"I'm going to keep this short so pay attention." Said the holographic projection of what appeared to be a very tired and disheveled man, "My name is Shouta Aizawa, and these are your results for the UA Entrance Exam that you took about a week ago."
The recording changed to show footage from the practical.
"Frankly speaking, you failed to meet the objectives that were presented, and didn't earn a single villain point. But that wasn't the only factor."
The footage then showed a young boy weaving through the chaotic battlefield, helping people in need and pulling people out of harm's way.
"You were also being judged on rescue points, which were awarded by a panel after the test had concluded. For your efforts you earned a total of 60 rescue points, placing you in 7th place."
The screen went back to Aizawa.
"This means that you are accepted into the UA High Hero Course. So welcome to your hero academia Hitoshi Shinso."
As the projection switched off, Hitoshi was on the verge of tears.
He had done it. He'd made it into the best hero course in the country.
He hadn't known about the rescue points, the only reason he had helped the other people was because of what happened a couple months ago when that boy had saved him.
Every time he saw someone in trouble, he remembered the boy's words to him.
Because I saw I could help you. And I couldn't just leave someone in need.
Again, that boy had helped him. He'd given Hitoshi the chance to be a hero. He'd never be able to repay him enough.
But I can try to be the best hero I can. I won't waste this opportunity, I promise.
"Ya failed the practical portion of the exam, so you'll not be admitted to the hero course." the recording of Snipe said.
Any other time, Izuku would have been thrilled by being addressed by a pro hero. But Snipe's words shot through Izuku like they came from the hero's trademark weapon.
"But with your impressive score in the written portion, you will be placed in the General Studies Course with top marks. I'll be seeing ya in class."
Izuku felt hollow. He'd failed. There was nothing he could…
The projection turned back on, but instead of Snipe, it was a short message.
Do not fret Young Midoriya. This is not the end; you just have to be patient. -N
The projection turned off again, for good this time.
N? Who's N? And what do they mean this isn't the end?
Izuku's pocket began buzzing. He pulled out his phone and saw the notification. He clicked on it, opening his messages.
Uraraka-San: Did you see your results yet
Over the last week, he and Uraraka had been talking a lot. Mainly texting, thankfully.
They'd learned a lot about each other, like how they both wanted to be heroes.
Izuku also learned that her accent was because her family lived in the Mie Prefecture.
Later she told him about how her family's construction company wasn't doing well.
When Izuku had asked why she was trying to attend UA, she said that UA covers the cost for stuff like uniforms and supplies for their students, unlike a lot of other hero schools, so it would be easier on her family financially.
In return, Izuku had told her about his life, minus the bits about the bullying and the number one hero's words to him. He also left out that fact he was quirkless. By some miracle she hadn't asked about his quirk.
Yet. She hasn't asked yet. And when she does…
He started typing a reply back.
You: Yes, I did. What did yours say, Uraraka-San?
Izuku could feel her amusement through the screen.
Uraraka-San: Your so formal!
Uraraka-San: Anyway
Uraraka-San: Drumroll please
Izuku imagined a drumroll sound.
Uraraka-San: You're speaking to the newest member of CLASS 1A! :D
He cracked a smile at her antics. But her results left him feeling a little bittersweet.
You: Congratulations Uraraka-San!
Uraraka-San: So
Uraraka-San: Hos did you do?
Uraraka-San: *How
You: I failed the practical. But my score in the written portion was enough to be placed in Class 1C in the General Education Course.
The little icon that showed she was typing kept appearing then going away, and after 30 seconds Izuku was beginning to get nervous.
Does she hate me now? I'm I not good enough to be her friend? Was I ever good enough?!
Uraraka-San: I'm so sorry Midoriya. I know how much you wanted to be a hero.
Izuku took a couple deep breaths. She wasn't abandoning him.
Uraraka-San: Hey, my parents are renting me a small apartment in Mustafu to be closer to school.
Uraraka-San: I was wondering if you could show me around sometime this week since I know nothing about the city?
Ochako was staring at her phone, shocked at what her fingers had just typed and sent before her brain could get a word in.
Did I just ask him on a date?
Her face began to heat up, and then her phone chimed.
Izuku M: juyqpklwemp
She blinked hard. Of all the things she had been expecting as a response, that was not one of those things.
Izuku M: I mean yes! Are you sure? I'm not very good company.
That was what she was expecting, but minus the self-doubt. But she could work with this.
You: Of course!
You: I move into my apartment on Saturday. Would Sunday be good for you?
Izuku M: Yes, Sunday would be great! When and where should we meet?
Izuku was now panicking. He was going to hang out with a friend. Not just a friend, but a girl. And not just any girl, but Uraraka.
Izuku decided to ask his mom what to do, but when he opened his bedroom door, his mother was already standing there, with a cake.
