(A/N: So, uh, I accidentally hit post on AO3? So y'all are getting this chapter a day early? Heh heh. Oops. :P
Formatting reminder: "Dialogue heard through a sound system." ... "PRESENT MIC'S DIALOGUE HEARD THROUGH A SOUND SYSTEM." ... "Hitoshi using his Quirk." )
...
In the Midoriya apartment sat Inko on their couch in front of the TV as the live coverage of the UA Sports Festival played. Surrounded by piles of used tissues, she watched the crowd cheer for her son and his friend as they walked off to one of the stadium's tunnels. The mother was so proud of Izuku and could clearly see the results of all his hard effort to train and prepare himself for the Sports Festival. He really did have what it took to face off against others even without a Quirk.
The fact that Izuku had won above all others really did fill her with a sense of pride. But it also filled her with guilt at the same time. Yes, she had supported her son in following his dreams and whatever endeavors he chose to pursue. But there had still been that doubt in the back of her mind that he wouldn't have been able to do it. Just because he wasn't born with a Quirk as everyone else was.
But Inko had been wrong. And she wasn't ashamed to admit it. Because her son, her precious boy who was not born with the genetic disposition to have a fantastical power, won above all others. Izuku had fought his absolute hardest, using his smarts as well as his inventions, and eventually came out on top. Even earning a higher placement than Katsuki. Proving everyone, even her, that they were wrong to say, or think, he couldn't just because he was Quirkless.
I need to apologize to Izuku when he gets back, Inko thought, signature Midoriya tears starting to well in her eyes. Ones of both guilt and pride. Then we'll celebrate with a hard-earned meal of katsudon.
Upon seeing her tears, Hisashi spoke up from the video chat open on her phone in her hand. He wouldn't be able to stay on for long but after Inko had messaged him to inform him their son would be competing in the final match, he had promptly called her to somewhat watch with her.
"My dear, are you alright?" Hisashi asked, looking at his wife in concern through the screen.
"O-oh, yes, I'm fine," Inko assured him as she wiped the budding tears away. "I'm just so proud of our son."
"As am I," Hisashi replied, a fond smile on his face. "Izuku has fought well and indeed proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with and worthy of first place."
"He sure did," Inko said, smiling at the picture of her son on the screen as there was a review of each match's results while they waited for the Award Ceremony to start.
Whenever they got to one of Izuku's matches, her pride would surge stronger with each declared win. But no matter how much he had proven himself to her, there was something that she worried others would judge Izuku on despite all his victories. A wave of nervousness washed over her.
"Hisashi," Inko said, her husband's name coming out as quiet as a whisper. She received a hum in acknowledgement. "Do you think…will they…how will they react once they find out he's Quirkless?"
"I wonder that too, my dear," Hisashi answered, his tone calm as ever and neutral expression hiding his concern. "Will they accept him for his efforts? Or will they ignore his hard work and merely focus on that one aspect of him? Only time will tell. However, no matter what others think of him, he has indeed proven himself to those that matter. That is what is most important."
"Y-you're right, Hisashi, as always," Inko said, wiping a few more tears away. Her husband always knew what to say. "Our son is amazing."
...
After a short amount of time, the students were called out to the field for the Awards Ceremony. The crowd cheered as musical fanfare rang through the air while fireworks went off in the sky. A line of photographers stood behind a fence situated behind the class groups of students. Flashes from their cameras flickered into life sporadically as they took pictures. Once everyone was in their places, Midnight took her position in the front to begin the ceremony.
"Welcome back, everyone!" the 18+ Only Hero announced. "Our first-year students have been put through their paces and have completed every challenge we've thrown at them during this year's Sports Festival! Now it's time for the long-awaited Awards Ceremony!"
Up on the screens placed throughout the top of the stadium, a title card for the final event appeared. More fireworks and sparklers ignited in the air as the celebratory music resonated throughout the arena. From behind Midnight, blasts of confetti shot into the air as the first, second, and third place podiums rose from the ground out of nowhere. The effect courtesy of the combined efforts of Cementoss and Power Loader.
On the lowest podium stood the third-place winners from the semifinal matches. Todoroki was on one side of the platform closer to the others with his usual stoic expression on his face. On the other stood an annoyed Bakugou with his arms crossed in irritation and was situated to be as far away from the others as possible in the small area. A bandaged but still clearly irked Aizawa was behind the explosive teen, keeping an eye on the boy who was still very much in trouble even though the audience didn't know that.
