White Despair and Black Hope, In the End, Both Lead to The Same Destination.

After Izuku passed what he decided to call Enoshima's test of will, she guided him onto a set of doors, which turned out to be some made-in-the-spot equivalent for locker rooms. Surprisingly, and while he couldn't say it resembled a state-of-the-art changing room, it was tidy enough that Izuku didn't feel uncomfortable around it.

Although it did remind him that the state of the room, and the entire building in general, was Enoshima's doing…all of it by herself.

Just how much time did she spend on this?

How much of herself has she invested for my sake?

Gulping down the guilt, Izuku hurried up into getting changed. Once set and done, wearing an outfit consisting of a light-blue tracksuit with white lines on the sides, an ocean blue shirt just beneath, and one of his favorite pair of red shoes, Izuku left the room.

There, he was greeted with a surprising sight. Just ahead of him, Enoshima was stretching her limbs. What made him feel bewildered about it though, was that she was using a tracksuit of her own, with a black left side and a white one on the opposite one, obviously going for that monochrome theme his friend was an apparent fan of.

Before he could say anything, Enoshima noticed his presence. Taking that as her cue, she got done loosening her limbs and beat him to the word while pointing an accusatory finger, although her face and voice gave it a lack of severity, "Those were two minutes and forty-three seconds!"

"H-Huh? What are you talking about?" Asked a confused Izuku.

"Your changing time," Enoshima elaborated. "When the real deal comes, it will be expected of ya to take much less on your swapping between civilian clothes and hero costume. Y'know, every moment counts and stuff like that." Even though Enoshima said that so casually, Izuku's eyes widened in realization.

He was so fixated on the fact that he was finally walking the road into his dream that he kind of spaced out about what was the true meaning behind it. Most important of all, she had a point. A mere second could be the difference between saving a life or not.

Just because this is training, it doesn't mean it will be a walk in the park or that I could allow myself to take it as such. When Enoshima said we are beginning now, she truly meant it. I can't allow myself to slack off in any area whatsoever!

Mentally chiding himself, Izuku addressed his friend with his features steeled. "You are right. I will halve how much I take by the next time; I promise!"

"See that you do," Enoshima said with an approving nod. "Besides, if you continue proposing that each session, like a challenge of sorts, I'm sure it will do you wonders regardless of the results."

"Hmm, something like mentalizing my body, right? Regardless if the goal I set is feasible or not, I would still perform better than if I hadn't given myself one in the first place. Like, uh…I know! A fish still jumping in a frying pan even after death!"

"I dunno about that example, but yeah let's go with that!" Enoshima confirmed with a chirpy voice. "You wouldn't believe how many wonderful things beyond their own imagination people are capable of when they have their brain properly wired for it."

Izuku made a mental note about bringing out his notebook for the next session. He didn't want to mix it up with his training baggage, but it was clear that, besides the training schedule, his friend would be dropping some important tidbits of advice every now and then.

However, that would have to wait for another occasion, now it was time to get into business. "So, what am I going to begin with? I will pull some weights? Or…" As he trailed off, Izuku's gaze darted onto a curious sight. "Now that I think about it, what's up with those doors, Enoshima?"

Previously, he didn't pay that much of an interest to those entrances, but with his attention on them now, Izuku couldn't help noticing that unlike the exit where they came from and the locker rooms, they were locked with a padlock each.

"Those you say?" Following his gaze, Enoshima also saw what he was talking about, with the glimmer in her eyes as she did so not going unnoticed by him. "Those are the advanced areas."

"Advanced areas? How so?"

"It is something you will get a better grasp on once you get the schedule, which by the way, I will give it to ya once we are done with today's session," Enoshima reassured him. "The gist of it though, is that you should think of them as worlds you unlock once you clear certain thresholds within the training."

"Oh, okay. Like some trials of sorts?"

"Yes, I couldn't have described them better than that," Enoshima confirmed with a pleasant smile.

"T-Thanks," Izuku said, happy at the praise but also with a contemplative expression on his face. Eventually, though, he awkwardly attempted to bring back the main topic at hand. "So, uh, about my training…?"

"Someone is eager, isn't it?" Enoshima teased, making the temperature on his face rise up. "Don'tcha worry tho, the moment ya have been waiting for is here. Beginning with…one hundred consecutive squats followed by the exact same set for push-ups!"

One hundred push-ups and squats? I see! Thought an excited Izuku.

Only for his eyes to widen and shatter like vases when understanding about what she said dawned on him.

"W-Wait! One hundred for each!?" For all the bravado of a moment ago, he couldn't prevent himself from having a slight panic attack. Quickly though, his features softened accompanied by a nervous laugh, "O-Oh I get it. This is one of those 'psyching my brain for it' moments, isn't it?"

"Upupupu…I will give ya seven minutes for each of them." Enoshima said, with lips forming into an enormous grin that did nothing more than stretch further with every passing moment.

At that, a mere dreading thought formed in Izuku's mind.

Oh…she is being serious, isn't she?

For what it was worth, the expectations Enoshima put in his first task did help him reach a performance far greater than what he could remember being capable of. For example, the last time he tried something similar, he did about ten squats before feeling on the verge of collapsing. With the extra motivation, things were different.

…Still, that wasn't the same as saying reaching his expected goal. Sure, even someone with an average physique should have been able to complete at least one of two exercises within the time frame that Enoshima gave him.

"Sixty…Two…"

The thing is though, that Izuku couldn't even boast that much.

"C´mon, Zuzu! You can do it!"

"Sixty…Sixty…Three…" Izuku grunted, long since at his wit's end, as he crouched down until his knees properly bent down, regardless of how they burned while doing so.

"You're past the first half, keep it up!"

If someone had told him three weeks ago that a cute girl like Enoshima would be acting as a personal cheerleader of her own volition, he would've chalked it up as a cruel prank alongside an awkward laugh, all the while sighing in self-depreciation on the inside. So, to see with his very own eyes that reality had long since surpassed fiction helped a great deal in getting second winds every now and then.

