anyone to get expelled, and if it's to do with your power then you definitely won't be expelled. We accept all quirks here, okay? Is… is it to do with what happened to you at the entrance exam. Why do you need to 'get better'?"
"...I c-can't control it…. At all…" He says quietly, shaking more scared, "I'm s-sorry, I know I should but I only… o-only just… d-developed it..."
Bubble Girl looked at him for a moment, then did the one thing she could think of to help him.
She softly pulled him forwards, and softly wrapped her arms around him, giving him plenty of time to push away if he didn't want it.
Instead of pushing away though, he seemed to freeze in shock… then suddenly held on tight, as though he was receiving the first bit of positive physical affection he ever had in years and was taking it for all he could get before it disappeared, and with how things were starting to look…
Setsuna frowned deeply. "Izuku… you said you didn't have a lot of friends… did… were.. Were you bullied?"
The way Izuku flinched in Bubble Girl's arms and then tightened his hug, while digging his face as far into Bubble Girl's shoulder as he could, said everything that was needed.
Bubble Girl was starting to feel anger boil up, but she pushed it down, it was the worst thing to let out at the moment.
"...Izuku. You don't have to say anything, but I'd like it if you could at least nod. Was it just the students?" Bubble Girl asked very softly, as softly and warmly as she could, trying her best to show that he was safe here, and nothing would happen to him.
There was a second of silence, and sniff… and then, slowly, Izuku shook his head.
Bubble Girl held him tighter. "That…" She didn't really know what to say to that. Teachers joining in on bullying a student? How in the hell could anyone-
'Only just… d-developed…'
Izuku's words rang through her mind.
And it clicked.
It seemed to click for Setsuna as well, who went wide eyed, before her eyes became shadowed and she suddenly patted Izuku gently on the shoulders. "Midoriya… I'll be right back, but listen to me. I swear, despite whatever those people told you, you're a normal person and you deserve to be treated like anyone else. And I still want to be your friend, okay?"
Izuku was quiet for a few moments, then his head shifted slightly, just so his mouth was uncovered.
"...R-... R-Really..?"
She looked up and gave him a soft smile, nodding. "Really, I promise."
One of Izuku's eyes stared back at her, tears clinging to it as he stared.
"...I-I… T-Thank… you…" He replied very quietly as the tears began to build, then began to roll down his cheeks as he started to cry.
Setsuna nodded. "I'm gonna let the others know who's up next for you Bubble Girl, so they can keep going, okay? Who's up next?"
Bubble Girl let out a small hum. "Shoko Todoroki and Ibara Shiozaki."
Setsuna nodded and quickly hurried over, calling out the names before turning to the others, and noticed their looks. "Guess you're curious, huh?"
"I caught most of it, but I want to hear it from you," Kyouka said with an angry look, but she was trying her best to control it in her voice.
Setsuna nodded. "Well, I know why he stumbled for a start. Apparently, he's only just developed his quirk."
There were some gasps of surprise. "Just developed? Wait, what do you mean? Like… a few years ago instead of at four?" Tooru asked with confusion and worry.
Taka's eyes widened as it hit her. "...It was the entrance exam, wasn't it?"
Everyone turned to her, but Setsuna shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it sounded like it was recent."
Ochaco winced. "That would explain why his body blew up when he used it to s-save me… If it was one of his first times using it..."
"His body what?! " Itsuka sputters and went wide eyed as Eiko's jaw dropped beside her.
Ochako fiddled with her fingers. "His legs… and arm… Well, after he used his quirk, they were all broken, really broken. It was as if his body… couldn't handle how strong his quirk was," she explained, while staring at the ground with a worried look.
Setsuna frowned deeply. "Well, maybe that's why it took so long… all I know is, I think the reason he's been acting so weird is cause he was bullied for it.. By just about everyone it seems like before he came here."
"Bullied? But he's so nice, who'd- Wait everyone?" Mina asked as she blinked and realised what Setsuna had said.
"Everyone." Setsuna nodded. "Didn't you notice, he wasn't even feeling safe when the teacher was around…"
Realisation slowly spread around for everyone. "Oh my god…" Kinoko Komori muttered as she covered her open mouth with her hands.
"That… that's not bullying. That's abuse." Jirou said disgusted, scrunching up her face. "Discrimination if it was because of his quirk or lack of one, even. That's fucked up."
"Honestly, I'm starting to think that us talking about hair with him was the first time he's had a positive class interaction in his life." Setsuna muttered more quietly but still loud enough to be heard.