On the second-place podium stood Hitoshi with a rightfully prideful smirk on his face. Purple eyes looked out at the crowd as they yelled and clapped. He raised his hand in the direction of the General Studies section as they applauded for their sole representative. Hitoshi was honored to be the one to represent the ones who had slipped through the cracks because of a 'weak' or 'villainous' Quirk.
And finally, on the highest podium stood Izuku, smiling proudly from his hard-earned spot in first place. He was free of any Support Items except for the bodysuit he had worn throughout the festival. His green curls were messy as always and his green eyes took it all in. The fanfare, the fireworks, the cheering of the crowd. All of the jovial atmosphere was a bit overwhelming but he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Hey, how's the view from up there, shorty?" Hitoshi called out from the slightly lower stand to the greenette's right. Izuku shot him a playful glare.
"Pretty good, Hitoshi-kun," he replied, beaming down at his friend. "Pretty damn good."
To his left, Izuku heard a slight chuckled and he turned to see Todoroki looking up at him with a small fond smile. The greenette in turn gave his friend a warm smile while Bakugou scoffed and rolled his eyes. Aizawa kept his bandage covered glare on the blonde while Midnight watched Izuku and Todoroki with a fond smile before turning back to the students.
"Now that we have this year's winners in place," the R-rated Hero said. "It's time to break out the hard-earned hardware!"
The crowd applauded in excitement for the giving of the medals.
"This year we have a very special someone to hand out the awards," Midnight continued, giving a wink to the people in the stands. From atop the stadium, a broad muscular figure appeared as the signature laugh of a certain Hero floated through the air. "Here to present them is none other than…!"
In the midst of her announcement, the Number One Hero leapt from the top of the stadium down to the field, proclaiming loudly with no need for a microphone, "I am…!"
"…the Symbol of Peace himself…!"
"…here with the medals!" the blonde powerhouse exclaimed as he landed in an iconic Hero pose. While at the same time, Midnight said, "…All Might!"
The arena fell into an awkward silence for a moment. The two Heroes looked at each other in confusion as they had both interrupted the other. Then again, they hadn't practiced his entrance all that much, if at all, before the day of the festival. So, the timing and logistics were a bit, or rather a lot, off.
"Oops! Sorry to cut you off there, All Might," Midnight apologized with a sheepish smile. "Well, um, let's continue with the ceremony!"
All Might approached the podiums with Midnight following behind while holding a tray with four medals on it. The man took one of the bronze medals and turned towards the first third place winner, Bakugou. The shorter prickly blonde glared at the coppery-brown disk in distain as All Might came closer.
"Young Bakugou, congratulations on your placement," All Might said, smiling down at the explosive youth. Though internally he felt unease at the hard look on the boy's face. "You may not have placed in first as you proclaimed, but you certainly put forth much effort to get where you are now. So, take this medal as a representation of your hard work."
"I don't want that stupid ass medal," Bakugou growled in annoyance while Aizawa shifted his posture ever so slight in case the teen tried something. "Anything other than first place is worthless and I don't need that shitty thing. This whole shit show is absolute crap if that useless fucker Deku can win. This is all bullshit."
All Might spared a glance up at Izuku who kept his focus away from the scene and then to Aizawa on how to proceed. The bandaged Hero gave a small nod for him to continue. The Symbol of Peace then cleared his throat as he turned back to Bakugou.
"Well, uh, you may not have ended up where you wished, young Bakugou," All Might said, hiding his unease behind his iconic smile as he held out the medal. "But you still managed to place rather high. Please still accept this award. Even if as a reminder of how far you've come and how much further you wish to go."
The smiling Hero reached forward to place the medal around Bakugou's neck. The shorter blonde tried to back away but Aizawa lightly by firmly shoved him forward. With a grumble, Bakugou begrudgingly accepted the bronze medal given to him. Though rather than wear it around his neck, he snatched it by the ribbon from the man's hand and crossed his arms in a huff with the medal dangling from his fist.
"Now then, to Young Todoroki," All Might said as he grabbed the second bronze medal. "Congratulations to you as well. You certainly worked hard throughout this festival remaining at the top during the first and second rounds. Although you did not end up in first as you have most of the day, your efforts have still carried you this far."