"Sixty…ugh…Sixty…Six…" However, as much as the right mentality and Enoshima's motivation helped in surpassing his own limits, there was just how much that could favor.

As of right now, the only thing keeping him from not stumbling on the floor was his desire to not disappoint Enoshima.

I can't let her down! It doesn't matter how much my body hurts right now, I can't spit on the precious opportunity she has given me and give up now that we are just beginning. The least I could do is to go plus ultra and break my own limits.

Ignoring the way his muscles were screaming for a moment of respite, Izuku pushed himself up. Then, with a shaky grin, he abruptly forced his legs to buckle down. He winced at the pain that caused him, but nevertheless, he felt confident in his capacity to continue.

This… isn't so bad. It might hurt a bit, but if I keep this pace, I am sure I could―

His entire concentration along with his balance met an abrupt end when a loud and pitched sound reverberated in the vicinity. Stumbling on his own feet, Izuku fell on his stomach.

Looking up as he let out a pained groan, Izuku saw his friend approaching, with a whistle in her hands answering from where that sound came from.

"Enoshima?"

"Sorry Zuzu, but time's up," Enoshima told him with her lips parted into a thin line.

Along with the pit in his stomach those words formed within him, they also worked as the last zap of energy that allowed him to regain enough of his bearings and get up with a panicked look on his face.

"I-Is that so? But, uh…ah! What about that time remaining for the other set? I know it's not that orthodox of a decision, but―"

"I already did that."

"Huh?"

"The fourteen minutes, we already used it." Enoshima began elaborating. "I thought it would be unfair to not transfer the time I gave ya for the push-ups so you could give it your all. So, I just did that when the time for the first set ran out."

"…Really?"

"Really." His friend confirmed, much to his disappointment. "We will take a ten-minute break and then you will follow me outside so we can get onto the next stage, alright?"

Part of him wanted to protest, although whether it was because he wanted another chance to prove himself or just simply that he doubted ten minutes was enough to recover, Izuku couldn't know. That brief frame of hesitation in combination with Enoshima's blinding self-assurance in her voice made it impossible to choose all but a single option.

"I…of course, Enoshima." He conceded, barely managing to not hang his head down in defeat.

And shame.

Now that he knew what he was supposed to expect from this place, Izuku was able to confirm that, sure enough, what just about an hour ago thought to be nothing more than trash littering the vicinity, what waited for him on the outside was an obstacle course.

"Seeing it from up close, it kinda reminds me of those obstacles movies show when soldiers go through some training." From what Izuku could observe, the entire course consisted of a series of obstacles that circumvented the entire building. Each side around the warehouse was filled to the brim with all kinds of contraptions, gimmicks, and mechanisms that, if Izuku was honest with himself, made him trepidant about what was to come.

"Well, your thinking process isn't that far away from the truth." From just beside him, Enoshima spoke. "Although rather than movies, I got this as accurate to the real deal as possible."

He perked up at that bit of information, "You did? How so?"

"There was this someone I used to know." Enoshima began, with a faraway look that seemed both nostalgic and melancholic. "She was obsessed with the military and, even though more often than not it was easier talk to a rock than get a word out of her, when it came to that stuff, she would lose herself talking for hours so long as the topic remained about that world. Naturally, I learned a thing or two out of that."

"I see, she sounds like an interesting friend."

"Friend?" Enoshima questioned before releasing an amused snort. "I dunno, counting my own sister as a friend sounds like cheating, you get what I mean?"

Izuku couldn't prevent his eyes from widening at that, "Wait, you have a sister?"

It wasn't what he would consider a groundbreaking revelation, but it certainly was big enough of a reveal regarding Enoshima's life.

"Yep, a twin one supposedly," Now that was more of a surprise. "Although if ya ask me, we don't look anything alike."

Leaving aside that last comment, and for some strange reason, hearing the confirmation that this person was a family member rather than something else, it felt like having a weight lifted off his back.

How weird, if he didn't know any better, he would've thought that remaining as Enoshima's only true friend was a relieving idea. Not only that was ridiculous, but it was also an unnecessary and concerningly possessive way of thinking.

Right?

Not wanting to deal with those confusing thoughts, Izuku mentally shook his head before quickly addressing Enoshima, "Still, at least she's a good sister, right?"

"…Who knows," The strawberry-blonde said, although there was this…detachment in her tone. Faster than he could address what was that about though, both her voice and what she meant by that, her usual chirpiness returned to Enoshima's face. "Anyhow, enough chit-chatting! Distracting me ain't gonna buy ya more time, y'know?

There was more to it than what Enoshima was letting on, Izuku had no doubt about that. However, if she didn't want to dwell further in what was surely a deeply personal matter, then Izuku saw no reason to prod further about the subject.

Besides, right now his biggest concern was the alarm he was feeling at his friend's accusation. "What? It wasn't like that, I was just curious, I promise!"

"Right~, right~, I believe ya." So she said, but Izuku was having his doubts about that. "Derailing back on track, this obstacle course won't have a time limit. You just hafta successfully clear each one of its stages and tata! Level completed! Easy, right?

Izuku nodded in understanding. Only that, unlike the previous workout, there was a speck of grimacing within his features. Rather than a reassurance, that mention of not having a time limit felt like a trap intended to make him fall into conformity.

Perhaps it was precisely that? Not for the first time, he had to remind himself that this training was meant to force everything out of him and more for every single aspect of it. Besides, Enoshima was a rather clever person and it wouldn't be out of his friend's usual antics to pull stunts like those.

"On the count of three, you will be able to move out of the starting line," Enoshima began, pointing at a chalk-made white line in front of him. "Once that happens, you will hafta go through the entire course and, just like I pointed out a moment ago, surpass the obstacles. Not moving from each of them until they are done as they were meant to be. When you fulfill those requirements, I will mark your completion time by the exact moment you cross that finishing line over there." His friend concluded, pointing at a black and white mark found opposite from the starting line. "That's pretty much it. Any questions?"

He tried to think of any, but try as he might, nothing came to him. For all his wariness about it, Izuku couldn't deny that the essence of this exercise was very basic and wasn't that hard to understand, regardless of how difficult it could or not be in practice.

