As it turns out, Izuku really wasn't in that great of condition.
This wasn't really that much of a surprise, given what had transpired a few hours earlier, but at the same time, having a piece of metal sticking out of both your front and back would… well, it'd be bad for anyone.
The fact that he was even breathing, let alone conscious, even if it was just barely, was nothing short of amazing
…What wasn't so amazing, was Melissa and his mother's reactions once they had learned what had truly happened to him.
"To be fair, the pipe didn't hit any of my vitals-"
"You had a pipe sticking out of your torso! The doctors said that your organs nearly shut down!"
"W-Well, in my defense, they didn't-"
"According to the paramedics," Melissa began. "If you had arrived at the hospital a minute later, you would've received permanent damage to your kidneys."
"Oh… that's… pretty bad."
"Oh, you think?!" Melissa added, clearly annoyed with his antics. She both restrained herself from socking him upside the head and made no effort to sugarcoat her words. "And if that wasn't bad enough, if it had been five minutes, you would've been pretty much dead."
"I'm pretty sure I was fine once they removed the pipe, and started to perform surgery."
"Dude," Melissa interrupted him, gazing at him as if she felt pity for the position he was in. "You lost nearly a liter of blood…"
Izuku couldn't understand why Melissa was angry at him. After all, he was fine now, right? He did the right thing, and that's what counted. He even saved someone! Why was Melissa seemingly bothered by that? Did he nearly die in the process? Sure, but that was a price he was willing to pay if it meant saving someone's life.
"I can't help but agree with Melissa, Izuku," Inko said, sipping her barley tea. "What you did was both incredibly dangerous, and reckless."
"But I… I did the right thing, didn't I?"
"You did," Melissa answered. "You just went about it the wrong way."
"B-But, that girl would've died! No one was going to help her…"
"Then you should've asked a hero for help then. You're not a professional hero Izuku. You're barely twelve and you nearly got yourself killed."
Melissa nodded, showing agreement with what Inko said. "It's fine if you feel the need to save people, but please refrain from doing something reckless like that again… at the very least, do it in a situation that you know you can handle by yourself." Inko continued.
"Well, I-"
"This isn't up for debate, Izuku. You really did almost die. You matter Izuku. Just as much as the girl you saved did. If you had failed to save her, what do you think would happen?"
"Well, I'd be dead…"
"Exactly. Neither of you would survive, adding a number to an already long list of casualties. Tell me, what would you do differently in a situation like that again?"
"Still save her?"
"That's nice, but what if you weren't so lucky, and there wasn't a hero there to save you two?"
"Well, again, I'd be dead-"
"That's exactly the point Melissa is trying to make, Izuku." Inko butted in, surprising both Melissa and Izuku.
"One person dead is better than two. You easily could've gotten yourself killed. You're not a pro hero who's trained to deal with stuff like this. You're not even in a hero school yet, and you're already trying to be like All Might."
"T-That was never my intention… I just want to save her. The moment that I heard someone was in trouble… well, I couldn't stop myself from running to help her. I couldn't just let her die!"
"That is a fair point, but in that case, it'd be easier to just convince a nearby hero to help you out. Sure, some of them might've been unavailable, but I'm sure one of them could have helped you."
"That's… well… I-"
"Do you understand where we're coming from now?"
Izuku breathed a sigh of exhaustion. So this is what it felt like to be strong-armed. He was never really great at arguing, but he had to admit that they did have a point. He could've easily got in the way of the rescue efforts, and further complicated an already deadly situation. "...Understood." He conceded.
Inko and Melissa both seemed like they had more to say, but before they could speak it, a loud cough echoed across the room, catching the three's attention.
Standing in the middle of the doorway stood a tall, yet someone voluptuous woman, seemingly in her twenties. She was dressed in a doctor's coat, coupled with what seemed to be a hero costume.
"I know this might be a bad time, but… it's about time for Izuku's final check-up." She said flatly.
"I, um… I know that you're supposed to be checking up on me now, but…" Seemingly out of nowhere, he pulled out a notebook, holding it out for the hero to see. "Can you please sign it?"
Everyone in the room did a collective deadpan, while Izuku turned into a tomato. "Oh, really? I'd be honored too!" The hero giggled. Taking out her pen, she proceeded to scribble a signature into his notebook. "How did you know I was a hero?"
"It was because of an incident back in Naruhata… you saved so many people that night. I couldn't help but be amazed!"
"Oh… didn't know I had fans out there…"
"I know that you're not a very popular hero, but to me, you're up there with All Might! Although, he's still my favorite…" He scratched the back of his head, continuing. "You may have a small following, for now at least, there is a small fanbase of people on a few internet forums I frequent. I've seen your Quirk, it's nothing short of amazing! It's so useful too… being able to instantly heal injuries is an amazing ability. Even broken limbs, and to an extent, organs. I know healing Quirks are rare, but this is unprecedented. To think that the Recovery Girl used her Quirk on me…"
Everyone looked at him funny after he finished talking. "What? Is there something on my face?"
Melissa was the first to speak up. "No, there's nothing wrong! It's just… you really love heroes, don't you Izuku?"
"I have to agree… I've never heard of a kid as dedicated as you." She looked at his notebook again. "And I have to say, you're really good at analyzing Quirks… Would it right to assume that you want to become a hero?"
"Yes, of course! It's been my dream since I was a kid!"
"I see…" Recovery Girl's expression darkened for a moment. "Well, it's good that you're so passionate, but… I've seen the news coverage." He froze. "That truly was a reckless sight, you know…"
"I-I'm aware… It's just that the moment that I heard someone's cousin was in trouble, I couldn't stop myself from helping… it really is like my body moved on its own…"
Everyone in the room wore expressions of pure disbelief when he said that. Up until now, everyone had believed that part of the reason Izuku did what he did was sole because of fame. Neither Inko, Melissa, or even Recovery Girl had ever doubted that he was motivated partly because of his ideals, but they assumed that he did it, partly for his own benefit.