"Thank you, All Might," Shouto said, staring up at the Hero he looked up to and aspired to be like. "I was reminded of some things about myself today that I had forgotten." The bi-color teen spared a glance up at Izuku to his right who smiled down at him before he turned back to the Hero in front of him. "Of the kind of Hero I want to become. I…still have some…things to settle and others I need to work on. But with some time and help, I hope to become better." He looked up at the Number One Hero with his typical stoic face but his eyes were filled with hope.
"It is quite refreshing to see this new look on your face, young Todoroki," All Might said as he placed the medal around the younger's neck. "Whatever it is you need to work through, know that if you are in need of help you have others you can rely on."
"Yes, sir," Shouto replied with a bow of his head.
Then All Might and Midnight moved over to the second-place podium where Hitoshi was. The brainwasher kept a neutral face but gulped nervously at being so close to the Number One Hero himself. All Might wasn't his idol or favorite Hero, however he couldn't help but freak out a little because it was freaking All Might! The purple haired teen would deny he had an inner Hero fanboy and blame Izuku for infecting him with his fanboy-itis.
"Young Shinsou, congratulations," All Might said, smiling at the General Studies student. "We have not officially met before now, but it is a pleasure to see you here. You have shown yourself to be a well-rounded fighter by not only using your Quirk but also your physical strength. Well done on placing in second."
"Thank you, All Might," Hitoshi said, his inner reverence showing in his purple eyes as the man placed the silver medal around his neck.
And then it was Izuku's turn. The greenette was forcing himself to stay still but internally he was buzzing with excitement. Because they had done it. Both Hitoshi and himself had made it through the first and second rounds just enough to stay in the running but still under the radar. Which brought them to the third round as the underdogs along with Mei though she had only had the goal to show off her babies.
Hitoshi and he had fought their hardest to get to where they are now, standing in the proverbial winner's circle. Neither had cared who ended up placing higher than the other when they had been training for the Sports Festival. They only cared about both of them placing high enough to be considered for transfer into the Hero Course. Which they certainly seemed to have accomplished being in second and first place respectively.
"And finally, to our first-place winner," All Might said as he walked up the stairs to the tallest podium with the gold medal in hand. "Congratulations, young Midoriya!"
Izuku beamed up at the Hero, filling with pride from his childhood idol's praise.
"You certainly have fought hard today to end up here…"
An irritated scoff sounded from the lowest podium which Izuku knew came from Bakugou. All Might made no comment though he did glance fleetingly at the angry one of the third-place winners.
"…as well as have shown the versatility of your Support Items. For your ingenuity and hard work, I present to you this medal as this year's first year UA Sports Festival first place winner!"
The crowd hooted and hollered as the Number One Hero placed the gold medal around Izuku's neck. On either side of him, his friends looked up at him. Hitoshi with a proud smirk and Shouto with a subtle supportive smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bakugou glaring at him while Aizawa glared at the blonde in turn. But Izuku wouldn't let his childhood friend ruin this moment.
Instead, the greenette stood there with the gold medal hanging around his neck and a blindingly bright smile on his face, basking in the moment.
...
Katsuki glared up at Deku as the cheating fucker had that smug look on his face. Him and his equally cheating Troll friend who stole the top spots from those who rightfully deserved them. But more of his anger was pointed at Deku who was in the place Katsuki was meant to be in. First place.
But he wasn't. Third. Fucking third. Again. Third he shared with that damn Half-and-Half bastard. Might as well be shitty fourth considering he had lost to that Brainfucker who then lost to Deku. And fucking IcyHot had the audacity to look up at the shitty ass Deku like he could shit gold. On top of that, he was in trouble for some reason for trying to teach the nerd his place. Like he has always done.
No one has ever stopped me from doing it before so why now? Why does everyone think that Deku is anything special now? He's just a useless Quirkless loser who will never amount to anything.
'And yet he won and stands in first place. Unlike you.'
Shut. Up.
"LET'S HEAR ONE LAST SHOUT OUT TO OUR WINNERS! OUR THIRD PLACE WINNERS, BAKUGOU KATSUKI AND TODOROKI SHOUTO, BOTH FROM THE HERO COURSE!"
Well, at least my name was first, Katsuki thought as the people in the stands cheered.
'Because you're in fourth.'
Shut up!
"OUR SECOND PLACE WINNER, SHINSOU HITOSHI FROM GENERAL EDUCATION!"
The section where all the Gen Ed extras roared in support of the Troll fucker.