Everyone was quiet for a few moments.
"Then we'll give him more."
Setsuna looked up to see who had said that and saw it was Momo. The others blinked and turned to her as well, curious, other than Shoko and Ibara who were getting their results manually from the machine.
"If he's so kind as to go out of his way to help others, both in physical endeavors and just making us feel better, then it's only right we do the same for him. He's kind, and doesn't deserve whatever the people in his past have done to him."
Momo looked around, a more determined expression on her face as she did so. "We're going to be heroes. Heroes save people, and… I think that's what Midoriya needs. To be saved."
"...I'm in!" Ochaco said after a moment, getting a determined face. "Even if it's just trying to make friends, if it's that a big deal for him, then we need to give Midoriya all the friends we can get so he knows what real friends are like!"
"Yeah! Nobody that nice should be treated like that. I'll make sure he never feels lonely or bullied ever again!" Mina agreed with a wide toothy smile as she pumped a fist into the air.
"I… also have a request that may seem odd, but I must voice it." Momo said, seeming to hesitate for a moment before her face steeled in determination. "Do you all recall what he said when we asked if he had any friends in U.A.?"
"He said-... 'Had'... and they're… in 1-B…" Kendou replied, her voice slowly going quiet as each word came out.
Momo nodded. "And, when we conversed a moment ago while he was cheering me up from my own failing, he mentioned the likelihood of him being transferred into the correct class soon and when he did.. It was brief but there was this very pained and… for lack of a better word, scared look on his face for a moment when he seemed to realize it himself." She sighs. "Not that I want to be presumptuous but I can't help but worry that if he is moved into 1-B…"
There was silence for a few moments again.
"...Why would he be moved into 1-B? He's already in the right class," Eiko replied with a smile.
"The teachers might not think we see it that way, if we don't make absolutely sure they know we wish for our class to remain as is." Reiko finally speaks up, pointing out. "It is they who design who goes where, and they are referring to Midoriya's placement as an error, indicating their belief they must correct this."
"Then how'd we do it? Do some sort of… letter with our signatures saying we want him to stay?" Kyouka replied questioningly, but not in a rude way.
"That is one possibility. We could also actively voice our concerns to make it more obvious we truly mean it. If we all say our piece, then they cannot deny it is truly us who are requesting this." Momo pointed out. "And-"
"And you all have nothing to worry about." Bubble Girl's voice reaches them all causing them all to stop and turn…
And see Izuku staring at them with puffy, wide shocked eyes, and Bubble Girl smiling softly at them all.
"I'm glad to see you care so much for your classmates already."
The girls blushed lightly as they realised everything they'd been saying over the last bit had been heard by them.
"W-Well it's just… you know, right. He's our classmate, him being a boy doesn't change that," Kyouka replied as she looked away and fiddled with her jacks.
Bubble Girl chuckled. "I am glad you agree. And I'm glad you all are willing to speak up about it like so, it will make it much easier to explain why I'm not correcting the paperwork I filed for Izuku to be in my class. Though I'm sure Nedzu already has a good idea I rigged that by now."
The girls blinked. "You rigged it?" Tsuyu croaked as she tilted her head.
Bubble Girl blushed slightly and chuckled nervously. "Well, let's just say 1-B's teacher is… I wasn't sure he'd really be good for Izuku after seeing the entrance exam, and now that I have the full story, I am definitely insisting on keeping him here. We'll discuss the details more properly when we're back in class, but for now, I think Izuku could do with some friends, don't you?"
There was only a split second of silence. "Yeah! Midorya will have tons of friends before the day is over," Tooru cheerily replied.
"Will have?" Mina raised a brow before skipping over to him and putting an arm around him. "I think you mean does have!"
Izuku stared at her with shock. "W-What?"
Setsuna nodded as she came to his other side. "Well, you got me, Yaoyoruzu and pinks at least, so that's three! Who else?"
Tooru and Ochako didn't hesitate to raise their hands. Kyouka followed a moment later, as did Tsuyu, and then most of the rest of the girls as well. The only one who had no reaction was Shoko, who seemed to completely ignore the situation, and Ibara, who was confused, as she hadn't been privy to the earlier conversation and so was quite confused.
"Y-You all really mean it?" He asked quietly, unable to process as he just stated, stunned.
The girls all smiled and nodded. "We mean it completely and honestly," Setsuna replied with a softer voice.