The cake had a message written in icing.
You Tried Your Best!
"I heard the recording. I know you didn't get into the hero course." His mom had a look of empathy on her face, but Izuku could swear he could see a look of relief in her eyes. "But at least you still get to go to UA!"
Izuku forced a smile, like he always did for her. Better not to make her worry.
As they went to the kitchen Izuku thought about his da- planned outing with Uraraka.
What were they going to do? Sure he knew the city, but he didn't know any places of interest. He hadn't hung out with a friend since before his diagnosis.
What would I even wear? Casual clothes? My school uniform?
He used to have plenty of clothes, but the vast majority of them were All Might merch, and he'd sold all of them. He only had workout clothes and comfort wear.
"Hey mom," she placed the cake down on the table before turning to Izuku, "Is it okay if I go shopping later?"
A week later Izuku found himself standing at the train station in central Mustafu on a particularly warm Sunday morning.
He felt confident that his clothes weren't an embarrassment. He decided on a pair of khaki shorts and a graphic t-shirt that had 'T-SHIRT' written on the chest. Humor's important, right? Right?
"Midoriya!"
Izuku turned to see Uraraka walking towards him. She had decided on a choice of jeans and a plain pink blouse. Very sensible.
She looks really pret… NOPE, not finishing that thought.
"U-U-Uraraka-San! How a-are you?" He still couldn't control the stutter.
"I'm great! Ya ready to hit the town?" She asked.
Izuku, not trusting his mouth much, decided on a shaky but clear nod, and they were off.
They began by walking through the main shopping district, maily just looking around.
As they went on, Izuku relaxed a little.
"So Uraraka-San, h-how's your new apartment?"
I only stuttered once!
"Oh, it's good. Though it's still going to be an adjustment to be living on my own now."
Izuku couldn't imagine living on his own so far from home. His whole life it'd just been him and his mom.
They continued walking, stopping every so often to admire a shop or architecture. Eventually they decided to stop for lunch. They had decided on a small cafe.
They ordered their drinks and food and sat down in a booth.
Before they could get too far into their conversation…
"Holy shit! Is that Midoriya?"
Izuku and Uraraka turned to see a group of boys that just entered the cafe.
Izuku recognized them immediately as his classmates.
"And is he on a date?"
Ochako didn't know what was going on. These people seemed to know Midoriya. Maybe he can tell her…
She turned to see her friend was very on edge, his eyes wide, and he was slightly shaking.
"H-h-h-hi g-g-guys. H-h-how a-a-are y-y-y-you?" Midoriya got increasingly quieter as he went on.
"We're great," one of the boys said, "but what are you doing here, Deku?"
What did they just call Midoriya? Deku?
Ochako would have thought it was like Dekiru, like 'you can do it', but the way that boy said it, it didn't sit right with her.
"I'm sorry, but do you all know Midoriya?" She asked, trying to keep her building unease out of her voice.
"Yeah, we know him. He's in our class. You're you?"
"Ochako Uraraka. Me and Midoriya are friends."
There was a moment of silence after her statement. Some of the boys looked confused, before one of them snickered, causing the rest to laugh.
"Oh that's a good one," one of them managed to say after calming down a bit.
"What's so funny?" Ochako asked, honestly starting to get annoyed.
The rest of the boys seemed to take an air of seriousness, before one of them commented.
"You're serious? You're actually friends with Deku, that weakling?"
"Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Midoriya shifted in Ochako's peripheral vision.
Ochako turned to look at Midoriya, and she saw that he was nervous, tears pooled in the corners of his eyes.
"Because he's a quirkless nobody."
When he looked at Ochako, he locked eyes with her, and a look of panic appeared on his face.
And then he shot up and bolted out the door.
Why?
Why had he thought he could hide it? DId he think that if he didn't acknowledge it, it would just go away?
Of course the world needed to remind him, because he never seemed to remember himself.
Quirkless people don't get to be happy in a superhuman society.
So when the fact that he was part of the 20% who were powerless was revealed to his first real friend after a decade of torment, what did he do?
He ran.
He didn't want to be there for her to abandon him, or even worse become just another person to abash his hopes and dreams.
He didn't want her to be another person to call him a worthless 'Deku'.
Eventually he ended up at the beach..
He remembered coming to Dagobah when he was little with his mom. There was even that time he went with Kacchan and Auntie Mitsuki.
But now it was covered in trash, some brought in from the currents, but most of it was people just dumping unwanted junk.
Like him.
He walked through the piles of junk, until he came upon a small clearing, and just sat in the sand and hugged his legs.
He had tears welling up in his eyes, blurring his vision.
He was used to being rejected, it happened his whole life. But why did the thought of Uraraka turning away from him hurt so much? Was he just clinging on to the first person to show him genuine care after so many years?