Melissa's respect for the greenette had risen tremendously, just from that sentence alone.
"That's… quite admirable. You know, you remind me of an old senpai I used to have back in high school. I feel like the two of you would get along really well." She turned away, looking dejected at Izuku. "If he were still around that is…" She added bitterly.
"D-Did something happen to him?"
"Yes… it was a villain attack I believe. Got him in his third year of high school. He died while saving some civilians." If she was uncomfortable talking about it, her smile did a good job of hiding it. "I'm not really bothered by it anymore, but I do feel melancholic from time to time."
Inko gasped. "That must've been horrible. Were you two close?"
"Very," She added. "On the day that he was killed, I was planning on confessing to him. It still hurts to think about how I felt."
"I'm sorry that happened to you. I feel dejected just thinking about what that felt like…" Melissa looked over to Izuku. But I understand why she's talking about it. Don't want the same thing happening twice, do you?
"It's fine," Recovery Girl waved her apology away. "You shouldn't be apologizing for something that happened in the past, dear. And besides, I feel like there's a lesson that can be learned from this."
"Really?"
Recovery Girl put a hand on his shoulder. "What you did was right, Izuku-kun," He blushed at the use of his first name. "But how many people would you think to be heartbroken if you died pulling a stunt like that?"
"Um… maybe two? Four at most." It said a lot about his social life when he count on a single hand how many people truly cared about him.
"...That's concerning, but it doesn't change my point. Understand that saving people is a matter of caring for yourself as well. No one can depend on a hero which nearly gets themselves killed with every encounter with a villain, much less in a natural disaster, where things are more unpredictable."
"I guess you do have a point there…"
"I do. It's fine if you want to save lives, but if there's one thing that I want you to take away from what you did, it'd be to understand that you're only human. That goes for me, or any hero. Even All Might."
"Even All Might?"
"Yes, even that big oaf." She chuckled.
"I think I understand where you're coming from… to save people, I have to save myself first, right?"
"It's kind of like that, yeah. Just make sure to be careful from now on, alright?"
But how am I supposed to save myself…? He wanted to ask her, but the words just couldn't come out of his mouth. …Maybe I'll learn how to if I can get into U.A…
"Well, enough chit-chat. It's time for your checkup." Taking out a sphygmomanometer and an inflatable cuff, she began to measure his blood pressure.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. It's not related to puberty, is it? I don't handle questions related to those very well…"
"N-No, not really," He blushed. "It's just something that's been on my mind."
"Then ask away!"
"Ah, great!" Seemingly out of nowhere, he began to mumble. "You've gone on in an interview to say that you've met All Might, right? What's he like? Are you two friends? You called him an oaf, so I'm thinking that maybe you think he's aloof? You two must have such an interesting relationship with each other for you to call him that, and-" As everyone in the room stared blankly at what was unfolding.
"Oh… there he goes again." Inko sighed, while Recovery Girl looked almost impressed.
"Woah, his blood pressure is going through the roof!" Melissa pointed out, eyeing the handle on one of the parts of the sphygmomanometer. "That has to be a Quirk or something…" How can he talk so fast?
"Is he… always like this?" Recovery Girl, blankly staring at the device in amazement.
"Most of the time, yes," Inko said.
It didn't need to be said that they ended up staying at the hospital for a few more hours…
For the most part, most of his major injuries had already healed. The only thing left to take care of was his appetite and dehydration. Which were easily taken care of by the hospital.
Recovery Girl was both thorough, and efficient at her job, being the sole one responsible for the speed of recovery, he couldn't help but wonder why one of the best medical practitioners in the country was here in Hosu, but he decided to contemplate it for later.
In Izuku's own personal, and arguably, factually correct opinion, the katsudon Recovery Girl had served him from the hospital's cafeteria section was incredible mediocre, but kept that bit to himself…
Naturally, the only thing left for Izuku and Melissa to do was to go home. Of course, Melissa wanted to make to walk the distance on foot, and alone, but the greenette's mother kept on adamantly assisting them to take their car there.
Consequently, Inko's stubborn insistence on giving Melissa a ride home resulted in the girl eventually caving in, and taking the fastest route home. No one was willing to say it, but Inko and Melissa's decision-making had landed them in a rather peculiar situation.
"Are Japanese-branded cars usually this tiny?"
"Melissa!" Cried Izuku, pleading for her to be more respectful. "P-Please excuse her mom, she's not very used to… being in Japan."
"It's fine. It's a fairly old vehicle, so I don't mind other people speaking their minds about it. Every machine is flawed after all."
However kind and accepting the eldest Midoriya's attitude was, calling the vehicle that they were currently riding in 'small' truly did no justice to how compact it was.
Compared to a regular car was pointless, as it had half of the space of something that you'd likely see in America. Just barely having enough room for four people, as is, with Melissa just barely managing to fit into it.
"...Izuku, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"How have your studies been going so far? I know you've been working pretty hard at mathematics so that eventually, you'd learn support gear, but well…"
Izuku chuckled. "Y-Yeah… it's not easy at all. I tried buying some of the stuff you recommended to me earlier over in Shibuya yesterday."
"And?"
"...Wasn't really for me. I think you're a little too smart when it comes to this stuff."
"What?!" Melissa glared at him… or at least, that was her intention, as it only looked like she was squinting her eyes slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It, uh… m-means you're really smart!"
"More like it means you're really dumb."
"Ack!" Izuku then proceeded to choke on the water bottle he had been sipping on. "That's…" He coughed, as the liquid went down the wrong pipe. "No need to be so mean…" She stuck her tongue out. "Meanie…"
"Am not!"
"Yes, you are…" He countered back.
"No Im not…"
"Alright, that's enough you two…" Inko snickered. "You two argue like a married couple."
""We do not!"" They yelled in unison.
"Really? Then how about we go get some engagement rings and make it official?" She laughed.