"I… I d-don't know what to say…" He sniffed. "...T-Thank you…"
Mina and Setsuna, who were on either side of him, smiled softly, before pulling him into a hug together. They made sure that it would be obvious to him that he could escape, if he wanted to, but otherwise held him there. "You don't have to thank us Midoriya. We're just being your friends, and it's completely natural to be nice to your friends," Mina assured him softly.
Bubble Girl smiled softly, and pointed at two more students, gesturing to the field to take their turns while the others all made sure Izuku was okay. No one noticed Shoko just noncommittally sigh and turn away.
For the rest of the fifty meter dashes, the girls were all near Izuku, never in his way so he could see the races, but still close so he'd know they were right there, for him, to help him, be his… friends…
It felt nice… it felt right. Like he finally had something that'd been missing from him since he was four. And slowly, as his eyes dried, a smile began to grow. It started small, but as the races were winding down, his smile was growing, and it was starting to take on a more and more radiant quality as time passed and genuine happiness began to take over.
The girls could all see it as it grew, and they smiled wider in response, happy to see that he was starting to become happier.
They really wanted to keep seeing that smile. It was the brightest smile they'd ever seen, so radiant and warm.
"Hey, uh, maybe we should start thinking of a way to help Midoriya with his power." Tooru spoke up suddenly, as the next task began to approach. "I mean we said we're gonna help each other right? Well that would include making sure Midori can actually use his quirk on these tests!"
"You're right, we should definitely do that," Kendou agreed, before bringing a hand to her chin, then turning to Izuku. "Say, Midoriya, do you know how your quirk works yet?"
Izuku blinks and hums. "I uh… I w-was told it seems to be some kind of stockpiling q-quirk, it stockpiled energy for years, which is why it's s-so powerful now. It doesn't lose the stockpiled p-power either, just keeps building it up. There's just too much energy for my body to handle though. I d-don't know how to stop it from going right to hundred percent, so whenever i use it in my arms or legs... " He winces and the implication is clear.
A lot of worried frowns spread around.
Momo likewise brought a hand to her chin. "Then… we'd need to start with helping you learn to control the output…. But that is difficult when it's so… destructive to your own body…"
Mina blinked and tilted her head, as she thought before something stood out to her. "Hang on, Midori, say that last part again. The very last thing you said."
Izuku blinked. "M-My arms or legs?" He asked with confusion.
"Yeah that!" She nods. "You're using it all in one place?"
Izuku nodded. "Y-Yes? I-I have to." He replied, still confused.
Mina blinked. "You do? So it only works in your legs or your arms? You can't put it in other places?"
"I… Might be able to, but w-why would I?" He blinks, tilting his head confused. "That would just break more stuff wouldn't it?"
Mina snapped her fingers then clapped her hands together, getting most everyone's attention unintentionally as she held her hand in front of her, and a very thick glob of acid started dropping off just her hand alone… then it began to spread up her arm, more dripping off from all over her arm. But as it spread up, the acid itself even and thinned out, going from a thick blob to a thin coating more like, as she used the same amount of acid but over more surface area.
She didn't say a single word as she did this, since she wasn't even certain if she was being smart about this, so it was honestly an experiment to her as well, but it seemed the results were as she expected, making her smile and nod in satisfaction before turning to the crowd and Izuku without a single word spoken.
Izuku was still staring with confusion.
But then, she could almost see as the lightbulb finally flickered to life in his mind, and his eyes went wide with realisation.
"Spreading it out makes it thinner…" He mumbled, before a wide smile began to spread across his face.
Setsuna raised a brow and let out a whistle. "Wow, you came up with that that quick, pinks?"
Mina laughed nervously. "Uh, yes and no, let's just say acid and ADHD don't mix well until a quirk counsellor is involved."
The girls wanted to ask, but their attention was drawn elsewhere as Izuku jumped to his feet. "That's it!" He exclaimed excitedly as he took a few steps back, away from the girls, then took on an expression of focus.
"Be careful!" Momo called worriedly, a slight hesitation coming over her features after having heard of the potential backlash of Izuku's powers, yet also a hopeful note in her voice as she wanted her friend to succeed after he helped her feel better earlier.
Izuku nodded, acknowledging her words, but forged on still.
For a few seconds, nothing happened as Izuku stood, a very clear expression of focus and determination on his face.
Then, something caught their eyes.
From Izuku's chest, a small red light appeared through his gym uniform.
The light slowly grew, then began to spread out, seemingly in a number of lines, as if veins of glowing energy were travelling under the clothes.