What did she think now? Was she thankful that it was revealed to her before it was too late? Before she had grown attached to a pathetic quirkless kid?
Was she angry at him for deceiving her? For practically lying to her about what he was?
It doesn't even matter anymore. I'm never going to see her again.
"Midoriya?"
His head shot up, and he saw Uraraka with a concerned look on her face.
She was walking towards him slowly, worry written on her face.
How did she find me?
"Well it's not exactly hard to follow someone when they're only running in one direction." She answered. "Espeacially when they have really noticeable hair."
Dang it! Was he thinking out loud again?
She approached him and gestured to his side, "Do you mind if I sit?"
Izuku shook his head, and she sat next to him and crossed her legs.
They sat in silence for a moment, both unsure what to do, what to say.
"I'm sorry." Izuku said sadly.
"For what?" Uraraka asked, her tone still containing concern.
"For not telling you I was quirkless. If I had you could have avoided this whole situation and could have just forgot that I existed and…"
Uraraka put a hand on Izuku's shoulder, causing him to stop talking.
"Midoriya, you don't have to apologize for that."
He didn't understand, why wasn't she upset, or sad, or anything like that?
"Why did you chase after me?" He asked tentatively.
"Because I saw my friend needed my help."
Izuku didn't know what to say to that.
"But do you want to tell me why you ran?" She asked, but Izuku could see she was nervous.
Izuku wanted to tell her he was fine, like he had to everyone else in his life. Everyone who was concerned, either for themselves if he talked, or for his mom.
But he couldn't, not after what just happened.
"I was… scared. Of what you would think of me. Scared that you would leave me like everyone else." He said with shaky breath.
"I just din't want you to see me as worthless too."
Izuku was surprised by Uraraka suddenly putting her arms around Izuku, wrapping him in a hug.
"Izuku, you're not worthless."
Izuku couldn't hold his tears back anymore. He let out a low sob as he hugged her back.
Ochako held her friends as he let out his emotions.
She was worried when he'd ran out of the cafe.
She chased after him without paying mind to Midoriya's classmates.
As she had said, Midoriya wasn't exactly hard to follow, so she was able to catch up to him, but man was that boy fast.
Back tot he task at hand, Ochako didn't know exactly what to do.
Midoriya was having a full blown breakdown, and she didn't know the best way to handle this kind of situation.
All she could do right now was be her for him, and hope that it will be enough for now.
Eventually Izuku stopred shedding tears. Pulling away from Uraraka, he sniffed.
He looked at her, not sure what he was supposed to do now.
They were still sitting at the beach, surrounded by mountains of rubbish.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
She stood up and dusted her self off before offering her hand to Izuku.
"Do ya want to get going? Neither of us belong in this dump."
Izuku looked at her hand, and he remembered when he made a similar gesture to Kacchan.
Unlike his former friend did then, Izuku grasped his friends hand.
As they walked away from the beach, Izuku wanted to pay Uraraka back.
What did she say her favorite was?
As if the universe finally wanted to do Izuku a solid for once, the pair walked past a small convenience store that had a small poster in one of the windows:
MOCHI 50% OFF
Uraraka eyed the poster like a cat would a mouse.
Izuku, never one to pass up an opportunity, formed a plan.
"Hey, can you wait here for a minute?"
A minute later, he came out with two ice cream mochi.
"Here. As a thank you for earlier."
He handed on of them out to her, blushing hard, but Uraraka was too focused on the mochi to see that.
She took the mochi from Izuku, and brought it up to her mouth and took a small bite.
A look of pure bliss was the result.
Cute.
That thought made Izuku's blush go into overdrive. He can't think that way! Even if she isn't bothered by him being quirkless (for some reason) there's no way anyone would even think about Izuku that way.
Plus, I don't want to risk this.
So with that they continued on there way.
When Ochako got home to her apartment, she still had a smile on her face. Apart from the beach, her day had gone really well.
She remembered the mochi. She swears she had the kind before, but for some reason it had tasted better than any other time she'd had it.
Her thoughts went back to Midoriya. She knew that quirkless people existed, but she had never met somebody with out a quirk before.
She remembered the look of fear on his face when those boys had revealed it. She can't even imagine what it must've been like for him to grow up with everyone around him having a superpower.
I just didn't want you to see me as worthless too.
When he'd said that, her heart had broke a little.
To learn the boy that had risked his life to save hers was viewed that way, it made her angry.
So what if he didn't have a quirk? In the two weeks that Ochako had know Izuku Midoriya, she had seen him be one of the most caring and compassionate people she had ever met.
She didn't know how someone so purehearted could even think that they wern't of any worth.
But she wanted to make sure it didn't stay that way.
She was going to help this boy with everything she had, because she knew he would do the same for her.
(A/N) So, that's another chapter done. Please review!