"Aya-chan!" Midoriya burst into the hospital room, accidentally slamming the doors open in the process. This earned him some heavy glares from a couple of nurses that were walking by.
"S-Sorry!" He frantically bowed and then gently shut the door closed. He turned to look at his childhood friend, and it seemed like she was completely unfazed at his sudden appearance. As usual, she was tinkering with something.
Ayano sat up on the hospital bed, another one of her machines on her lap. She was poking and prodding it with her right hand, but her progress was incredibly slowed because her left hand was still impaired.
Seeing that she was completely normal other than her left arm, Midoriya began tearing up. "Aya-chaaaan…" She had been in the hospital for approximately three weeks now.
The first week, she was completely unconscious. The second week, the doctors and nurses wished to monitor her closely for any changes while she was awake, so Midoriya was unable to properly see her then as well. This third week, she was to be released soon so it was the first time that he was actually able to talk to her.
Her arm wasn't completely healed but it was significantly better. After repeated visits from Recovery Girl, Ayano made a much quicker recovery. Both the sling and cast were now removed, leaving only the bandages. Her arm, from mid-bicep to finger tips, was covered in the white cloth.
Upon hearing her friend's sniffling, she finally acknowledged his presence. "I'm glad to see that you're…okay…" She began speaking before looking at him but as she turned her head to face him, her speech slowed and hesitated.
The green-haired boy was too busy using his sleeve to rapidly wipe at his eyes to notice that Ayano was looking him up and down. She was observing him, analyzing him, for something out of place.
After finally having calmed down, Midoriya composed himself enough to realize that Ayano was just staring at him. It wasn't her usual impassive stare, but one coupled with a slight furrow to her brow. "Aya-chan…?" He prodded.
She responded by suddenly reaching out to him with her uninjured hand. She started feeling him all over, from his arms, to his chest, to his abdominals. "A-A-A-A-AYA-CHAN?"
Midoriya could feel the heat rapidly spreading over his cheeks. "B-B-But we're both so y-y-young! M-MaybeWeShouldWaitUntilWe'reAtLeastInHighSchoolBeforeDoingThingsLikeThis!" He spoke quickly, jumbling his words. His eyes were swirling and he was flailing his arms about, unsure what to do at his friend's sudden boldness.
Ayano completely ignored his statements. "You've been working out." It wasn't a question but a statement. Midoriya completely paused his flailing. "Y-You noticed…?"
He had only started his training with All Might a couple weeks ago, a couple days after the sludge incident. There was no obvious way to tell that he had been training, but Ayano had known him nearly all of their lives.
She was also one of the most observant people that he knew. If anybody was going to notice a change in him, it would be her.
He didn't have any significant muscles, but his body was just…tighter. He wasn't exactly flabby before, but he definitely didn't really work out too much. After feeling his body, Ayano had confirmed her suspicions.
Midoriya began feeling a bit nervous. She knew he was applying to U.A. so it wasn't unusual for him to be training, but he definitely couldn't tell her about his relationship with All Might no matter how much he wanted to. He hadn't even told his own mother!
Ayano scanned him over again. "You're overworking yourself." Another statement rather than a question. "E-Eh? N-No, I'm not! I'm fi—" "There are bags under your eyes." She stared him dead in the eyes and Midoriya could feel the cold sweat coming on.
He never could hide anything from her ever since they were children. "…I need to train harder than anyone so that I can catch up to everyone…" He mumbled and looked down at his feet.
The brown-haired girl finally tore her eyes away from him and returned her focus to the gadget on her lap. "It's good that you have come to that realization, but do make sure that you do not work yourself until you collapse."
Midoriya lifted his head back up, slight confusion on his face. He had been fully prepared to receive a scolding from her.
Seeing as he was silent, Ayano spoke again. "I don't intend to tell you what you can and cannot do. I'm not your mother, though I can have concern for you and advise you on what you should do. I am well aware that you are applying to U.A. and only some of the best can become accepted. As someone who is quirkless, you are at a severe disadvantage so it is only logical that you must work twice, if not three times, as hard as everyone else."
The boy flinched at the 'quirkless' part for his own reasons, and Ayano took note of this but continued on. "Even though I have asked you to not work yourself to the point of complete exhaustion, I know that you are going to anyways." Midoriya flinched again, knowing that she hit the nail on the head.
She sighed at this. "Again, I will not tell you what you can and can't do but I will offer you my help and any suggestions. You are experiencing soreness, yes?" He nodded.
"Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Common among people who first start working out. Make sure you stay warm after the workout to avoid it. Buy some heating pads. I created a full body suit with adjustable temperatures. You can use it to keep you warm during your exercise and after. There's also the modified Haramaki in storage that I made. Though it is a bit early in the year to be using a belly wrap, I believe it is rather suitable in this situation. Feel free to go to my home and ask my mother to get them for you."
"Aya-chan…" He had just stopped crying, but Midoriya could feel the tears coming out in the corner of his eyes again.
"I do not intend to give you those with no charge. I expect a full report and review of my products." She continued while still working on the machine in her lap.
Midoriya chuckled. "Of course!" Ayano was always straight-laced and she always made it seem like she never did anything that didn't somehow benefit her support career, but there was no way that Midoriya could miss that faint smile on her lips.
While she worked, he went on to tell her all that happened to him before and after the sludge villain. He went into complete fanboy mode when talking about All Might, leaving out the part about him becoming his successor of course.
"And get this! All Might told me that I can become a hero!" Midoriya finished with a sparkle in his eyes. Although she was happy for him, Ayano's eye still twitched a little.
"I have been telling you this for years. You better have the confidence to become a hero now, after even All Might has said it." He could sense the small bit of irritation in her voice.
The boy gave a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He looked to the side in embarrassment. "I know, I know! Really, thank you for all your SUPPORT?" When he turned his head to avoid looking at her, he saw a couple of pamphlets for U.A.'s Support Department on the nightstand next to her bed.
Midoriya's eyes were actually bulging out from the sockets. He looked at Ayano who was still completely focused on her work, and then back at the pamphlets.
Ayano. Pamphlets. Ayano. Pamphlets…Ayano. "Aya-chan!? You're applying to U.A.?" He finally found the will to speak. "That is correct." She answered without even sparing him a glance.
"B-But I thought that you said you didn't want to go to U.A.!?" He retaliated. "That is also correct."
At his continued confusion, she chose to elaborate. "Right before the sludge incident, I took a tour of a support company around here." Midoriya nodded, remembering their conversation from that time.
"I was originally going to apply to Ketsubutsu Academy because of that support company. However, due to various circumstances, the company is now affiliated with U.A. I also received a visit from Power Loader. Both of those things effectively changed my decision on the matter." Ayano explained.
"Y-You got a visit from the Power Loader? Oh my god, did you get his autograph? What did he say? Did U.A. scout you? Aya-chan, that's amazing!" The green-haired boy couldn't contain his excitement.
"Relax. It was not a scout of any sort. I have to get into U.A. just like everybody else – by taking the entrance exam." At this, Midoriya's eyes widened. Ayano finally looked at him.
She smirked. "Looks like we'll be working together for the same goal."
Unknown to the both of them, there was a boy standing just outside of the hospital room – a third person working for the same goal.