Then, though it seemed to take great effort and a wince, Izuku pulled back, and lifted his arms as though they were weights, before letting out a breath and relaxing yet holding on… then he lifted his hand and looked it, eyes going wide before the power suddenly turned off and he gasped. "I… I could move!" he chokes out as he does, stumbling slightly before Pony quickly rushes to his side as the closest person to support him.
Pony smiled. "That amazing was Midoriya! So cool!" She praised excitedly, just as excited as he was about his progress.
"Alright Midori! You actually got a hang of it for a second there!" Mina cheered.
"That was very well done Midoriya. Some more trying and you'll have it well in hand," Momo praised with a wide smile.
"Do you think you could use that or could you only stand with it?" Reiko asks curiously and Izuku looks down.
"I… d-don't know. It felt way way weaker then normal though, still much more then myself but… i'm not sure if t-that was close to even ten percent, and it f-felt like i had weights on me during my every move…"
Reiko hummed. "Then perhaps that's where we'll begin? If you can control that level without trouble, then it will be your beginning to control your quirk," she suggested with a small smile.
"Yeah! We can start focusing on getting your body able to handle just that, and once it can, you'll be able to use at least some of your power safely, and you'll really be ready to begin." Eiko cheered, looking excited at the prospect. Bubble Girl smiled as she took the time of the final runners, Taka and Kinoko.
"I saw that, you lot." She says with a smile. "I'm glad you seem to be helping your classmate make some progress. Izuku, I heard you said it was a struggle to move with that much, but you could actually control it?"
Izuku blushed and nodded. "A-A bit. I-It was… s-straining, a bit, b-but y-yes…" he replied shyly.
She smiled. "Then I believe you have one of two choices. I can delay your own quirk apprehension test until the end of the week, and you can spend the rest of these tests working on trying to pull down your power output to something you can handle without strain right now, or I can allow you to take part with this level of the quirk, if you think that would be better. There is no wrong answer, it's entirely up to you and I will allow you to retake the apprehension test again at the end of the week either way if you so wish, if you make noticeable improvements with the quirk anyways throughout the week."
Izuku stared up at her for a moment, then shyly lowered his head. "I-It wouldn't be fair to t-the others i-if I d-didn't do it today… S-So… I'll.. d-do it today…"
"You don't have to do it for us, your health should be your priority." Ibara said, having been filled in by the other girls in pieces as the runs had gone on, and now she wanted to say her own piece. "This is no competition after all, only an examination of our skills. No test would demand you push yourself to a dangerous breaking point you can't handle, even for heroics, not this early, I am certain. Right, Ma'am?"
Bubble Girl nodded. "You're right Shiozaki. It's important to protect your health as much as it is protecting others. If you're not in top shape, you could be a liability when protecting civilians, and that can lead to injuries, or worse," she explained as she turned back to Izuku.
He gulps but nods, thinking for a moment before getting a determined look. "R-Right… but I won't e-even know my own limits if I don't at least try, right, and that's just as dangerous? If I can take it again at the end of the week, in a w-way, doing it now might be a good way for me to learn how to understand it on my own?"
Bubble Girl watched him for a few moments, then nodded. "I agree. Alright, but be careful when you try then, okay?"
He nods. "I will, promise." He nods before going to join the rest of the class, as finally they went to the next challenge, the grip strength test.
It was another standard test. Just a grip measurer that they had to grip and get as high a pressure as possible.
Izuku found this actually rather fortunate, since he still wasn't sure he could move fast with One For All, not while he was still adjusting to the strain. Speed would just not come while he felt as if he was carrying a kiloton at the same time,
Strength however would be something very easy to show off, and sure enough, when his turn came around early alongside Eiko, Kendou and Ochaco, he got that very chance. He had squeezed down tight as he could without pushing himself any further than he could handle and watched with quiet delight as the numbers began to climb like impassioned rock climbers on mount everest, all the way up to a grand score of 420 kilograms.
He hadn't fully realised that everyone had paused to see how well he'd do, and everyone smiled at the high number. "Wow! Great job Midoriya," Kendou praised with a bright, almost sisterly smile.
Izuku blushed at it but smiled back softly, a warm feeling settling in his chest as he spotted her own grip strength score frozen at a close by 380KG. "Y-You too Kendou! You're super strong with your quirk, h-huh?"
Kendou chuckled lightly. "I mean a lot of it is probably because I do martial arts, and I can't make my hand that much bigger. It probably does help though, but thanks."
