Look at me, sticking to an updating schedule like a good person. I really wanna fuckin' cosplay Amajiki. All I did today was just look at pictures of him and anything for his cosplay. It's 1 AM and I have work tomorrow so I'll see you on the 10th.
"Aizawa-sensei!" Midoriya runs towards the worn out teacher.
"Midoriya." Aizawa greets, Midoriya had ran ahead of his classmates and was going to the classroom early, "Do you need something?"
Midoriya catches his breath, "Yeah, I saw Kojiko-kun before the Sports Festival started. He said he'd snuck out of the hospital so I tried to find him at lunch but couldn't so I got a little worried."
Aizawa foggily remembers Yuudai busting into the announcer's booth during lunch, "Ah...yeah I saw him."
Midoriya relaxes, "That's good then. I thought he might have collapsed in a hallway somewhere. Did he make it back to the hospital okay?"
"...I don't think he went back." Aizawa says slowly.
"He didn't!?" Midoriya exclaims, "Then where is he?"
Aizawa opens the door to the classroom, "I don't know."
"Aizawa-sensei, you realize that Kojiko-kun might have collapsed somewhere or maybe gotten lost or maybe-" Midoriya began to go on a tangent when he stopped himself.
Kojiko Yuudai is sleeping peacefully in the corner of the classroom.
"See, he's fine."
Midoriya runs over to Kojiko, "Kojiko-kun. Kojiko-kun. It's Midoriya."
Yuudai sleepily lifts his head off the desk, "Midoriya-kun?"
"Yeah, Kojiko-kun. You fell asleep." Midoriya kneels by Yuudai's desk as he slowly wakes up.
"Is it over?" Yuudai mumbles.
"The festival ended an hour ago." Aizawa shuffles some papers on his desk.
"Who won?"
"Kacchan. But he wasn't too happy about it." Midoriya sighs and readjusts his arm sling.
Yuudai, who had finally woken up a little, blinks rapidly at Midoriya and then proceeds to punch him in the gut.
"What-what's that for?" Midoriya coughs and wheezes.
"You said you wouldn't get too hurt!" Yuudai exclaims and stands up suddenly, nearly toppling over with weak knees.
"Besides that, what are you still doing here?" Midoriya questions and gets to his feet.
"What's that mean?" Yuudai places his weight on his crutches and pushes in his chair.
"I mean, you aren't meant to come to school for another month." Midoriya clarifies, "I thought that there was supposed to be some sort of announcement as to why you're attending so that the press doesn't get pushy about a sudden transfer student."
"Ah…" Aizawa freezes, "You're right."
"I'm right?!" Midoriya exclaims, "Then Kojiko-kun should leave before everyone gets here!"
"Right." Aizawa agrees.
Yuudai puts on a dopey grin, "Eraser Head, I sort of already got caught by the press. Ah, don't worry though because I was wearing my hoodie but they know I'm in 1-A and they saw me come to school late."
Aizawa wanted to slam his head into the podium but he didn't. Instead he kept calm and had Nezu escort Yuudai back to the hospital. Midoriya was used as a slight distraction so that the rest of the class didn't find out but the next day many news articles wrote about the mysterious student from 1-A that didn't participate in the festival. The rest of Class 1-A had a few questions.
"Kojiko-kun, next time ask for permission before running off like that." The doctor sighs dramatically.
Yuudai puffs up his cheeks and doesn't meet his eyes.
Nezu approaches Yuudai's bed, "I understand that it's difficult being kept here but people are still concerned about you."
Yuudai rolls his eyes, "Concerned or scared I'll lose control? I'm not an idiot, I know that some people are still afraid of me because of my dad. I'm not going to become some vigilante or villain and I won't lose control of my Quirk again. I've listened to Midoriya rant about controlling his Quirk enough that I know how to control mine."
Nezu frowns, "Next time you want to attend a school related event, ask first."
Yuudai turns his head away and pouts more.
"The mess that you caused with the press was solved but just barely. We managed to write it off as a student's relative dropping off their ID. Be more careful next time." Nezu continues.
Yuudai doesn't look at him.
"If you need something, just ask." Nezu concludes and leaves the room with the doctor.
Yuudai stared at the ceiling, he didn't get in trouble so that was good but he had caused trouble for others. He sighs and rubs his face, causing trouble for others was something he'd done in the past a lot. Once it had just been him and his mom, he tried to stop anything that could be considered troublesome. It's a bad habit: spontaneously doing whatever he wanted and not thinking about how it would affect others. Yuudai had tried to jam into his brain that he should be more considerate but he was never able to stop himself from moving.
"I won't be visiting next week, Kojiko-kun." Midoriya mentions offhandedly.