With that in mind, he shook his head at his friend's inquiry. "No, I don't have any."

Nodding in acceptance, Enoshima spoke. "Alrighty, then get into position and wait for the signal."

Doing as told, Izuku walked up to the starting mark, not stopping until landing just behind it. Bending down while getting into a sprinter position, Izuku readied his ears in wait for the very moment at which Enoshima finished the countdown.

"Time is on! Go!"

Eh?

Far from being the countdown he was expecting, Enoshima's announcement threw him for a loop. As such, rather than bidding by the sudden command, Izuku snapped his head in Enoshima's direction, an expression full of surprise and disbelief on his face contrasting the slight amusement on her features.

"Sorry, Zuzu, but here's another piece of advice coming straight outta Enoshima's well of wisdom: A hero ain't gonna get a proper signal to spring into action!"

He let out a small gasp as her words resonated within him. After all, his brain couldn't disagree. Enoshima had a point and a very important one at that.

Once again, I underestimated what was at stake in the training Enoshima prepared for me…I need to stop letting my guard down like that!

Not wanting to let his stupor ruin his record worse than it was already doing, Izuku gave Enoshima a sharp nod before rushing into action.

In the beginning, keeping his focus steeled bore its fruits. Not so long after he crossed the starting line, he found himself with the first obstacle. That being a bunch of tires ordered in a zig-zag order.

Izuku began by planting his sole inside the first of them. Then with a tad bit of caution, as the last thing he wanted was to begin with a miserable failure, he launched his other feet onto the next tire, and so on he proceeded with each one of them.

When he finally landed past all the tires and was once again on clear grounds, Izuku controlled himself from wasting time celebrating his accomplishment, however small as it was.

Instead, he moved forward into the next section.

Not far from the previous tires, he was met with that large grey pipe. It was the one he already saw when he followed Enoshima to the warehouse for the first time.

Already knowing what had to be done, Izuku came to a halt the moment he stood mere inches away from the gigantic tube. Following that, he quickly put himself to the task of crawling inside the pipe and following the light from the other side of the tunnel.

His elbows stung by the end of it, in no small amount thanks to the ground being nothing but concrete. However, it wasn't anything he hadn't already dealt with before so Izuku didn't bother to complain about it.

If anything, with two obstacles cleared without a hitch, Izuku couldn't prevent some hope from swelling inside him. With his mind quickly into far more optimistic thoughts than those he began with.

Could it be that I truly am ready for this?

He should've known.

Known better than to jinx when he already chided himself about it a few moments ago.

Sooner than he would've liked to, the constant shifts between climbing, crouching, hanging, and jumping took its toll upon his untrained body. The same applying to his confidence that was swiftly and surely fading away with each anguishing moment.

It didn't help at all that following the first two obstacles, the difficulty shot up at such a sudden degree that Izuku simply wasn't ready for it. Hanging through monkey bars, climbing walls, either solid ones or made with ropes, among all other stuff that was already physically demanding on its own.

If that wasn't already bad enough, Enoshima's conditioning about not moving further from each obstacle until properly clearing it wasn't making things a walk in the park either.

At some point, it became too much that Izuku didn't even bother to count how many times he failed in each of them. Especially for the last one.

The laser cage, or as Enoshima dubbed it with a wood signal above it, the laser 'Funhouse'.

It wasn't as elaborate as it might sound, but that didn't make it any less of a nightmare to go through.

The gist of it was that consisted of a rectangular structure filled with ropes in all sorts of directions, obviously working as a replacement for the real lasers. The objective, also written in a wooden sign, was to cross the obstacle without being touched by said ropes.

Not even once.

While that in itself was already difficult on its own, it wasn't like Izuku could call it quits and move on to whatever followed it after a certain number of attempts. No sir, every time he failed to fulfill the clearing condition of this obstacle, he had to go all over it from the very beginning, no matter how close to reaching the goal he might be.

Basically, out of all the sequences, this one abused the most of Enoshima's golden rule.

By some miracle Izuku was certain he won't be so lucky to replicate ever again, he eventually managed to get out from that tangle of faux lasers. Still, if it weren't because he could see the black and white mark near of where he was, Izuku was certain he would've collapsed only to never move again.

As such, with ragged breaths, full of bruises, and almost failing on his knees with every step, Izuku put in one last-second wind until reaching the finishing goal. And it wasn't until he heard the whistle that signaled the end of the exercise, that Izuku gave up on his legs and fell on his belly.

Although for all good it could have been to accomplish that, by the time he did so, Izuku was greeted by an Enoshima whose expression, while not pitying or, heavens forbid, disappointed 'I don't think I could've endured her looking at me like that…', it certainly was solemn.

"Completion time…three hours, forty-two minutes, and eleven seconds…"

Any will to still look up vanished upon hearing that, and so he buried his head on the floor when the shame became too much.

Some delusional part of him wanted to believe Enoshima wasn't telling the truth, that she was making him hear that dreadful announcement for the sake of some elaborate and cruel ploy she designed with the purpose of tormenting and discouraging him from going through his goal of becoming a hero.

Leaving aside the ridiculousness of such claims and the underserved accusation it carried, the orangish glow from the sun beginning to set was the definitive proof that no, Enoshima wasn't making anything up.

Izuku performed that terribly at the exercise.

He didn't know for how long he kept himself like that, drowning on his own misery as he refused to part his face from the ground. By the time he began to hear footsteps approaching his way, Izuku was already feeling that the tears trailing down his cheeks were dropping and tainting that same concrete.

Yet, he continued to reject any offer his brain gave about looking up and face Enoshima. He…Izuku just couldn't. After all, how could he face her following that pathetic demonstration?

How could Izuku look Enoshima eye to eye when after everything she had done for him, after all the promises he assured her, he only reciprocated her efforts with failure after failure?

He couldn't. Izuku wasn't worthy of his friend's favor. Much as it would hurt him to admit this, it was obvious Izuku didn't have what it took for this. He should apologize for wasting Enoshima's precious time and―

Whatever other self-depreciation thoughts were about to come from the most miserable corner of his mind, they met an abrupt end when he felt something soft touch the corner of his chin.