"Er-"
"Mom…"
The elder Midoriya grinned as their faces flushed a bright pink hue. "Just teasing."
Overall, the ride had only taken a little over an hour just to get to a point where her home was visible. Izuku had never taken notice of it, but the road leading to Melissa's shed was in a visible state of decay. So much so that just driving down it meant that they'd likely need to replace some of the tires on their car.
I guess I would've never really noticed it just by sprinting here all the time…
He could count on one hand the number of times that he had gone and stayed at Melissa's place.
The first was the time he stumbled on and frankly, kidnapped Schrodinger. The second is him returning the feline. The third… actually, he'd rather not remember what happened that day.
And the fourth was the time he slept over.
Come to think of it, he hadn't really known Melissa for very long, and yet despite that, the two had grown to be incredibly close… or closer than he was with Katsuki at least.
He had been deliberately ignoring who she was for a while now. He didn't really have time to think of it anyways.
…How would he deal with someone who likely met, or was friends with All Might?
His feeble fanboy mind just couldn't deal with that.
…Or could it?
When he made sure she was stealing a glance at him, he stared at her in turn.
Actually, maybe it could…
"Hey, Melissa…"
"Y-Yes?"
"Your father knows All Might, right?"
Inko sighed. "Oh boy… I can see where this is going-"
"I-I'm just curious, that's all!" He reassured her, as he turned back to Melissa. "I mean… given that you're his daughter and all, I assumed that-"
"Yeah, we know each other."
"Really?!" In a matter of seconds, the distance between their faces stood mere inches apart. "What's he like?! Tell me, please!" He clapped his hands together, begging her to acknowledge his request.
"I don't know… I guess it was fun for a while…" Until he crushed my dreams. She tried hiding the visible scowl on her face the best she could.
"You're… not on great terms with him?"
"I mean, he is the reason that my father allowed me to stay here, instead of at I-Island… or where I was living before that."
"Which was Texas, right? I've heard that was where David Shield grew his own company."
"Nah, Philly."
"Phel-lee..?" His broken English made her snicker. "What's that? I've never heard of a city called…"
"It's short for Philadelphia numb-skull." She chuckled. "Pretty fun place to be in if you know where to go. I used to live in the old city part of it. Moved away a couple of years ago because of…"
"Because of…?"
For a second there, Izuku could've sworn he saw a tear appear in her eye. "...I'd rather not talk about it."
"Oh, um… okay then… sorry if what I said made you uncomfortable."
Melissa, instead of accepting his apology, simply smiled. "Nah, it's cool. I'd just rather not mention the event," She said while staring out the window. "For what it's worth, I'd rather forget about it." She sighed, before going back to his original question.
"Anyways, back to All Might-"
"Yes, let's!"
"Let me finish," she chuckled. "I guess he's pretty fun to hang around… in a way. When we first came here, we took a trip across the country. Really made me fall in love with Japan I guess."
"That's great! I remember taking a vacation over in Texas when I was little. It's not something to scoff at here. It's amazing over there! Everyone's so open."
"Yeah, well… where am I now is just as good." She perked up as if remembering something important. "Oh, and I have to say, the cuisine is-" She was stopped, as the car came to a halt. "Oh, we're here," She exited the car door and walked over to the driver's window. "I'll be back in a sec."
"Hmm?" No matter how he replayed her phrasing within his head, something was off here. Wasn't this where she would be leaving for the day? Why would she be coming back? Why did she phrase her last sentence as if they would meet again shortly?
"Oh, she must've forgotten to tell you Izuku," Inko said bluntly as if she was reading his mind.
"...Tell me what? Isn't this where she's getting off? It's where she lives after all…"
"Well…"
"Back!" Before he could figure out what was going on, she was already back in her seat, holding a familiar ball of fur. "Bet you glad to see this guy again, huh?"
"Eh?!"
"It's a bit sudden, but," Inko continued what she was saying before Melissa interrupted. "Please understand that it's more convenient. For you and your studies."
"I'm confused. What do my studies have to do with…"
"Huh, you still don't get it?" For some reason, Melissa seemed more perplexed than him somehow. Letting Schrodinger walk into his lap, she smiled and then proceeded to explain. "I'm staying over. At your place, I mean…"
Within a matter of seconds, it seemed as if the atmosphere within the small car had completely shifted. "Wh-What… Huh?!"
"What I mean is that I'm sleeping over with you… for the day that is. Your mom and I-"
"Just Inko is fine." The older Midoriya chimed in.
"Inko and I decided that it'd be best if I were to tutor you within the comfort of your own home. Makes sense, right, right? It's gonna be a weekly thing too! So starting today, I'll be visiting you thrice per week!"
"But that's-" The heat within his cheeks had managed to reach critical levels. " Since when?!" The burning bright red on his face scalded him with embarrassment. "...You're okay with that?"
"I mean… I guess, yeah."
"And what about you, mom?"
"Of course, I was the one that suggested it since I figured it'd improve your grades."
Sighing, he allowed himself to cool down and relax for but a fleeting moment. Just the idea of hanging out with a girl was enough to make his mind do backflips. He'd short-circuit if he knew one would be stepping foot inside his own home.
He could imagine how bad the teasing would be. He really was doomed, was he?
He stole a glance at the calico-colored kitten which used his lap as a resting place. Well… least I have you. Schrodinger meowed happily as if agreeing with his thoughts.
"Um… Melissa-"
"Hm?"
"Thanks." Disregarding the temperature within his cheeks, he let out a shaky small, as if to showcase his gratitude. "If not for you… I don't know what I'd do really. And now that you're here to tutor me… it feels like I actually have a shot at achieving my dream."
Melissa's cheeks turned slightly pink at that. "O-Of course you do! Inko and I will be supporting you every step of the way." She stammered.
"Melissa…" In classic Midoriya fashion, tears began to stream down his cheeks.
"Oh, no!" She snickered. "Don't go getting all teary-eyed on me. I just said I was going to help you. It's what friends are for. It's nothing worth crying about."
