The lunch bell rang soon after, and everyone started to head out. Izuku went to join Tsu when he felt a tug on his sleeve; turning, he saw it was Ochaco.
"Um. Hey, Izuku, would you mind hanging back a minute." She said, fidgeting nervously. "I NEED to talk to you, and it's kind of private."
"Of course, Ochaco." He said, "Go on without me, but save me a seat!" Tsu gave him a questioning look but nodded as she headed off with Kyoka and Toru. Once the room was clear, he was confident that no one was hanging back. "Is everything all right?"
"No, but yes, but it's confusing." She said her anxiety was building. "Are you and Tsu dating?"
Izuku breathed, "Yes, we are; it happened over the weekend."
"Oh…I guessed as much; I saw the two of you this morning holding hands and stuff. Can I ask how it happened?" she said, staring at the floor.
"We had met once a long time ago when we were five; it greatly impacted me. I was very surprised when I saw her here; then we realized it at the USJ with all the chaos. She came over, we talked, and confessed that we both had feelings for each other."
"I never stood a chance then, huh," she said."
"What?" he said; he couldn't keep his voice from sounding shocked.
"I have had a crush on you, Izuku, since the entrance exam. I know I shouldn't say anything, but I just wanted to tell you. I am not trying to make you choose between Tsu and me; I didn't want to hold onto my feelings and mess up our friendship. I still want to be friends with you; you are an amazing guy, and that speech you gave after All-Might's news conference was great. But I didn't want to keep this all inside and run the risk of ruining everything. Can I ask one thing?"
"Sure," he said, slightly stunned from being confessed to for the second time in just a few days. He felt bad that she felt that way if he was honest with himself and he didn't have his connection with Tsu or had never met her till U.A. Ohcaco was nice and the kind of girl he could fall for, but his heart already belonged to Tsu, and honestly none could compare to her.
"I wanted to hug you when I saw you were okay this morning. I was really worried about you after the USJ, but I didn't know if you were okay and stuff," he could see her wiping away tears.
He stepped forward and pulled her in for a tight hug, "I am okay, Ochaco. And I am sorry that I can't return your feelings, and I hope we can still be friends; you are the first real friend I have ever had, and I would hate to lose you."
Ochaco was surprised by his gesture; as his words drifted to her ears, it reaffirmed how great of a person she thought he was. "I promise I will always be your friend, and I want to be friends with Tsu, but it will take time; feelings just don't disappear."
"No, they don't, Ochaco, but we have time to work it all out."
She stepped back from the embrace and gave him a small smile. "Now, let's go to lunch before I get you in trouble with your girlfriend, or Mina and Toru start to gossip more than they already have." She lightly punched his arm. "That was a good speech today; it got me fired up for the Sports Festival. I want to do my best." She grabbed her bag so they could leave.
"I never asked why you want to be a hero?" he said, following her lead.
She blushed and fidgeted, "You will probably think less of me, but it's for the money."
"The money?" he said; Ochaco didn't strike him as materialistic, so he was confused.
"I want to help people and be a role model as well, but my parents run a small construction company, and things have always been tight; they wouldn't let me help at the jobs or even go to school so I could get licensed to do so."
"Right with your quirk, the need for heavy equipment would be almost nothing, and you could save them so much money!" he said, smacking his fist into his palm.
"Exactly!" she said excitedly, "But they wouldn't have it; they wanted me to chase my dream of being a hero, even now with tuition and books; they even got me a small apartment to live in because I live so far away, I couldn't commute. They have and are sacrificing so much for me that I want to take care of them so they don't have to work anymore; my big dream is to send them on a vacation to Hawaii."
"That is awesome, Ochaco," he said. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to earn money to take care of those we love. I want to save everyone I can with a smile, but I also want to take care of my mom so she can relax. As long as you aren't just motivated to make all the money and horde it like a dragon or something."