While that wasn't enough to make him look up, it was for his curiosity to get the better of him, give a side glance to see what was the source of such warm, and for him to notice that the entrancing feeling came from an effeminate hand caressing his chin.

He knew that hand, and as such, he was unable to not squeak out its owner's name.

"E-Enoshima?"

At first, she didn't say a thing. Apparently more comfortable in continuing with her caressing. Something that, deep inside and hidden between the misery and despair, Izuku was fervently enjoying.

Eventually, though, the stroking came to an end, with Enoshima using that same hand to finally bring his face up to face her. As soon as she did that though, Izuku wasted no time in averting his eyes. While the shame of showing his currently miserable state was enough of a reason, the guilt that was eating him from the inside out was far from gone.

Not like that derailed his friend from speaking with a soft voice that was doing nothing but soothing him into blissful comfort.

"Humans…they are simple creatures that can't help being shaped by outside factors, y'know?"

"…"

"Sure, every single brain is already born coded to work under a pattern, and it's true that too can be imitable by another individual if they are talented enough. However, imitate isn't the same as replicate."

Izuku didn't say anything to that, but the way his eyes were finally faltering on her person, even if only momentarily so, was enough of a sign to indicate he was paying attention.

That prompted his friend to continue further, "At the end of it, a person gifted since birth in aspects like family, friends and even genetics, they would never understand what it is to be born in the pits of despair, the same way the opposite applies."

"Enoshima, why are you telling me this?" At long last, Izuku finally found the courage to speak up, if only to reinforce his self-depreciation. "Not only I don't get where are you going with that, but…but you saw it right? That was terrible, pathetic even. There's no other way around to describe how badly I did."

"Hmm, I can't deny that your performance was indeed even below average parameters."

Even his only friend in the entire world had admitted it.

He truly had no hope at all did he?

"However,"

Huh?

That objection alone put a momentary pause to his hesitation between looking or not at his friend, with Izuku's orbs finally centering on Enoshima for more than a second.

Almost as if noticing that mere gesture was a boon to her mood, her voice became livelier than before, "Considering this was the first time in your entire life going through any training, that wasn't as bad as you are making it out to be."

A choking sound of sorts came from his throat upon hearing that. Izuku would be the first to admit that his body screamed untrained, but hearing that white elephant finally being addressed was something he had hoped to never deal with.

Clearly, I was naïve about that too.

For that same reason, and after he calmed down from the initial shock, rather than feeling better about himself, Enoshima's words only prompted him to keep his spiral of despair with a dry and mirthless chuckle, "Isn't that the more reason to give up? I had years to put some, any effort to build up some condition in my body. No matter how you see it, that has no justification."

"Oh, but it has."

"…What?"

Rather than saying anything immediately, Enoshima removed her hand from his chin. Then, she put her arms around his armpits and while Izuku was debating whether to enter into a state of absolute stupor at the bold move or wondering what the heck was going on, he let out an involuntary gasp when Enoshima lifted him as if he was lighter than a feather.

"Enoshima!?" Understandably, that shocked him to the core. More so when the surprises didn't end there.

Again, rather than saying anything, Enoshima opted to do her own thing. This time around by giving moderate pats at his sportswear to clean it from the accumulated dust. Earning him a new wave of surprise and disbelief as his cheeks burned.

With how much care she was putting into it, there was this…motherly sensation in her movements. As if she was taking care of something precious to her rather than the absolute loser Izuku reaffirmed himself to be just minutes ago.

"Not all the fault of what transpired today is yours, Zuzu." Through different words, but Enoshima gave him the same reassurance from before, although the elaboration of what truly meant by that wasn't what Izuku could call comforting or pleasant to hear. "Rather, it was natural that through the years, your survival instincts led you to look for cognitive alternatives for your dream, instead of physical methods when you had someone like Bakugo around to disapprove through violence of those means at every chance available."

At that, Izuku couldn't prevent himself to look at Enoshima with mixed emotions.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, he had resigned to the idea that she will never see Kacchan in a positive light. Not like he could blame her, objectively speaking. However, the way she was bringing him now of all times…

"I don't think this is the moment to shift blame from something only I should be accounted for, Enoshima."

"This isn't about shifting blame, Zuzu. I am merely stating the truth. Grim and hard to swallow, but a truth nonetheless." Enoshima declared with a tad bit of force in her voice. "Didn't I talk a moment ago about how we are shaped by circumstances outside our control?"

"You did, but―"

"But what? You have known the guy almost since you have a memory, have you not? I know we have already talked about him not offering anything to the table, but now I need you to answer me this…has he or not always discouraged your attempts at making any progress towards your goal of becoming a hero?"

Honestly, something about this gave him a feeling of Deja-vu, which was understandable when one compares this topic with some of those brought upon just yesterday. Just like the previous day, even if Izuku opened his mouth to reply back at his friend's inquiry, he found himself unable to give any rebuttal.

The silence lingering between the two only made it easier for his consciousness to recall whatever memories between him and Kacchan it could, and eventually come to the conclusion that…concerningly enough, what he was remembering wasn't giving him any material to protest against Enoshima's accusation.

And for the umpteenth occasion ever since meeting her, Izuku wondered a single thing.

Had things between him and Kacchan truly deteriorated that badly?

"That silence answers my question, you know?" Enoshima said, a somber tone coming back to smear her cheerful features. "As a quirkless myself, I don't hafta be a genius to get a picture of how things are with everyone else. Kids, adults, strangers, classmates, professors, even the damn neighbor. You have heard your entire life from all those people that you can't, that it is ridiculous, impossible even. The mere fact that you have kept your dream alive for this long is a herculean feat worth of praise."

On one hand, the new perspective she was offering him did help a bit in making him feel better about himself. After all, not even he with all his pessimism, could deny that he had kept his dream strong until his encounter with All Might.

Quickly dismissing the conflicting emotions the reminder of the number one hero was causing him, he put himself to the task of musing about the other side of the coin.