"No, I mean… you've already done so much for me and-" He stopped the words from leaving his mouth, once he spotted how Melissa gave him a rather blank look. "I mean… thanks."
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to ask for help, Izuku. And there's nothing wrong with receiving it either. You don't have to be so selfless…"
"No, I mean… um…" He gulped. "I'm not as selfless as you think I am, Melissa." For once, his tone of voice shocked her. If she didn't know better, she would've assumed that he was a tad bit annoyed…
But he didn't look angry… at least, not at her.
"Izuku…?"
She tried calling his name, but his attention was elsewhere, as he looked out the side of his window. The car was moving fairly quickly, and everything looked like a blur. If she had to assume, he must've been doing it to take his mind off of things.
"Izuku, um…" She rubbed his shoulder slightly, finally getting his attention. "You okay there?"
"Yeah, I'm good… just thinking about… the past few days, and how it's been crazy."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"No, I mean, is that really all there is to it?"
"..."
She leaned forward a few inches. "You know you can tell me anything, right? That includes your mother. Anything that you're struggling with, be it academics, or just… you know, hero stuff, we can help you out, isn't that right, Inko?"
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Inko happily noted, as they rounded a corner. "Melissa's right Izuku. If there's anything, and I mean-" They stopped at a stop light, and Inko looked back. "Anything that you need help on-"
"We can help you out," Melissa added, interrupting Inko. "Ah, sorry, Mrs. Midoriya-"
"There's no need to apologize," She simply smiled, as the stop light turned green. "And again, just Inko's fine."
"See? Just know that we got your back!" She beamed.
Izuku seemed relatively unphased through it all. Even after Inko had stepped in, he seemed to remain impassive. "I'll keep it in mind…" The smile that he had told Melissa that he had agreed with what they were saying…
But his eyes were telling a different story. Something was off about Izuku…
And she just couldn't put her finger on it.
The ride from Melissa's shed to Izuku's apartment had taken only a few minutes. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief once they stepped foot into the hallway of his home. Kicking off her shoes, Melissa's jaw dropped to almost comical proportions.
"Woah, you're apartment's pretty big."
"Lived in it for as long as I could remember," Izuku added, guiding his hands through Schrodinger's back.
"No, like, seriously. Are you guys rich or something? An apartment of this size, especially in Philly, would fetch around a dozen or so thousand bucks… nutty."
"Really?" Melissa bopped her head up and down. "That's… way too expensive in terms of rent. I've heard that northeast cities in America always have that problem for some reason."
"Well, regardless," Walking over to the hallway, she struck a pose. "Time to hit the books! The only reason I'm staying here is because of the fact that-" She walked back over to him. "You," She pointed her finger at his chest. "Need better grades… and tutoring. Because I bet the internet and those books aren't very helpful."
Somewhere in the background, Izuku could've heard Inko snickering, as she did the dishes. In no way did she lessen the embarrassment that he was receiving. "...Alright. Let me show you my room…" He sighed. I'm really going to regret this, aren't I?
"Right, right. Last room to the left, right?" She dashed, already a few feet away from his door.
"How did you-"
"Your mom told me."
"Oh… okay then…" He sighed. "Just whatever you do, make sure you don't touch the merchandis-"
"Holy crap! You really are an All Might fanboy…"
"-insg…." He added, once again, breathing a deep sigh. "Um, please don't touch those figures… they're really expensive, and if you break-"
"No worries! I have a few of them myself. I know how to handle them." She said while letting one dangle from her fingertips. She was seconds away from dropping it before he stopped herself. "...Mostly."
You lie as easy as you breathe… Taking the figure away and putting it back in its correct position, he took a seat on his computer chair. "So, I was thinking…"
"Thinking what?"
"That we could… skip the whole mathematics thing for now?"
"Izuku…"
"I mean, only for a few hours at least! How about you help me with my hero notes? The notebook on me, specifically…" Averting his shy gaze, he looked towards his bookshelf. "I've only gotten one page done so far…"
"But didn't you say you wanted to get good at math so you could learn to engineer? For support items, no less…"
"Er…"
"Look at it this way… if you get good at math, that way, designing gadgets for yourself later on down the road would be a cakewalk. Then you could start writing notes."
"Well, I get what you're saying but-"
"But?" Melissa sighed. "Honestly… I thought you were serious about this Izuku…"
"I am! It's just… I want to help people more than I want to learn to become a hero… if that makes sense."
"You can't run if you don't learn how to walk, you know…"
"Says who?"
Melissa deadpanned. "...I'm suspecting that there's a reason for this… sudden desire to not study?"
"Not really… it's just that I tried doing mathematics, and well… I couldn't really understand it all that well. I guess I'm not that talented at it, huh?" He chuckled to himself. "Sorry, but I'm not a math person-"
"Wrong!" She did a thumbs down. "You got something wrong about mathematics Izuku."
"But… I thought you needed to be like… super talented at it to be like… proficient in it."
"That's not really true. You just need to approach it correctly." She shook her head. "Tell me, how have you been studying mathematics for the past few months?"
"Um… I guess by watching youtube videos and going over notes… and what my teacher says… That's good enough, right?"
"Yeah, if you just wanna pass. Getting straight A's is pointless though if all you understand about the subject is how to do well enough to advance to the next grade."
"B-But aren't grades important?"
"If you were to ask me personally? No, not really." Maybe it was because of the fact that she was technically a foreigner, but Melissa didn't seem to hold Japan's modern educational curriculum in high regard.
"I'll let you in on something…" She walked up to him so that they were around a foot apart. "If you really want to get good at this stuff?" She held up one of the books he had been studying from. "You have to actually use it."
"Um… how?"
"It's simple. Take Algebra for example-"
"Ugh…"
Melissa chuckled. "Let me finish." She said, tossing the textbook onto his bedsheets. "What can x, or rather, any variable be defined as?"