Yuudai's head whips up in surprise, Midoriya normally visits at least twice a week which keeps him sane enough to stay in the hospital and not sneak out again.
"Don't freak out or anything." Midoriya jokes, "I'm just going to do field training. It's part of the reason we started picking hero names earlier this week."
Yuudai relaxes and sighs, "You're really going to go by Deku?"
"Yeah."
Yuudai and Midoriya had talked a few more times about being Quirkless when Aizawa wasn't there. Yuudai learned more about how Midoriya was bullied by people he thought were his friends and Midoriya learned more about how Yuudai was isolated and feared by almost everyone. Eventually, Yuudai also told Midoriya about how, after his dad died, he was forced to stop trying to be a hero by some new bullies.
"Where are you going? For the field training." Yuudai changes the topic.
"All Might said that I got a nomination from Gran Torino." Midoriya says happily.
"Gran Torino...I don't recognize the name."
"I didn't either but apparently he was All Might's homeroom teacher! He retired a long time ago but he's willing to take me for the work study!"
"Lucky!" Yuudai whines. "You get to train with heroes while I'm stuck in a hospital!"
Midoriya's brain lights up, "Kojiko-kun. Maybe...we could convince Aizawa-sensei into letting you tag along?"
Yuudai perks up, "Oooo! Great idea, Midoriya-kun. I could go with you to Gran Torino's place!"
Midoriya nods in agreement, "We could work on controlling our Quirks together!"
Yuudai gives him a fake smile for a minute. He'd thought about it a lot since the Sports Festival. The fact that he had a Quirk, he'd leveled with but deep down Yuudai was worried. He wondered if having a Quirk would change him or if he had already changed. Maybe he was no longer that kid from the 2nd grade who thought he could do whatever it took to be the first Quirkless Hero. Maybe being a hero wasn't something he could do anymore.
Midoriya saw right through Yuudai's smile, "Kojiko-kun, do you still want to be a hero?"
Yuudai's smile fades away.
"I'm not meaning to pry or anything, but you said that you were forced to give it up. But did you actually give up?"
Yuudai nods, "I tried for a really long time, Midoriya-kun. I thought I could be that Quirkless hero all on my own. Once my dad died it got harder to believe that it was possible. Right now my mom's gone from my life but I do have a Quirk. I'm not really sure why I'd even be a hero or if it's even possible."
"I mean, I didn't really know why I wanted to be a hero at first either. Now I realize it's because I just automatically want to help people." Midoriya fiddles with his fingers.
"I want to help people too. It's just that, I don't have the same fire as you do." Yuudai sighs, "I don't know. Maybe I've already given up."
"I think you'd be a great hero, Kojiko-kun." Midoriya encourages Yuudai, "I'd always thought you'd sounded like a natural hero from your stories about your past. Personally, I never thought it sounded like you gave up."
Yuudai smiles, sincere and kind, "Thanks, Midoriya-kun."
"If you're going to be a hero," Midoriya starts, "you're going to need a name!"
Yuudai giggles, "Seriously?"
"Yeah! I can tell Aizawa-sensei at school tomorrow that you picked your name and that you want to come with me to the field training. Don't worry because I'll definitely be able to convince him."
"So I'm getting a name?" Yuudai leans over and grabs one of his notebooks.
"It's yours to choose." Midoriya watches as Yuudai drafts names.
"Well, from what you told me, your name is based on a childhood nickname. Some people in class just chose their first name and some came up with really badass and cute ones." Yuudai writes down some things he'd discovered about his Quirk.
"Ooo, is that your Quirk?" Midoriya asks.
Yuudai hadn't really shown or talked about his Quirk to anyone, "Yeah. Words that Live. I say something and it happens."
"It's like Art's Quirk but with words." Midoriya notes.
"Sorta. My dad picked his name because he drew a lot, he actually wanted Artist but it got shortened to Art." Yuudai says in a factual tone.
Midoriya nods, "So yours could be something like Speaker?"
"Pftt!" Yuudai sputters, "That's so lame, Midoriya-kun."
Midoriya blushes, "Then what are you thinking of?"
"My parents named me Yuudai, as in 'great hero.' It's a little embarrassing to say it aloud but I think it's a good name for a hero. It doesn't say bluntly Great Hero but it's like a promise to myself. I'll be a great hero." Yuudai says proudly.
Midoriya claps as a joke, "Good speech."
Yuudai puffs his cheeks then smiles, "Actually when I was a kid I wanted to be called the Helper. 'Cause I wanted to help my dad but I feel like Yuudai is better for me now."
Midoriya grins, "Pro-hero Yuudai!"
Yuudai turns a little pink at the thought of actually being called a pro-hero.
"Pro-hero Deku!" Yuudai throws back, causing Midoriya to turn pink too.