And it was that, for all intents or purposes, he and Enoshima were similar in more ways than what Izuku could've recognized before.

The reveal about her being quirkless was still recent, which meant that Izuku hadn't digested its entire implications…at least not until she said all of that. Nevertheless, it brought into perspective the far from the small possibility of, for all that talk of protecting her from his own classmates, just like him, being quirkless had already brought Enoshima its fair share of problems before the two met.

Then, a thought hit him.

That's not all. The way she's ranting about this…

"Enoshima," Izuku began, as his mind formed a dreadful possibility that it only had occurred to him until now. "Has…something like that happened to you? I mean, believing in a dream only to have someone else opposing it?"

It was hard to imagine someone as amazing like his friend going through anything nearly as similar as what he had experienced. But again, Enoshima lacked a quirk, and no matter how much he can idolize her, that was a harsh reality that neither of them can deny or remove by any means.

Much to his misfortune, the answer Enoshima gave him wasn't what he wanted to hear, even if it was the one he expected.

"I have," Enoshima admitted, and it took all of Izuku to not gasp and interrupt her with a blur of apologies for daring to ask about the topic. "Not long before meeting you, I was working on my own dream. Actually, by that time I was this close to making it an absolute reality!" There was some clear fondness in the way he spoke about it, Izuku could see that. It quickly died though, in its place, and for the first time ever since knowing Enoshima, there was some genuine frustration, even if it was combined with this…something that Izuku couldn't place, "Just that close and then outta nowhere comes this guy and makes it all to crumb down to dust. Years of effort, planification, and sacrifice and he ruined it all in a pair of hours."

Izuku winced at hearing that.

True, that didn't sound like a one-by-one replica of his own circumstances…and yet, it was enough to still hit way too close to home for Izuku to not sympathize with Enoshima. The time invested into achieving your goals, and how it all could easily fall by the hands of someone else while being unable of doing anything to prevent it were concepts Izuku was familiar with.

"I'm sorry you went through all of that, Enoshima," Izuku said, a crestfallen expression on his face. "I couldn't even begin to imagine how that experience could make you feel."

Perhaps he could, but it would leave a bad taste in his mouth to make those kinds of assumptions.

"Oh, c'mon now, Zuzu. You're talking as if I have already given up on it." Enoshima waved off his concerns with a chuckle. "Yeah, I faced a blunder, but so what? I am sure this world will offer me plenty of opportunities to go for it once again."

Izuku was nothing short of relieved at hearing his friend was still holding her head high regardless of the detriment she faced. Although at this point, curiosity got the better of him, "That dream of yours, if you don't mind me asking…can you tell what it was, I mean, is?"

"I will, but not today. I will do so when you are ready, I promise you, Zuzu." Was his friend's response, along with a warm smile that made his heart flutter, even if the sentiment was only momentary as it was replaced by more contemplative thoughts.

He couldn't say that what Enoshima said was what he wanted to hear, but neither could he find in himself to be angry at the discretion. It was understandable, really. If it was something that took a hit as recently and as hard as she was implying, she had all the reasons in the world to clamp herself in regard to that subject.

In retrospect, that she had gone through something of affairs similar to his own should've been obvious to figure out. Or at least it should have been for him if he wasn't so busy lamenting about how miserable he was all this time.

If he wasn't so selfish to the degree of disregarding all of Enoshima's efforts at the first instance of hardship, whining like a toddler because things were going smoothly after she warned him this training was unlike anything he had faced before.

All of that made one thing certain. If he were to continue with this stunt of letting his own insecurities get the better of him while dragging Enoshima along, it will be a matter of time before she gets tired of dealing with him and decides that her efforts were better deserving somewhere else. Worst of all? She would be in her absolute right to do so. Even she has to have an end to her seemingly infinite patience.

No, he couldn't keep going like that, and it was too late to back down. The only thing he could do now that he was on this side of the road, was to reaffirm his convictions to her.

However, before Izuku could do that, and even though he wasn't deserving of it at this point, there was one thing he had to know.

"Enoshima."

"Hm?" His friend turned to him, her face a pillar of understanding even after all the trouble he had caused her.

"Please tell me, as objectively and impartially as possible, do you…do you truly believe I can go through this?" Was his question, meanwhile gesturing at the obstacle course behind him, even if he was referring to the entire ordeal in general.

That he didn't receive an immediate answer, did wonders for Izuku in reassuring him that Enoshima was thinking this through rather than giving him the first biased response she could bring out.

Entire minutes went by in absolute silence between the two, and it wasn't until the earliest signs of concern were gnawing at his heart, that he finally heard Enoshima finding her words one more time.

"It's just like I warned ya about the training program itself, this ain't gonna be easy, Zuzu." Enoshima began, a chiding tone in her voice that he certainly deserved at this point. "I can't promise ya there won't be occasions like this one ever again. Moments in which your faith in this training and yourself will falter, where the idea of giving up will run through your mind. They will come to haunt ya every now and then, more times than you could imagine even now."

"I…see…" It would be an absolute lie to say that Enoshima's foreboding words weren't scaring him, but worrisome as they might be, Izuku didn't have any complaint about them.

He understood that after facing reality like he did just minutes ago, he had to hear this.

"Today was your first taste of what awaits you here, so it's understandable it took such a toll on you as it did. Unfortunately, tomorrow, the day after, the day after that one, and so on, they will all be the same, perhaps even worse on some occasions." Despite her words, and no matter the circumstances, Izuku knew merciless wasn't a trait that described his friend. After swallowing this bitter pill, he found himself rewarded in the form of an encouraging smile touching Enoshima's lips. A smile that filled Izuku…with hope. "However, if you don't give up, if you fight tooth and nail to go with the training through the very end, no matter what might linger ahead. Then, I assure you Izuku, that what awaits you at the other end of the road will be worth the sacrifice."

"Enoshima…" Tears were already threatening to leak out of his eyes. This time around though, he fought them back, as what he was about to say required his utmost resolve along with a face that truly conveyed his feelings. "I know that today I started things on the wrong foot, but I promise…no, I swear to you that I won't disappoint you from here and now, this time for real!"