Izuku blushed. "Oh, well still, that j-just makes it even cooler if it's all your own strength!" He says excitedly, a wholesome smile on his face that dipped slightly for a moment. "I t-tried to j-join a few dojos in the past but w-well… they weren't k-keen on having a health and s-safety risk, in their words."
Kendou's smile faltered slightly, then picked up again. "Then they're morons. Hey, how about I teach you some stuff then?" She suggested suddenly.
Izuku looked up in surprise. "You… w-want to teach me some martial arts?"
"Sure. You've got a strength enhancer, so you're going to be in close with people. Knowing how to fight is important, even if you won't use it much, you'll be able to recognise it and fight better if you come up against it," she explained further with amusement, but still keeping the warmth.
"T-That's way better then the plan I was using!" He blurts out, before suddenly blushing furiously and looking away. "W-Which I w-would rather not talk about…"
Kendou stared at him for a moment. "...I won't press then, but I'll gladly help you train, and if you don't like it, I'll help you make a style of your own, how does that sound?" She suggested as she smiled.
"It s-sounds perfect, thank you Kendou!" he nods gratefully, before turning and noticing Bubble Girl waiting on them. "O-Oh, s-sorry miss, here's our scores!"
Bubble Girl giggled softly. "It's alright Midoriya, I get the scores sent to me," she assured him warmly.
Itsuka smiles. "That's good. Then perhaps we can discuss some details on what we'll do for training? Or do you want to focus on just trying to get a better handle on moving with your quirk before the next exam?"
Izuku thinks for a moment before humming. "N-Next is the long jump, I think, so I should focus on moving for now, but m-maybe once we're doing the hair thing later, we c-could trade numbers and set it up with a few texts?" He suggested with a bright smile. It took a good few seconds for him to realize he just asked for the girl's number.
Kendou smiled wide. "Sure! That sounds like a great idea, Midoriya."
He smiles despite a slight creeping of embarrassment at his late realization. "G-Great! T-This will be a lot better than picking a f-fight with dojo leaders- Oh god i just said that out loud didn't I?"
Kendou stared at him for a moment, then let out a small sigh before smiling at him with a fond yet exasperated expression. "Yes, you did. I don't recommend it, by the way, so keep to this idea, not that one, okay?" She said as she patted him softly on the shoulder.
He blushes. "R-Right. Also just, I-In my defense, I c-could take a lot of damage even before i g-got stronger, and I didn't do it thinking I could win, I j-just thought if I c-could prove that I could handle the damage they might change their mind on not letting me joining… it d-didn't work. T-That was where the idea came from though."
Kendou shook her head. "You're a little crazy huh?" She giggled. "I guess you need to be a little crazy to go on in this world."
Izuku blushes. "B-Better a little crazy but trying rather than boring and giving up, r-right?" He tries to shyly continue defending himself.
Kendou let out a proper laugh. "Okay, you got me there." she ruffled his hair as she said this.
And Izuku, without a second thought, caught up in the affection ended up nuzzling his head right into it before realizing what he was doing and going nuclear. "A-Ah! S-Sorry!"
Kendou chuckled, and left her hand on his head. "It's okay Midoriya. I'll keep going if you want it."
He blushes. "I… s-should start trying to move with my q-quirk but… I-I'd like that later?" he asked with a quiet hopefulness.
Kendou ruffled his hair again. "Tell you what. Just ask for a ruffle and I'll give it to you, okay?" She replied with a soft smile.
"D'aww, don't you two just look like the perfect picture of wholesome siblings when you're like this?" A new voice spoke making them both jump and turn to see Mina giggling at them.
Izuku went bright red. "S-Siblings? I-I- W-We- S-She's j-just being nice t-to me, I-I don't- I mean-" He stammered with embarrassment.
Itsuka blushes herself and chuckles awkwardly. "N-Not that I'd mind that." She quickly puts in before he can continue, missing his shocked look. "But if anything I'd probably have to play big sister to the whole class if I wanted to do that… although I guess Izuku would end up with special treatment either way in that scenario, huh?" She said, more idly trying to direct the embarrassment away only to instead accidentally enforce the idea unintentionally.
Mina smirked. "I guess so. I mean, he'd make an adorable little brother, don't you think?"
Izuku blushes. "W-Wait what?" he asks super confused.
Mina rolled her eyes playfully. "Come on Midoriya, you're super nice, you're shy, and you're cute. You're basically the perfect little brother."
"..I'm p-pretty s-sure I'm older than y-you, Ashido…" He protests quietly, yet also sounding… was there a note of longing in his voice?