"I don't know…" He scratched his head. "A variable I guess? A value which varies…"
"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" She laughed. "Now, let me use an example to demonstrate what I'm talking about here." She grabbed a nearby piece of paper on his desk, along with a pen, before writing down something that looked alien to him. "Are you familiar with this formula?"
"...No, not really."
"That's fine." She smiled. "It's the formula for kinetic energy. It's not really an equation, but you'll understand what I'm talking about very soon." Writing down something else, she then held up the piece of paper once more. "Now, tell me, how fast is All Might?"
"Oh… that's kind of a tricky question…"
"I know, right? Because it's never been recorded." She agreed. "But just try and place a rough estimate."
"Well…" He cupped a hand to his chin. "I know that he's able to generate shock-waves, and sonic booms just by moving… so I definitely know that he's faster than sound…"
"Correct!"
"But there was also that one instance of where he raced from All Might Tower to the Sky Egg in a little over a few seconds… "
"Right, now find the distance!"
After a bit of searching and some mental math, he found what he was looking for. "Around nine kilometers…"
"How long did it take him to travel that distance?"
"Around a few seconds I think… if you held a gun to my head, I'd say bare minimum, two."
"You know how to solve for velocity, right?"
"Yeah, just give me a second…" He got to work. "Um… can I use a calculator? I'm a bit rusty on my division…"
"Sure!"
"Around four thousand and five hundred meters per second."
"Okay, you know his speed now," She added a few more things down to her hastily drawn yet somewhat detailed figure drawing of the Number One hero himself. "No peeking!" He nodded. "Okay, now how much do you think he weighs?"
"Oh, that's easy! According to the trading cards, he's around two-hundred and seventy-four kilos… I think."
"That is also correct!" She gave him a thumbs-up, before showcasing what she had been writing down while he was thinking. "Okay, you're aware of what kinetic energy is, right?"
"It's the energy that objects have when they're moving, right?"
"Yup, yup! And it's measured in energy!" She pointed towards her sheet of paper. "The 'm' part of the formula is the mass of the object, with the 'v' being the velocity, or in this case, speed of the said object. And of course, the 'KE' stands for kinetic energy, which is measured in joules… or foot-pounds, depending on if you're using metric or not."
"Oh, I think I see what you're getting at here…"
"That's good! Now, the 'm,' and the 'v' are both variables. But it's not really an equation, so all you have to do is plug in your numbers…" Her smile widened. "Now, tell me… can you calculate the kinetic energy of All Might?"
"Oooooh! I see what you're on about!"
"Great! You're finally catching on." She sat the piece of paper down on his desk and handed him the pen she had been using. "Now, solve the formula."
Taking out his phone from his pocket, he began inputting the numbers. "Um… here's what I got. It's around three million of those…"
"Joules."
"Right, joules. Did I get it correct?"
She nodded. "You did. You didn't have to round it out, but you used the formula to solve for something outside of what they'd teach you in school."
"So… what are you trying to teach me?"
"Nothing. Keep using the equation to find out anything you want to know about your favorite heroes… or anything really, even projectiles. Bullets, knives, even punches-"
"Vehicles too? I remember that one video of Endeavor stopping a car with his bare hands…"
Knowing how powerful your opponents, or allies actually our is incredibly important when building Support Gear, especially if you don't want your gadgets to break under stress, so this is stuff to remember down the line." She grabbed one of his notebooks off of his shelf and showed it to him. "Remember this?"
"Oh, yeah… I took that with me to your place… I'm still working on that actually."
"That's great, but have you ever tried out incorporating a bit of physics into your notes?"
"No, not really… the stuff I write about is mostly about techniques and Quirk usage… and battle tactics."
"Well, start doing it now. You've found out just how hard All Might can punch. Try documenting that into your profile of him," She paused. "...You do have a profile of him, right?"
"O-Of course I do! He's the greatest hero, how could I-" He stopped himself, once he realized Melissa was grinning at him. "Er, I mean…" He looked away. "...Yeah, guess I'll do that." He sheepishly added.
"Great! Now get to work!"
"Alright!" Putting aside his current notebook, he grabbed another one, conveniently placed at the very end of the shelf. "This one's for All Might."
"...You have a separate book for All Might?"
"And you don't?"
Melissa snorted. "Dork."
Izuku simply smiled and just started going over his notes. To Melissa, it seemed that note-taking came as easy as breathing for him. Upon closer inspection, the pace at which his pen glided across the paper almost made it seem as if he were inhuman. Which admittedly, aroused a suspicion in her that it might be tied to his Quirk.
"I gotta admit… You seem pretty good at note-taking."
"Really? I don't think it's really that great…"
"Yeah, well… I think it's pretty amazing." Izuku wanted to disagree, but the smile which shined his way made him give up all hopes of a rebuttal. "Is it tied to your Quirk?"
"It's nothing of the sort," he clarified. The bluntness of his reply had caught even her off-guard. For a split second, it appeared as if his writing paused, before continuing. "There are plenty of people who dedicate their life to learning and analyzing Quirks. I just do it as a hobby."
"Oh… I didn't know." In an instant, the atmosphere within the room had gone from relaxed and bubbly to as stiff as a board. Even his smile had faded rather quickly, before returning… but with notably less warmth to it. Maybe I hit a nerve or something. She thought as a frown spread itself across her face.
"If you don't become a hero, would like you to do that? Analyzing Quirks as a job profession I mean." Izuku's pen once again went still. "I mean, it's not that you won't become a hero, I'm just curious!"
"Hmm… guess I would then. It's either, or I become a firefighter."
"Didn't you say you wanted to become a policeman back at my place?"
"...Guess I changed my mind then."
She faltered. What was up with him? Ever since she started talking about his notes, he seemed very… it was as if he was a different person altogether. "Um… I'm sorry if I offended you, Izuku."
"I'm not offended."