"Alright, I will hold you onto that, buddy." Before he could celebrate that though, his friend continued, "Additionally, and to prove to me that you really meant it, I want ya to, in thirty days from now, be able to complete the obstacle course in fifteen minutes!"

"Fifteen minutes!?" Izuku sputtered in disbelief. Realizing how did that sounded, he quickly shook his head as he attempted to correct himself. "That's…I-I mean, I will do my best to fulfill those expectations, it's just that…"

"You don't think it's possible, is that it?" Enoshima said with a knowing smile. That he didn't do anything beyond turning his lips into a thin line only made it grow wider. "How about I show ya I ain't messing around?"

"Eh?" Before he could say anything else, Izuku felt Enoshima pressing something down on his chest. Looking at it, he noticed it was the stopwatch she used to mark his record.

"I already put its counter back to zero. Just press the big button whenever ya want me to begin." Enoshima said as she strolled towards the starting line as if anything of this was making any sense.

Although still overwhelmed by what is and was about to happen, Izuku knew that the least Enoshima deserved was for him to trust she knew what she was doing. With that in mind, he followed her at a safe distance away from the course.

Besides, part of him could admit he was curious about how well she would do in comparison to him. Unlike Izuku, Enoshima did give the feeling of being in form.

Once he made sure both were as ready as they could, Izuku prepared to count down to the three. Only, he remembered how did her friend opted for the element of surprise instead.

Could it be that she wanted him to do the same?

…

"…Time is on! Go!" Pressing the start button with more force than required, Izuku exclaimed the same words Enoshima told him during his own attempt.

Unlike him though, she wasn't caught off-guard by that. Instead, as soon the words left his mouth, Enoshima sprinted in the direction of the tires.

If Izuku doubted for a moment that Enoshima would do at least any better than him, such hesitation died once he saw her performance on the first obstacle.

Whereas he took brief but meaningful pauses on each tire so as to not get his feet stuck or trip in the middle of his march, Enoshima didn't hesitate for even a moment. On each step, she only planted her soles within the tires by such a minuscular fraction of a second that it almost seemed she was floating through the entire section.

Then, during the tunnel obstacle, rather than stopping herself to properly get through it, she took advantage of her own momentum to launch herself at it! Unsurprisingly, that allowed her to complete that one way faster than him. What was worth some brow-raising though, was that she wasn't looking the slightest bit of agitated even after pulling that stunt.

And, well, it was the exact result for every other section.

When it came to the monkey bars, she had enough arm strength not only to complete it without a hitch but also to skip a few handlers which decreased her completion time by a considerable margin. Even as she went through a ramp and found herself facing a bunch of vertically-placed logs standing between her and the ramp on the other side, rather than stumbling in any of those platforms and falling on her rearguard like he did more times than he would have liked to remember, for Enoshima it was as if she was playing hopscotch, with her swiftly jumping from log to log as if she was some sort of ninja.

No matter how exhausting or hard an obstacle should have been to her, be it balancing through a tight rope or climbing a plain wall that required you to gain some velocity beforehand to reach its edge, not even once she hesitated or stopped for the sake of taking a break. By all means, her performance surpassed his already high expectations to the point that if someone were to tell him Enoshima was the Ultimate Gymnast, he would've easily bought it.

However, by the time she was about go through the laser cage, even Izuku had doubts about how well she would do. After all, out of all the obstacles, this one was the hardest.

Of course, he should've known the concern was unnecessary.

With a dive of all things, Enoshima entered the funhouse, and from there onwards she made use of her rather…impressive flexibility to maneuver through the entire ordeal. Although at times it looked like she was about to graze through one of the 'lasers', just the right adjustment of either a leg or an arm, be it stretching, raising, or lowering them, was all she required to correctly reposition herself and avoid failing the obstacle.

With a seemingly unnatural precision, she made her way evading rope after rope, almost as if she already had memorized where everything was.

As if the cherry atop the cake, Enoshima came out of it with a flip jump, swirling midair twice before landing on her two feet. Even going as far as l doing a victory pose with her arms launched in the air as if basking in the praises of a crowd only she could see.

However, she only spent a few moments doing that. Focusing back on the track, she made her way through what was left of the course until, finally, she crossed the finishing line. With a frantic smile plastered on her face that didn't leave her ever since the very beginning of the obstacle course.

It was mere luck that his thumb didn't fail to press the pause button on time. The rest of his body was frozen in absolute stupefaction, with his mouth hanging open to a degree that someone might worry about the possibility of a fly getting in his mouth.

"So, what's my time?" Enoshima asked.

With her voice bringing him out of his daze, Izuku did as told…only for his eyes to almost drop out of their pockets at what he saw.

"Eleven…eleven minutes with fifty-two seconds…" A quick math revealed an uncomfortable truth about that reveal.

Twenty.

Enoshima performed twenty times better than he did.

That's just how far the difference between the two reached was.

Izuku hated himself for it, more so after the conversation he already had with Enoshima some minutes ago, but even if he didn't dare to feel something like envy towards the person who has brought so much good into his life, he could feel how his usually low self-esteem was already crawling with problematic thoughts.

Do my promises hold any value with such a large gap?

Am I truly that inadequate at this?

Perhaps Enoshima should be the one aiming―

"Hey hey, I know that face and tone of voice."

"Huh?"

"That demonstration wasn't meant to discourage you," Enoshima chided with a frown, and Izuku didn't doubt she already figured out what was going through his mind. "Rather, it's nothing but the definitive proof that if I can do it, you can as well!"

"I…"

"I am as quirkless are you are, remember? My body doesn't holds something like a body enhancement or anything similar for that matter that could make it impossible for you to do the same."

That…that was true, Izuku could admit. Enoshima was good, there was no doubt about it, but she was more among the lines of a pre-quirk era Olympics athlete in terms of good rather than, let's say, The Rabbit Hero Mirko.

When making the comparison between the two, the difference was as big, if not larger than how it currently was between him and Enoshima.

Although the talent she was born with…No, I shouldn't think like that. The training schedule she prepared for me obviously was designed with that in consideration while still being a golden ticket to get into U.A.