"AND OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER, MIDORIYA IZUKU FROM THE SUPPORT COURSE! OUR FIRST EVER QUIRKLESS WINNER!"
It happened like a flip of a switch. The crowd that had been an annoying cacophony of noise went suddenly silent at that revelation. Katsuki watched as the smile on Deku's face melted away and morphed into a blank expression. The entire stadium was eerily quiet as the crowd took their sweet time absorbing the fact that someone without a Quirk stood in first place over all the other students with powerful Quirks.
The build was slow. It started with small statements of disbelief. Questions of if it was true and comments of whether there really were still Quirkless people. Then it grew to shouts of anger. Declarations that there was no way a Quirkless person could have possibly won as well as inquiries as to why someone Quirkless had even been allowed to compete. Let alone attend UA at all. Not everyone was in an uproar, but a large portion of the crowd was yelling and screaming an onslaught of protests.
See? Even they don't think Deku should be here, Katsuki thought as he clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. He's Quirkless and has no place in a competition for Heroes.
'Says the person in fourth about the one in first.'
Fucking shut up already!
Katsuki growled at the inner voice and ground his teeth in frustration. Pointedly ignoring the sour feeling in his gut as the crowd continued to jeer.
...
For the first time that day, Shouta wished he was in the commentator's box so he could yell at a stadium full of idiots. Hell, he'd even go for the excitable pink one's PA hack job. Unfortunately, neither option was available to the Erasure Hero because he had to be there to keep an eye on the explosive troublemaker in front of him.
Shouta had known how society viewed the Quirkless and how they were treated. How the dwindling percentage of the population was at around 20% last he checked. Though that percentage was most likely lower than that nowadays and most were in the older generation. He knew the statistics of those that are Quirkless in regards to discrimination, abuse, suicide, kidnapping, murder, and even resorting to crime to survive. He knew the numbers and the stories.
But seeing it firsthand like this was an entirely different experience.
The entire day, the mass of spectators applauded and cheered for the boy same as everyone else. Shouted their support as he rose in the rankings. Yelled their congratulations when he claimed first place. But as soon as his Quirk status was revealed, they turned on Midoriya as if he was a leper.
Is this the kind of ridicule Midoriya has faced all his life?
The tired man eyed the problem child who stood there with a neutral expression. Not wanting to reveal what he was feeling underneath as the crowd continued to protest. Most likely a long-learned defense mechanism to reactions such as this. For his most-definitely-future student to have to deal with crap like this, on live television no less, filled Shouta with so much anger at today's society.
He, himself, had experienced Quirk discrimination growing up. Having a Quirk that erased most others just with line of sight led to Shouta being avoided by most everyone and marked as a Villain. Similar to what Shinsou had revealed somewhat during their training sessions. Though Shinsou was tight-lipped about the details so there wasn't much the Hero could do about it except for showing his support and encouragement to the purple kindred spirit.
Shouta had wondered about what exactly Midoriya, who was just as tight-lipped as his friend, had gone through before UA. Had assumed there had been some level of discrimination and/or bullying. But he didn't expect this level of animosity just because the boy didn't have a Quirk. This, on top of what had happened with Bakugou earlier, solidified Shouta's need to look into the green one's past.
...
Toshinori wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Midoriya had fought hard and had earned his place at the top. Before the reveal of his Quirk status, the crowd seemed to agree. But as soon as Present Mic had revealed his Quirklessness, all of his efforts were cast aside as folly. All because the boy was not born with natural strength.
Has the view of the Quirkless really gotten this bad since I was Quirkless myself?
A feeling of guilt flickered in the Hero's heart as he remembered that he too had been one to judge the boy by his Quirk status when they first met. Had told the boy that he couldn't become a Hero like him without a Quirk. That his voice had joined the probably thousands that had also told the boy no. But he didn't mean to say that the boy could do nothing. Just not becoming a Hero like him. Not without a Quirk.
Although, if he did have one, young Midoriya has the makings of a fine Hero with his skills, strength, and desire to help others.
The idea in the back of his mind of the boy possibly being the successor Toshinori had been looking came forward once more. Midoriya certainly had the drive and discipline to be a possible wielder of One For All. Perhaps, after the festival was over and school started again, he would talk with Midoriya about the offer.
If Midoriya still wants to be a Hero, and the boy has certainly placed high enough to be considered for transfer, perhaps One For All would be what the boy could use to attain his dream. To become a Hero.