Mina giggled. "So? You don't have to be younger for me to treat you like a younger brother."
Itsuka scratches her cheek. "Well, she does qualify well in the little sister role. Loud and a pain, but loveable." She says, giving Izuku a chance to regain his bearings as Mina blinks and sputters slightly in surprise at having her teasing thrown back on her. "Maybe she's trying to get a sibling of her own? To annoy them constantly like a little sister would."
Mina pouted. "Hey! Don't out me like that," she mock huffed.
"...You t-two would be cool sisters." Izuku says very shyly with a red face before quickly going to an opening and calling his quirk, clearly trying to hide behind practicing on moving with it to avoid having to respond to the potential teasing that line could bring.
As he did, Kendou and Mina stared after him with visible surprise at him having admitted that, then finally turned to each other.
"...I don't know about you, but I'm going to call him Bro from now on," Mina said as she grew a smile.
Itsuka raised a brow then sighed. "Then I guess I really will have to take up the big sister role so you don't accidentally break his brain." She said, thinking before deciding this could actually be kinda fun. She did always end up acting in a big sister role in every group she joined, what would it hurt to lean into it here? Especially if the class were all already bonding so well… "So be nice, sis. "
Mina smiled wide. "You got it Big Sis~"
While they were settling on their new roles, Izuku was trying still to make further progress with One For All. He was just trying to walk. All he wanted to do was walk normally, without feeling like it took a gargantuan effort just to move his legs.
So far he'd only been able to lift one in the air before having to drop the quirk.
He let out the breath he'd been holding as he let go of his quirk. "Oh… this is so much harder than I'd thought…" He mumbled to himself as he took in a few deep breaths.
"That's what she said." A voice giggled beside him making him yelp and turn… only to see no one. "Down here!"
He blinked, then looked down.
And saw a girl with purple ball-like hair in pigtails grinning up at him, yet it was a softer grin then Mina or Setsuna would wear. It had an air more of… understanding, he supposed was the closest thing he could compare it to. "Feeling stuck, big guy?"
Izuku blushed. "I-I… um.. I-I guess a bit. I-It's… not easy," he replied shyly as he averted his gaze.
"I know that feeling. Well actually I don't anymore, but I used to." She said with a slight cheeriness as she reached up and forcibly plucked something off her head. One of the balls, which she began tossing up and down. "My quirk's called Pop-Off. You saw how I put it on the ground and jumped off it during the dash, right?"
Izuku nodded. "Y-Yeah. I-It was really creative," he said as he gained a smile again.
"Thanks! And hey, at least with you being here and being a guy, at least I won't be the only one who knows all about balls, huh?" She snickers, winking at him.
Izuku sputtered. "I- You- T-That's i-inappropriate," he squeaked in reply.
She giggled. "Sorry, sorry, I can't help myself sometimes. It's just how my brain's wired. Here, lemme make it up to ya, i don't know if this will help but…" She threw the ball in her hand at the ground and let it stick, before putting her foot on it. "My quirk lets me tear the balls off of my head and make them stick to anything, aside from me. What I don't tend to tell people though is that the part about not sticking to me? That's cause I trained that. If i don't focus on making myself able to pull off…" She lifts her foot fast, and it gets dragged back down by the ball.
Izuku blinked. "Oh… So.. you had to t-train a lot f-for it?" He asked with curiosity.
"More I had to relax." She says. "Like you with your power right now, I was stuck, and when I got stuck, I always started to worry and panic…" She began to rapidly try over and over to pull her foot off, failing each time and getting dragged back by the ball. "It wasn't until I learned to just relax and stop trying to force it…" She took a deep breath and put her foot down, before very slowly lifting it and showing how the ball actually didn't stick nearly as well this time, before coming off completely. "That I learned how to stop being stuck."
Izuku stared at the ball on the floor for a few moments. "Relax…" He was quiet for a few moments.
A smile spread across his face as he raised his head to look at her. "Thank you, Mineta. I think this'll help."
She smiles, though its a tad strained. "You're welcome, Midoriya, but it's Minerva. I don't like being called Mineta."
Izuku blinked. "A-Are you sure? I-I don't want to be rude," he replied unsurely.
She nods. "I'm not on the best terms with my family, so uh, yeah. If anything my first name is less rude."
Izuku began to panic ever so slightly. "A-Ah! I-I'm so sorry, I-"
She quickly smiled and waved both her hands. "No harm done! Besides, I was rude and didn't ask before staring at you, even if I can blame it on you being super hot, so we're even!" She said, turning and making her way over to Hagakure and Setsuna. "Hope my advice helps!"