After considering for a good minute, Izuku was beginning to feel how the tension was leaving his body. It was just like he already told himself, he wasn't going to reach his peak condition from one day to another. He had to build up muscles, planning beforehand the most optimal path to clearing the obstacles, among whole lists of details he had to deal with. Whether he likes it or not, that was going to take time.

I-Island wasn't built in a single day, wasn't that how the saying goes?

Still, I really need to stop having moments like these.

He will have to reflect on how to deal with his constant shifting of attitudes between acting self-depreciative and resolved. Izuku himself was self-aware enough to notice that a great number of his problems originated from that alone.

But that will have to wait once back home. Now there was something of greater urgency to deal with.

"When you put it like that, it truly seems like I was throwing the towel far too quickly." Izuku admitted with a reflective voice. Then he looked up at his friend, an optimistic expression far from the previous gloominess on his face. "However, so long as I give it my all, the expectations you have put on me will become true!"

"'Course they will be!" Enoshima cheered as she patted him on the back, much to his embarrassment. "Sure, I have the edge of spending half my life living on the streets to build this rocking body, but I'm confident that with proper effort and dedication, you can get there and even surpass me."

"Yeah!" Izuku gave her an enthusiastic nod in agreement.

Only for his blood to run cold the very next moment at the nuclear magnitude bombshell Enoshima just dropped.

A nervous laugh escaped his lips. Nevertheless, the way he made his next inquiry was filled with nothing but caution. "…I think I didn't hear you right, Enoshima, what was that about the streets?"

For her part, Enoshima was content with doing nothing much other than blinking slowly as she observed him. Then she tilted her head in a cutesy way that didn't match what she said next, "Ah, didn't I tell ya? I was homeless most of my childhood and some extra years."

Homeless…?

No matter how he wrapped his head around it, Izuku couldn't see his friend in a situation like that. Honestly, ashamed as might be about it now, he imagined her living in a mansion with a life full of luxuries, her family being CEOs of some important company or maybe influential politicians, and…heck, the idea that Enoshima might be some sort of model had crossed his mind on more than one occasion!

But that was the thing, wasn't it? How could he be capable of beginning to figure out what was the truth when despite how fond he has grown of Enoshima…Izuku knew next to nothing about her.

It is time, isn't it?

He had delayed this conversation enough, and if he didn't act now, it was just a matter of when before he stepped blindly on a landmine that could potentially harm his friendship with his only friend.

Before opening his mouth again though, he took some deep breaths with the intent of calming his nerves. The last thing he wanted was for his psyche to get the better of him and begin sputtering apologies and the like.

He might not know her that well apparently, but even under these circumstances he could see that receiving pity for a lifestyle Izuku had the barest idea of and that molded her into the incredible person she was today would be nothing short of an insult.

As such, he decided to begin with the first positive thought to occurred him.

"Going through something like that…You truly are something else, Enoshima." Izuku said with no small amount of admiration.

"Oh? That reaction was far different than what I expected." Enoshima admitted, with her brows slightly raised cementing her surprise.

"Y-Yeah, I just figured that you had dealt enough with the hysteric Izuku already." He tried to joke. And while he was glad that earned him a brief amused snort from her, he had to remind himself what was the point of this conversation, "Um, Enoshima. I was wondering…"

"Hm?"

"Could you tell me about yourself?" That came out faster than he would've wanted to, but at least he managed to say it. Now all that was left was to press forward. "I just realized that I know so little, and it doesn't sit well with me to leave things like that when you have already done so much for me. I won't force you to say anything, of course! But I would be glad if you shared even the tiniest of details."

Izuku waited with a held breath as Enoshima began to internally debate whether to concede to his request or not. At least it seemed she was doing that with her pensive face and how she was holding a finger on her chin.

"Yeah, sounds fair." To his infinite relief, Enoshima's response was a positive one. "I can't make such a reveal and then leave ya hangin' on, can I?"

He didn't know how to reply to that, so he merely gave her a shrug and a grateful smile.

Deep inside though, he was filled with a sense of anticipation. He knew this was a big deal. What little had already learned from her all but assured him that Enoshima wasn't someone who went around talking about her, at least not for the most personal details of her life.

And yet she was willing to share them with him! How can that mean anything else other than her considering Izuku worthy of gifting him such a valuable token of her appreciation?

There was only one way of showing his thanks for this.

Eagerly readying his ears, he prepared to capture everything Enoshima had to say.

"Hmmm, where do I begin…Ah, I know!" Enoshima exclaimed with the snap of a finger. "Hey, Zuzu. Let's find a seat, yes? This might take a while."

"Huh? Alright then," Trailing his eyes around, they eventually landed in what happened to be the best spot available in the vicinity. "How about that tube from the obstacle course? It's large enough to fit both of us but not tall enough to impede us from sitting comfortably. It should be fine, right?"

After receiving her approval, both of them went to sit there, with Enoshima energetically dangling feet up and down, and him being careful of resting at a respectable distance away from her.

And then, with nothing around to act as an impediment, Enoshima began.

"Let's start with the day I was born…"

The talk he had with Enoshima that day was…enlightening. Yeah, that was the word that best fitted it considering it resolved most of the inquiries he had about her.

Enlightening.

However, Izuku couldn't even begin to count on how many occasions he was this close to offering apologies in the name of…he didn't even know for whose name he should even begin to apologize for. The series of events that Enoshimma presented him simply were that…grim, as if the entire world had as a personal goal to make her life as miserable as possible since the day she was born, and what he had gone through was mere child's play.

It almost got to the point of making him wonder if either she was making it up, or if that cheerfulness Enoshima carried herself with was nothing but a mask. Of course, even if such thoughts occurred to him, he never took them seriously.

How could he after everything she had done for him?

There's no way someone who has offered me this much in exchange for too little and has been nothing but good to me could be hiding a dark and sinister side of sorts, or something just as ridiculous.

However, not everything was gloom and doom. If anything, one could say that day carried some sort of a good omen for him.