...
A pale-dry hand scratched at a pale-dry neck as Tomura watched the end cut scene play out since the PvP fights were over and done with. Red eyes focused on the head of green curls of the possible admin he sought. He still wasn't 100% certain the boy was who he was looking for but he definitely had enough EXP and skills unlocked to not be just a mere NPC.
The decayer rolled his eyes as the Number One Asshat made a flashy entrance but then snickered as it was ruined by the scantily clad Hero messing up his intro. He continued to scratch his neck as he waited for the so-called Hero to hurry the fuck up and finish handing out the medals. Tomura had gotten a new game just the other day and was itching to play it but had to wait until the damn Sports Festival was over.
He distracted himself through the showboating by opening a new window of his web browser to catch up on the news and see if there were any possible new recruits. Finally, the obnoxious loud Hero announced the winners one more time prompting the mass of NPCs to be annoyingly noisy. Red eyes flickered back to the live feed and that head of green hair. Then the bomb was dropped.
The boy, Midoriya, was Quirkless.
At first, Tomura stared at the screen in confusion. The one he suspected to be the admin turned out to not have a Quirk at all. Which, in his mind, mostly threw off the possibility of Midoriya being the admin at all. After all, with how quickly the admin had figured out their Quirks at the USJ, he had to have an Analysis Quirk or whatever. As if someone could be that naturally smart.
Right?
But then again, the kid did show his own quick thinking during his PvP fights. Revealing his skills as a crafter and a fighter. The fact that a Quirkless person showed up all those Hero-wannabes drew out an eerie chuckle from the man-child's chapped lips.
Then, as the crowd began to turn on Midoriya and yell in anger rather than praise, a creepy smile spread across the light blue haired Villain's face. The sight of the boy's expression morph from one of pride to one that was blank and guarded. As if he was used to such treatment from others. Treatment that for many would lead them down the path of Villainy.
The identity of the admin was still unclear and the chance of Midoriya being him seemed slim as of now with the reveal that the boy was Quirkless. Though, the decayer wouldn't rule him out as a possible candidate without further investigation into the matter. Either way though, with how the crowd reacted to the Quirkless teen despite all his hard work, perhaps he could be a possible addition to the League.
If society won't accept this player just because he doesn't have a Quirk, the League of Villains will welcome him to our party with open arms.
Speaking of possible players to add to their party, Tomura turned his attention to the news article open on the other window. Red eyes flickered over the stilled shot taken from a security feed of an alley in Hosu. The alley itself wasn't what he was interested in but rather the slightly burry figure of the man running into it. A man the leader of the League of Villains hoped to recruit.
The Hero Killer…Stain.
...
After several failed attempts at calming the crowd, Present Mic simply declared the end of the Sports Festival and the students were released to get ready to go home. First the winners were escorted off the field by Shouta and All Might. The others would follow class by class under the supervision of Midnight and Cementoss.
The group of six entered the tunnels together. Their number lessened as All Might excused himself with Izuku and Shouta being the only ones in the group to know that he was close to his limit. Shouta remained to watch over Bakugou. The blonde was still in trouble after all.
"Alright, here is how this will go," Shouta said in his usual matter-of-fact-ness. "There will be no school on Monday to give all of you two days to recover. Come Tuesday it will be business as usual. Well, mostly. Midoriya, Shinsou…"
The said pair looked up at the tired man.
"…tomorrow you are to come to school for a meeting with Nezu in the morning. He has something to discuss with both of you."
The two shared a look and then turned back to Shouta, the green one with a big smile and the purple one with more of a smirk but just as happy of one.
"Midoriya, we contacted your mother and requested her to come as well as we have another…issue to discuss."
Shouta glanced at Bakugou on the word 'issue' as the explosive teen scowled. Midoriya nodded meekly as Shinsou glared at the blonde while Todoroki looked confused.
"Bakugou, you will also have a meeting with Nezu tomorrow but at a later time. Your parents have been contacted as well and informed of the meeting to discuss your actions from earlier. You are to remain at school until they arrive today to pick you up."
Bakugou glowered as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Midoriya, Shinsou, return to your classes' respective prep rooms until you're called for homeroom. Same with you, Todoroki. As for you Bakugou, you too will do the same but are to remain with me after until your parents come. Understood?"
Three of the students nodded to show they did while the angry one clicked his tongue instead.