Izuku stared after her as she left, his mouth hanging slightly wide as she went.
He still felt bad about using a name she didn't like, but… she didn't seem mad, so…
He turned back to what he was doing and refocused.
'Relax… Maybe I need to relax…'
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath.
And then, tried to relax.
And while it wasn't an instant fix, with a breath out, everything felt just a little lighter. With a determined gaze, he called on One For All again, and tried his best to not focus on it in his body but just relax while it was still flowing in him.
There was a difference almost immediately.
It was as if the power was flowing through him more… smoothly. He didn't feel the same strain or weight he had before, at least not to the same harsh degree.
It was such a big difference from before.
It was almost euphoric in a way, and without thinking, he set his eyes on a target. They landed on Jirou, Kodai and Kinoko not too far away, and he felt trying to walk to them would be a good starting step.
He moved…
And suddenly he was beside all three and barely stopped inches from the side of Jirou, nearly falling flat on his face as he let out a yelp. "Ah! Too fast!"
The three girls jumped high as they whipped around to him. "HOLY- Midoriya?! Jeez, you scared the hell out of me," Kyouka said as she brought a hand to her chest, while staring at him with wide eyes.
"S-S-Sorry! I w-was just… t-trying to walk, and next thing I knew…" He said, wide eyed and breathing a little heavily, not from strain but from his own shock. "I.. I t-think I can move with my q-quirk now, but I had no idea it would be so… f-fast."
"Midoriya, you're sparking!" Kinoko suddenly exclaimed.
"W-Wait what?" He asked slightly worriedly, thinking she meant he was literally sparking with flames or something as he looked over his form.
His eyes widened with surprise when he saw he was literally sparking with electricity.
Arcs of green electricity were dancing across his body, letting out light crackles he hadn't noticed before.
Of course, this immediately attracted the attention of everyone else since literal lightning was kind of hard to ignore, and everyone was staring with wide eyes at the light show.
Then the cheering started, much to Izuku's embarrassment as he heard Setsuna call out about how 'Greenie finally got it!'
No one noticed Shoko mostly ignoring the show near the back, focusing more on her own tests and just sighing. 'Wasting time…'
Ochako rushed up. "That's amazing Midoriya! You figured it out then?" She asked excitedly as she stood very close to him.
"I… t-think somewhat, yeah! M-Minerva really helped."
Minerva blushed a tad but gave a thumbs up. "Ah, I didn't do much, just followed Mina's example. I just figured, if Mina showing off just how her worked and how she controlled it helped, maybe showing the same would help with my quirk too, since, you know, for you it's more like your learning how to use it for the first time, so it's not like we should be training moves into you, but just the feeling of how to actually use the super duper basics of a quirk, you know? So really it was more Mina then me."
Izuku shook his head. "M-Mina helped me figure out h-how to start f-figuring it out, b-but you helped me find the right w-way to do it. Y-You helped just as m-much, really," he replied with a smile.
"Well, I'm just glad you can use it now, bro!" Eiko called with a grin, missing the slightly scandalized looks and pouts from Mina and Itsuka at Eiko stealing what was meant to be their title for him. "Super manly!"
Izuku blushed. "A-Ah, t-thank you, K-Kirishima," he thanked shyly.
The red head just gives him a toothy nod and grin. "Well I'm just saying the truth, it is! Now, I think it's my turn!"
"Indeed it is." Bubble Girl nods as the girl's skin hardened and she took a grip machine. "And once we have your score, we're heading for the long jump next."
Sounds of understanding went around from everyone as Eiko did her test, getting a high result thanks to her strength and quirk.
And after that, they headed out, coming to the long jump. It felt like everything was starting to go by in a blur now, the only time things felt they were slowing down to Izuku was just before his turn, as Minerva repeated her fifty metre dash move to clear the long jump and Izuku was called in, when all the girls began to encourage him.
It was extremely heart lifting to have what felt like essentially the whole class cheering him on, many assuring him he could do it, or cheering at him to impress them, and he didn't want to let them down. Even the seemingly shy Kinoko and extremely quiet Kodai had both come up to him, Kodai patting his shoulder and squeezing it before going to stand by Yanagi, while Kinoko had given him a shy smile and a small 'good luck' before hopping off with a red face.
And so he turned to the long jump.
And with the want to not let any of them down, he bolted forward as fast as he could. He could barely register it when he was already at the line and found himself nearly going over the allowed jumping point, but he jumped just in time, and to the class… Izuku turned into a green lightning bolt streaking straight upwards, higher than a normal person could typically jump.