The following days were by no small margin the best of his life. Just as he suspected, having heard her story was the next step in the development of their friendship. From that day on, their interactions became more proactive. Even better, it was something both of them reciprocated. They shared histories, laughed, and even hung out whenever the occasion allowed it. His awkwardness around Enoshima decreased with the passage of time too, and the occasions in which he became a stuttering mess occurred only whenever Enoshima's teasing became too much.

Like when she finally visited him and his mom.

By all means, that occasion couldn't have gone any better than it did, but that didn't quit him from wishing it hadn't involved dealing with a two-front-teasing effort courtesy of her mother and Enoshima.

When it came to training, just as Enoshima suggested, each passing day was what could have been considered unfairly taxing, requiring nothing less than everything out of him to make it through. However, the results it yielded were as plentiful as it was demanding. Just halfway through the time limit to complete the obstacle course, and Izuku was noticing the changes that the training was causing him. With how his body rapidly began to take shape, and even the earliest signs of abs developing began to show!

All in all, in just a pair of weeks, Izuku reached a level of happiness and fulfillment he would've never hoped to achieve without meeting Enoshima. And with how much joy he was accumulating, Izuku began to wonder if it was all too good to be true.

He will forever curse being up to something in regard to that.

Obviously, that came from the place that, not even once, had brought him a single positive memory.

Aldera Junior High.

"May I have your attention class?"

Izuku along with the rest of his classmates, looked up at their professor. Either genuinely wondering what could he want or not wanting to stand out under his gaze.

When he noticed he had the whole class's eyes on him, he spoke up, "I know this might be a bit sudden, but most members of the faculty, including me, have been tasked to attend a meeting in regard to the educational material for the upcoming semester. It is likely you will have the next two periods free." Before people could begin to celebrate that, he raised his hand. "I suggest spending this time wisely. Either use it for a study session or to finish any pending assignments you might have. Is that understood?"

Several heads nodded.

"Good. Don't make a ruckus while I am gone." Seemingly satisfied, his professor left without waiting for a response.

There were some moments of silence following his departure. More or less at the minute mark, one of his classmates left his seat to look through the window.

"Oi, the teach's truly gone!" He eventually announced.

Sure enough, that prompted the class to begin a ruckus.

As for Izuku? He didn't have any subject that required immediate revision. Besides, he highly doubted he could concentrate under the noise his classmates were making, which also meant that even if he had any pending homework, which he hadn't, trying to make any progress here would've been just as fruitless of an endeavor. Basically, there wasn't anything, in particular, he could busy himself with for the upcoming two periods.

Well…there was one thing he could do.

Bringing his backpack up to his lap. he reached for its contents until his hand landed on what he was looking for. Before picking that up though, he threw a cautious glance to the sides, making sure no one was paying any interest. After confirming the coast was clear, and with double the wariness from before, he looked ahead of him, in Kacchan's direction, with the red-eyed boy busying himself with a notebook of his own.

It's been two weeks and through the entire time, he has practically acted as if I don't exist. Perhaps…maybe if I am discrete about it, he will continue to ignore it?

…

Without wasting any time, Izuku hurried to bring a black and white notebook out of his backpack. A fond smile growing the moment he saw its cover.

Junko Enoshima's Despairful Road to Heroism.

Despite the name, Izuku couldn't deny he had grown attached to the notebook, enough to consider it his most valuable possession. How could he not? It was the first present someone outside his family had offered him. It came from his best friend of all people, and it had poured into it who knows how much effort for the sake of helping him achieve his dream.

By all means, it was the best thing anyone could have ever gift him!

Not only that though, but it was just as useful.

Just flicking it open at any random page was enough to be met with an encyclopedia's worth of information. That wasn't the same as saying he was looking at walls upon walls of intel though. Rather, every piece of advice, schedule, and diet recommendation within it was neatly organized to bring the best out of him in every single aspect.

It was to the point that Izuku couldn't bring himself to worry about it being enough. Whether it was or not, Izuku was confident that nowhere else he will find something that could offer him higher chances of passing the admission exam into U.A.

And that was saying something, considering his records of hesitation and self-doubt.

Although, for all good it already was, not everything was as informative as he would've wished.

Admittedly, he still hasn't figured out what these 'Transition Phases' that show up every thirty or so pages mean, as they lacked any details beyond that name. His only clue was that they were the trials he will have to go through so he could move on to the next stages of the training, just like Enoshima said. But what he will have to do when the time to face them comes, remains an absolute mystery. At this point, he could only assume that―

"Oi, Deku."

His warm chirpiness froze like a tundra, and the hair in every part of Izuku's body stood up upon hearing that voice. A voice that Izuku hadn't heard addressed him in quite a while.

Until now that is.

Looking up, his worst fears were confirmed. With his hands between his pockets, and his eyes intently staring down at him, Kacchan was standing just in front of him.

"K-Kacchan, what…what do you want?"

"Hmph, I was just wondering if that bitch…" Before he could begin to figure out why the renewed interest in interacting with him, all of Izuku's instincts screamed at him when Kacchan's gaze sharpened, with his eyes locking nowhere else other than his notebook.

Crap! I need to…!

But it was too late, before he could hide it from him, the ashen-blonde beat him to it, snatching the training schedule from his hands.

"W-Wait, Kacchan! That's―"

"Shut the fuck up, nerd!" Kacchan snarled, halting Izuku in his tracks when he launched a warning explosion that caressed his face enough to feel the heat coming from it. Then, he shifted his attention one more time to the notebook, giving it a curious look over.

Only for his eyes to widen when he noticed the cover's title.

Oh no…

"Junko Enoshima's despairful road to heroism…" Kacchan read out loud, enough to gather the rest of the class's attention, and with his face twisting further into barely contained fury and disgust with each word that came out of his own mouth. Then, sending him the harshest glare Izuku could account for his entire life knowing him, the ashen-blonde addressed Izuku, his voice full of venom as he spoke. "You fucking piece of trash, you haven't given up on that shitty dream of yours, have you?"

At that, Izuku could only give an audible gulp. All the while, a sense of dread about what was to come churned in his stomach.