"Good. Now off with you, problem children."
...
After the three friends of the group made a quick agreement to meet at the entrance after homeroom, Izuku and Hitoshi split off while Shouto and Bakugou headed off to the 1-A prep room with Aizawa in tow. The two friends headed down the hall and made their way towards the prep rooms walking in silence, both wrapped in their own thoughts. In the distance, they could hear the sound of the rest of the students heading towards their respective prep rooms.
"So," Hitoshi said, breaking the silence. "What happened with Bakugou earlier?"
Izuku tensed up at the question. He didn't want to talk about it. Especially since tomorrow he would mostly like have to with his mom coming to UA with him. But this was Hitoshi asking. One of his best friends. After his talk with Mei, Izuku realized that yes, she and Hitoshi were his best friends. And best friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other. Or at least ones they could relate to and help with. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax.
"I…he…um," Izuku muttered, still not wanting to talk about it but feeling he should. At least the highlights. Or rather lowlights. "We h-had an argument a-and he accused you and I o-of cheating and he y-yelled at me and he broke m-most of my Support Items a-and then Aizawa-sensei and Yamada-sensei sh-showed up and I…"
"Izuku," Hitoshi interjected as he was rambling.
"Yeah…?" the greenette replied, only to be brainwashed into silence.
Under the other's control, he came to a stop in the hall and Hitoshi followed suit before releasing him from his mental hold.
"Relax, Izuku," Hitoshi said, as life returned to his friend's eyes. The taller boy placed a comforting hand on the other's shoulder. "So, he came after you, huh? I know you've been avoiding him since school started, but for him to go after you like that…damn. Guess I get why you disguised yourself."
"Y-yeah…," Izuku sighed. "I expected s-something like this to happen, b-but I never thought it w-would be that bad."
"You said he broke your gadgets, right?" Hitoshi asked.
"He…he p-pretty much broke everything," Izuku answered, tears welling up in his eyes. "E-exploded them with his Q-Quirk. All my hard work. J-just…gone."
Hitoshi pulled his friend into a hug which Izuku gladly accepted. Not something they did normally but sometimes a good hug is just what was needed. The greenette wrapped his arms around the other and smushed his face into his chest. The pair stood there hugging for short while, taking comfort from the contact.
"You're one of my best friends, you know that?" the greenette mumbled into the other's shirt.
"Really?" Hitoshi asked in disbelief. He pushed the short boy away slightly so he could see his face, keeping his hands on the other's shoulders. "'Cause you're one of mine too."
"R-really," Izuku replied with a teary smile as he lowered his arms. "You and Mei-chan. I-I realized it today when I talked to Mei-chan about her match with Iida-kun. How he's our friend along with the others. She's going to apologize to him by the way."
"You? Giving friend advice?" Hitoshi teased, earning a tongue being stuck out at him.
"Sh-shut up. Like you're one to talk," Izuku shot back as he knocked his friend's arms away. "A-anyway, as Mei-chan said, and I quote, 'there is a tier system in the concept of friends.'"
"She seriously said that?" the brainwasher snickered.
"Well, it is Mei-chan," Izuku countered.
"True. Very, very true," Hitoshi conceded. "So, we're on the tier level known as 'best', then?"
"Yep!" Izuku chirped, a few tears still in his eyes but his mood was better than before.
"So…if we're best friends," the taller teen drawled. "What does that make Todoroki to you?"
He wiggled his eyebrows at the other who playfully whacked his arm.
"Friends!" Izuku insisted as he turned to walk down the hall. "Shouto-kun and I are just friends."
"Oh, so it's 'Shouto-kun', now?" Hitoshi grinned as he followed.
"Sh-shut up," Izuku said, his cheeks blushed pink.
"Nothing wrong with liking someone, Izuku," the purple haired teen said as he side-eyed the blushing boy as they walked. "Any progress past the hand holding?" The greenette's face reddened further and he hid his face with his hands. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
"W-we hugged," Izuku confessed through his fingers. "It was n-nice."
Hitoshi merely hummed in answer as he patted his friend's shoulder in comfort. They continued the rest of the way in silence, the sounds of the other students steadily growing louder, and reached the room for 1-H. The purple haired teen bid Izuku goodbye and then walked off to his own class's room. The greenette watched his friend go for a second before walking into the prep room to wait.
...
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Notes extension: post/642606643038846976/chapter-54-sports-festival-awards-ceremony