No doubt, he could scale a small building with a leap like that, and then he came down in much the same trail and landed, skidding across the ground sloppily much closer to the far away school, stumbling on his feet…
But he turned back, and waved to them all.
He didn't look harmed, and he finally used his quirk properly on a test. That was his real power they hadn't yet had a chance to see all day.
The girls were stunned into silence with wide eyes and open mouths at the sight. He'd been a blur, no, a light as he ran, leaving green sparks of electricity in his wake as he ran towards the line, and then he gained such amazing height with his jump.
Hadn't he said this was the low side of what he was able to use? Or at least implied it?
If it was, then they could scarcely imagine what it would be like when he could use his full power.
And when they saw him turn to them and wave, unharmed no less, the girls all began to recover, and soon wide smiles spread across their faces as they cheered loudly and excitedly. "That was amazing Midoriya!" "Great job Bro!" "You're so fast!"
Izuku blushed but his smile grew brighter and more blinding as he made his way back, even as he blushed at the praise, hurrying over to the nearest group which happened to be Setsuna's.
"T-That… that felt amazing!" He beamed. "I h-had no idea I c-could d-do that w-with so little power…"
"Dude, that was amazing! And that's the low end of what you can use right?" Setsuna asked excitedly as she beamed back.
"Y-Yeah, I think that was about three p-percent?" He hazard a guess with a nervous chuckle.
The girls were quiet for a moment. " That was three percent?! Holy crap!" Setsuna exclaimed with awe.
"And you'll get better with time." Bubble Girl's voice says, a kind smile on her face. "Now, as much as I'm glad you're all bonding so well to support your classmate, it is Kendou's turn."
The girls giggled, with many blushing, while Kendou hurried out to do the jump herself.
And so the rest of the test went by in a near flash.
For Izuku, it was a complete one-eighty compared to the beginning of the test. He was happy now, not that he wasn't before, but he was happy about more than just being at UA.
He was at UA, with people who cared about him. He had a quirk, a quirk he could use , and a future that was almost definitely not going to be threatened by people who treated him like in the past.
Really, Izuku couldn't ask for more.
If only he knew he'd be getting it anyway.
But first, before he got those, they had the results to get!
And there his name had been, not just high on the list but in the top seven, at number six!
His jaw had dropped. 'But… I only just got my quirk, and…'
He looked around, trying to see if anyone else was as disbelieving as he was of his placement.
He saw no disbelief. Only Shoko seemed to have a displeased look, but he couldn't tell if it was at him or not.
...Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her around a lot. She hadn't been mingling…
Maybe… Maybe she needed someone to take the initiative? For that matter, would he need to do it with Kodai too? The girl wasn't talkative at all, so…
Before he could ponder further, Bubble Girl's voice took him out of his thoughts. "You all did brilliantly for this, and even those lower on the list should feel proud of themselves. You all scored high, and in nearly every case where you didn't, it was due to nothing more than a bad match up. I can confidently say I'm very excited to see you all blossoming into heroes, since you have all shown an impressive first showing." She smiles. "Speaking of, Midoriya. You especially, well done. I'm sure having to adjust to a whole new quirk essentially while doing this made it much harder, and that only makes your score all the more deserved."
"I... " Izuku looks down. "I d-don't know if it's r-really my score, Bubble Girl."
Bubble Girl tilted her head slightly as she raised an eyebrow. "And why do you say that?"
"I m-mean it is my score… b-but it's a score I g-got cause everyone helped me. It's m-more like… it shows how much farther w-we can get together, t-the whole class. It's not really my score alone, so in a way, it's a-almost like everyone got in the t-top ten, because I never would have on my own, and the s-scores that got me there can, in a way, be attributed to everyone h-helping me. So… w-what I'm saying is, it's k-kind of like a class score in a way to me m-more then just my own." He said with a soft but wholesome smile. "S-So thank you, everyone."
The girls all felt their hearts skip a beat at Izuku's genuine and sweet words, in addition to the smile.
They all smiled back. "You're always welcome Midoriya, anytime anywhere."
He just smiles back at them all, and for once doesn't blush, but just gives his sweetest most genuine smile to them all.
Bubble Girl was also smiling. The class was treating him so well, much better than she could have even hoped for them to.
Oh they were definitely not going to give him back to 1-B, not as if there was a chance she would've done it before.
Izuku was her student, and he would be until he graduated.