"It still seems like I brought up something sensitive to you. So the fault is with me," She clarified. "I was just trying to say how talented you are writing notes, but I guess I crossed a line-"
"It's not talent!" Melissa flinched at the sudden rise in volume. "It's not… it's anything but that." Taking a second to compose himself, he sighed. "S-Sorry… it's just aa you say. A sensitive topic." He took a second to pause his writing to look back at her. Flashing her the same smile that he always presented to her. "S-Sorry for lashing out at you. I guess I am a bit irritable today, huh?"
…But again, without the same warmth that it usually had, she was beginning to suspect that it might have been forced. Perhaps his Quirk a touchy matter?
"I'm sorry if I offended you… I mean, it wasn't my intention-"
"Melissa, it's fine."
"You sure? Because if there's something's bothering you-"
"No, it's-" He took a momentary pause as he looked deeply into her eyes, almost as if he saw something within them. "Everything's fine. There's no need for you to worry."
Melissa really wanted to believe Izuku when he said that…
But the way that his eyes looked… made it all the harder. Sighing on it, she dropped the topic. "Well… okay then. If you say so…" She smiled back at him. "Let's continue with your studies then. After you finish your hero notes, we can finally move on to the actual course material. Sound good?"
"...Sounds good to me."
As she began going over the material, Melissa pretended to ignore how monotone his voice was for a moment.
After all… he was fine, right?
Izuku had always been good at note-taking.
From a young age, he had made sure to write down anything he noticed about heroes or his environment in general and categorize them into notebooks.
Of course, the handwriting was mostly ineligible to anyone but him, which was par the course for a kid in kindergarten…
But for the most part, if there was one thing that he could comfortably admit that he was good at… it'd be note-taking.
…But needless to say, even he had his limits.
"Um, Melissa…"
"Yes, yes?" She swiveled her head towards him, disregarding how he was currently slumped against his desk.
"Can we-"
"Take a break?" He nodded. "Hmm… maybe after we've finished covering slope and slope intercept form… you still haven't figured out how to apply that to your hero notes correctly, right?"
"Uh, no… I guess I really haven't. You can use that to apply it to the trajectory, right?"
"Not really, no. If you were trying to learn that, it'd be better to study drag and projectile motion."
Just when he was about to drop the pen he was holding and take a break, the door to the hallway opened. "So…" And out came Inko. "How are we doing so far?"
Melissa was the first to speak up. "Pretty great, actually! If everything goes well, we'll have reached calc one in a couple of months!"
"Eh?" Izuku spluttered, before correcting himself. "I mean… yeah! It's going really well! It's been… really enlightening for me these past few hours…" He chuckled lightly. "So are we going to take a break yet, Melissa?"
"In a few! We still need to cover slope, slope point, and slope-intercept form."
Izuku could only let out a deep sigh, as he leaned back against his computer chair. "...Can we at least get refreshments?" It appeared that Melissa actually considered his question for a few seconds. That was good. "Please?"
"Um, how about we call it quits for today?" The elder Midoriya butted in. "It seems that Izuku is a bit exhausted."
"Oh…" Melissa took a brief glance at Izuku, noticing the darkness under his eyes. He looks a bit pale… maybe I went too hard on him…
"I'm in agreement… there." Izuku moaned. "What time is it by the way?"
"Hmm… I think 12:43, why?"
"Oh, that's far too late…" Inko muttered. "Izuku doesn't really have a bedtime, but we usually go to bed a couple of hours earlier than this…" She sighed. "You two hungry? I prepared some katusdon just in case."
"Nah… think I'll eat in the morning," Izuku muttered in a low tone, inching closer to his bed. "Night…"
Neither Melissa nor Inko blinked for a few seconds afterward. "Well… that was strange. Katsudon is his favorite food… he usually never turns down a bite."
"Hmm… maybe I was too harsh with him… Algebra was pretty hard for me at first too…" She turned towards Inko. "Maybe we should take tomorrow off?"
"That would be wise. Izuku has school and the morning," Inko added, before smiling ear to ear. "...You sure you want to walk to school with him? I mean-"
"O-Of course!" She interrupted her before she had the chance to tease her. "It's what friends do anyways…"
"Alright, alright… then I guess I'll be leaving you two to your own devices then." She walked over to the door, ready to leave the teens to tuck in for the night. "Just make sure to leave the door open. No hanky panky in this house, got it?"
"W-What? No, no, no! I mean, of course! I get it, I'm sure Izuku gets that too!" She turned over to Izuku, who for the most part, looked comatose. "Ain't that 'Zuku?" He lifted a thumbs up. "Eh… good enough I guess."
"Only teasing!" She snickered to herself, before exiting the room.
Melissa, exhausted after dealing with tutoring and Inko all day, simply leaned back onto the side of his bed frame. "...Is she, always like this?"
She didn't get any response, asides from a grunt.
"Thought so…" Not a second later, she collapsed on the futon that she had prepared from Izuku's closet.
She briefly thought back to her and Izuku's conversation a couple of hours ago.
"It's not talent! It's not… it's anything but that."
"Everything's fine. There's no need for you to worry."
Ultimately, what had been said didn't really worry her all that much. But she'd be lying to herself if she didn't recognize the patterns. The almost mechanical-looking smile… the strained lips… the tired eyes, the pale skin, and frizzled hair-
Well, it was useless thinking about it now. She'd have to confront this later. For now, it was probably best to sleep on it.
I guess… we're more alike than we think, huh? She thought before her consciousness left her.
He had waited until everyone had gone to sleep to make his move.
Even Schrodinger had to be asleep for what he was about to pull, as he quietly tip-toed out of his apartment's room.
Ever since he was a child, he had known which floorboards to avoid so as to not arouse any noise. Most of them weren't all that creaky, but the ones near the door frames were. So he avoided walking down the edge of the hallway.
He was used to sneak out. Most of the time, he only did it to explore the city. And for the most part, he only explored the city to document his hero notes.
He had never been caught in the act, or never even been found out. All because he always made sure to head out when everyone was always fast asleep. If by any chance they would somehow wake up when he came back, he'd leave a note on the fridge saying that he was out for a late-night run.
It was either that or he'd say he was out for Jump magazines. It mostly depended on whether or not it was a Thursday or not. But this time, the reasoning was different.
He had already packed a separate box filled with clothes he would use to sneak out of the house. He had changed quickly, putting on a pair of running shoes just in case things went south.
Wallet? Check.
Phone? Also, check.
He didn't really have a backup plan in case things went south… which is why he had always made it his priority to stick to areas heavily populated and prowling with heroes. Staying out of dark alleyways also helped.
And in the case that things went bad… well, he could always cry for help, right?
Thankfully, the walk to his local sport and goods store had been short and brief. No more wishing, no self-pity, no more games. It was time for a change.
The door to the store jingled as he pushed it open.
If nothing else, from a single glance, anyone would be able to tell that the store was heavily based on bodybuilding and fitness.
Posters of famous bodybuilders are pinned on the walls. Boxes of dumbbells were strewn about randomly on the shelves, as well as exercise sets of many kinds. He could spot a few barbell racks in the back of the store too. It seemed the place doubled as both a makeshift gym and a sporting goods store.
He even spotted a few bottles of protein powder and creatine behind the counter of the store owner. But he ignored it for now.
He walked up to the man behind the counter. If nothing else, he seemed to know his way around all of the equipment in the store. His arms were several times thicker than Izuku's, and he was a good head or two taller than him.
He was almost terrified of speaking up before he remembered why he was there.
"There something you want?" The muscular man spoke to him.
"...What's the best equipment for a beginner?"
The man smiled.
"Well, that's awfully vague… what's your goal?"
"I want to get as strong as possible."
"That so…? Is there a reason for that exactly?" The man behind the counter sighed. "I get a lot of ruffians coming here claiming that they want to get 'jacked.' Funny thing is that none of them ever bother putting in the work."
"But I really do want to get stronger…"
"Why?"
"I…" Izuku's breath hitched. "I don't want to be weak anymore."
"And you think pumping a few pounds of iron is going to change that?" Izuku didn't say anything when the man's smile dropped. He just stood there as he began to take a few sips from his bear.
"...It's the only way I know how to be strong." It was strange how he thought of Katsuki while saying that. To be a hero, you had to be strong, and this… well, it was the first step to getting into shape.
He'd likely never have a physique as good as All Might's or Endeavor's, but just putting on a few pounds of muscles would go a long way.
"Alright then… there are a few dumbbells and pull-up bars in the back. If that's your goal, then as long as you got the dough, I'll help ya." The presumed owner of the story began to walk over to the back of the aisles. "I recommend that you start with calisthenics first-"
"I want to become a hero!" Izuku's body shook after yelling his reasoning. He gulped what he was about to say. "...I want to help people. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me… not anymore."
"...Is that your reason?" The boy nodded. "...A hero, huh?"
"Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamt about helping people. I never really was able to take a step towards that goal until now, but… now I can." He clenched his hands with enough force to hear his knuckles pop.
"I'm tired of watching everyone surpass me simply because they're far more talented. I'm useless compared to them. Inferior. I'm just some freak who was unlucky and ended up with the wrong genetics."
"You have a Quirk, don't you?" He sipped some more of his beer. "Why don't you use that?"
"I don't have one." It disgusted Izuku how easily the words rolled off of his tongue.
"...I see." There appeared to be some form of pity hidden in the man's eyes. "You must've been through some shit, kid."
"I really haven't."
"Ahuh… well, tell ya what." Walking out from behind his desk, he motioned for Izuku to walk to the back of the store with him. "Whenever a beginner strolls around in these parts, I let them try out some of my equipment. You know… to get a feel for how strong they are."
"Oh… that's nice of you."
"Yeah, well… it's good for my street cred." Grunting, he pulled out a few barbell plates, along with a barbell from one of the shelves. "You ever weight-lifted before?"
"N-No…" Izuku chuckled nervously. "Well, I mean, I have, but-"
"You weren't really serious about it?"
"Y-Yeah… I tried lifting around… thirty-kilos a while back? But it was relatively easy, so that's nowhere near my max."
"So around sixty or so pounds? Gotcha."
"Oh, you use imperial units?"
"Yeah, it's easier. Quite a lot of westerners live in this part, so I just got used to saying it." Once all of the equipment was situated and ready, the man instructed the boy to lie back down on the workout bench. Afterward, he placed the weighted plates on the shaft of the barbell itself.
"U-Um… are you sure that I can lift this much?" Izuku gulped back his saliva, before continuing. "Looks to be a lot heavier than thirty kilos…"
"Relax. We're just gonna check to see how much you can bench."
"How much is this anyways?"
"Around ninety-four pounds… not too much I'd say. Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, that's where I come in. I'm spotting ya."
"Okay then…"
He did just as the man had instructed him to. "Breathed in and out, and straighten your back," he said. He put his hands on the handlebar, and slowly, he lifted the weight.
"...It really is heavy…" His weak and frail arms struggled to push the weight up from his chest. "But I think I can manage!" After a few seconds of struggling, he pushed the weight upwards.
"Not so heavy anymore, is it? The first try's always the hardest. Let's do it again. Three reps, come on!"
"Yes!" And so, he lifted the barbell again. His arms trembled and his body shook as he pulled the weight down.
"Remember what I told you, in and-"
"Out! Right!" In, and out… He breathed. He steadied his breath once more and pushed again. This time, with a little bit more resistance. In, and out. He pulled the bar back down.
"Okay, one more rep!"
For the last rep, he made sure to push himself as far as he could, barring physical impairment, of course. He gnashed his teeth together as he felt the weight sink into his hands. His elbows were quaking, just as he was losing his grip.
And just seconds before he was sure that his muscles would fail him, a pair of hands reached for the bar, lifting it all the way up. "You did well… for a kid that is."
"Forty-two kilograms, right?" The man nodded. "I can't believe that I nearly lifted my body weight…" Izuku sighed, letting his arms flail about uselessly outside of the edges of the workout bench. "...Um, I won't have to do any more of that, right?"
"Hahaha!" The man laughed, putting a hand through his chair. "Nah, no need to worry. Now that I have a rough idea of where you're at, I can recommend you some equipment. That was just a test run."
"Oh, that's good…" Izuku wheezed. "I don't think… I could've taken much more." There was a nervous grin on his face, as he lifted himself up to meet the gaze of the store owner, who had already grabbed a box from a nearby shelf. "Um… is that all I need?"
"Pretty much…" The man set the box on the counter at the front of the store. "It's a hero training kit."
Izuku inspected the box very carefully. It had the silhouette of a hero plastered on the middle of it. It was strangely titled, 'American Dream Plan.' Huh, what a weird name…
"Not many of these get produced nowadays, but back in my day, they were all the rage. Spend a few months on this, and you'll notice some gains."
"Oh, okay then…" Trusting the man's word, he looked at what little money he had in his wallet. He had seen how much the kit had cost on the box's tag, and felt his heart drop into his stomach. Damn, twenty-five hundred…? He was going to be broke for a couple of months after this…
"I see that you're concerned about the price… How about I give you a discount?"
"What?!" He nearly dropped his wallet. "Really? I-I mean… I'm perfectly fine with paying full price…"
The man chuckled. "Now hold on, there's a catch." The man's smile dropped. "I'll give ya a seventy-five percent discount if you…"
"If I…?"
"Visit here monthly and keep buying my equipment, of course!" He pointed to some heavier-looking kettlebells as well as other groups of equipment. "That kit is great and all, but I'm thinking that you could use a bit more equipment in the near future. Ever try creatine or protein powder?"
"Er… no, not really," he paused. "Wait, aren't those steroids?"
"Nah, that's the stuff I keep in the closet. Sorry, but I can't really sell those to a minor. But creatine and pre-workout will get you results. Stop by here next week. I just ordered a new batch recently. It should be here by Wednesday."
"Oh… really?"
"I'm not one to go back on my word. " The man said to him, walking behind the cashier and taking a seat on his chair again. "The kit's six thousand by the way."
It was still a bit too expensive for his liking, but if he wanted to become a hero… he'd have to make the sacrifice.
Handing the man a couple of thousand yen bills, he lifted the box off of the counter. "Oh, it's heavy!" Perhaps 'lift' wasn't the right term, as the box immediately dropped to the ground the moment he moved it off of the counter.
"Want me to help you carry it back home?"
He shook his head. "...Nah. I think I can carry it… it'll take a while though." Eventually, he managed to make it out of the doorway, with the box lagging its way behind him.
"You sure? I got a trolley in the back-"
"I'm good! This'll be a good workout for me anyways!" In a single motion, he scooped the box up onto his shoulder. While it was still hard trying to carry it back to his apartment, it was better than trying to lift or drag it.
He couldn't help but be proud of himself once he managed to reach the door to his apartment. The box was heavy, but not too heavy. It felt twice as light as the barbell he had deadlifted earlier.
One step. He was one step closer to his dream.
Sure, there might've been some hiccups along the way, but everything had been going very smoothly ever since he had slept over at Melissa's place. There were very few, if any setbacks this week, and that alone was enough to quell his anxiety.
Tip-toeing through his hallway with little to no lighting guiding his path was harder than he thought it would be. But he managed to make it back to his room without waking anyone.
Melissa was still asleep, thankfully, with Schrodinger snuggled up to her chest.
He had also made sure to quietly hide the box in his closet so that no one would've known about his late-night escapade. He could never be too careful in a house like this, which creaked at every slight movement.
Suspecting that everything had gone smoothly, he collapsed onto his bed, this time, he really was exhausted. He really had a long way to go before he was even close to being as strong as Katsuki. It was a good thing that he didn't have to walk this path alone…
Drowsiness took over, and he eventually found himself drifting off to sleep.
A/N: Alright … where to begin with.
As I've said multiple times before in previous chapters and A/N's, chapter fifteen is going to be the turning point for this story. Lots of things are about to unfold. Big things.
The next chapter will likely be completely centered around Izuku and Melissa, since Izuku is going to start training, and Melissa will be supporting him. Don't worry, Inko will get her time to shine eventually, but for now, I believe it's best to focus on the two primary main characters.
Chapter fifteen is where there are going to be some major diverges between Izuku's character here and his canonical portrayal, as after going through and surviving… well, chapter twelve's events, you could say that his mental state is… not so healthy.
Canonically speaking, I don't think Izuku's mental health was all that great, to begin with. But with the trauma of recent events, and his self-hatred toward himself coming into play… I guess I really am going to fuck him over, am I? Well, as the author, it's my job to make this story entertaining. This wouldn't be a good old-fashioned hero's journey without a bit of angst and traumatization, would it?
…I really am unfair towards my characters, aren't I? Anyways, moving on!
He's been bullied. He's an Asian student. He's trying to get into one of the toughest, and most difficult hero schools in the country. He has to deal with his trauma, regarding… pretty much everything up until this chapter, and is Quirkless.
He's going to need to do a lot, and I mean A LOT of healing in order to return to a healthy state of mind. And I mean lots.
And just to clarify, he's not Shirou Emiya(s?) levels of fucked up, nor is he permanently scarred, but by all means, he needs serious mental and physical attention. A few therapy sessions with a licensed therapist (huh, that's going to be a fun plot point) will do wonders at this point. Oh, and I guess a few discussions (and kisses?) from Melissa will go a long way…
If I'm being completely honest with myself, I can't wait to start writing the fluff with these two. They're so freaking adorable. I'm almost disappointed in Horikoshi for not utilizing Melissa in the actual main story of My Hero.
But yeah, that's all I'll say for now. I don't want to spoil any more of the plot than I already have. Thanks for making it to the end of this installment of my story! As always, I'll see you guys next chapter!