"FEAR THE DREADED DRAGON OCHACO!" She snarled, contorting her face; Izuku was stunned. They just stopped moving and were looking at each other and busted into laughter as they turned the corner to enter the cafeteria. People turned and looked at the two cackling like a pair of crazy people. "But let's do our best, Izuku; I want to meet you in the finals so the world knows WE ARE HERE!"
"Sounds good, but I must face the Dragon Ochaco; I am out. It is not worth my life." The two started laughing again as they went to collect their lunch.
-The Girls of 1-A-
The trio started walking down the hall, but Kyoka noticed the look Tsu had given Izuku, and on the way out, her curiosity was running wild. Thankfully, the art of distraction was provided by Toru and Mina, who had joined them.
"I wonder if there is a love confession going on?" Mina said coily, wiggling her eyebrows.
"That would be sweet, but to do it in the classroom?" Toru said. "I was always liked behind the gym or some other secluded spot."
"Just how many love confessions have you given?" Kyoka said, earning a giggle from Momo.
"Two," Toru answered quickly, "The first one was terrible, like evacuating the city; the second one went well. We dated for like two months, but he wasn't who I thought he was, so I bumped him."
"Harsh girl," Mina said. "I have only given one, but it was like the first year of middle school, so it didn't count."
"Don't look over here," Kyoka said, putting her hands up.
"I never went to school until now, so I have never given or received a love confession," Momo said. "Do you think that Ochaco is confessing to Izuku?"
"Everyone has a type," Mina said. "He is kind of plain, but he seems nice."
Kyoka saw Tsu's eyebrow twitch. "What about you, Tsu?" she said, nudging the frog girl.
"I have only confessed to one person, Kero," she said. "And he is my boyfriend, so I guess I am one-for-one."
"Wait!" Mina said, shocked. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Yes, and he is all mine!" she said.
Kyoka quickly figured out that 2+2 Potato. "And if someone else was doing the same thing right now?"
"I know he is faithful," she said with a smirk.
"Wait, Tsu," Momo said suddenly. "Are you and Izuku dating?"
"No WAY!" Mina added.
"Shut the front door," Toru said, halting her step in shock.
"Yup," Tsu said casually.
"When did this happen?" Kyoka asked her friend.
"This weekend, on Saturday to be exact, we went on a date Sunday, and it was great," Tsu said wistfully. "We met once when we were five, and I could never get him out of my head. I thought he didn't remember, but then he said something at the USJ, and then one thing led to another."
"You? And Midoriya?" Mina said as they entered the cafeteria.
Tsu just laughed as she grabbed a tray. "Yes, me and Izuku." Kyoka knew there was something more but didn't want to bring it up with the present company.
Once they sat down with their food, Mina and Toru leaned in, "Ok, give us all the details."
Tsu blushed, "So I talked to him on Friday night, and I think he was on painkillers or something because he was a little loopy. I asked him how long he knew I was the girl from the river where we first met, and he told me he knew the first day and that he could never forget because I was too beautiful. I thought I was hearing things, and then he said it again."
"AWE!" the girls said in unison. "His mom invited me and my mom over so I could share that piece of cake with him; I know it was silly, but if I could do that, I felt everything would be okay. So we went over there and asked him if he meant it. He said it was all true and that he had always thought about me since that day when we were kids, and he showed me pictures he drew." Tsu looked off for a minute. "He then said, "No other girl or woman he had ever seen was as beautiful as me, " and then I kissed him."
"You kissed him," Kyoka said, maybe a little loud. "Right then and there?"
"Yes," she said, blushing, looking down. "We may have gotten caught by our moms."
This caused the girls to burst out into laughter. Soon, congratulations were being thrown around as they settled into asking Tsu about their date on Sunday. When the Ochaco and Izuku entered, their laughter drew attention, but the two didn't notice before grabbing their food.
Ochaco came and sat at the table with the girls as Izuku was forced to sit with some of the guys from class. "Did I miss anything?" she said, taking her seat.
"Tsu and Izuku are dating," Mina said proudly.
"Yeah, he told me in the classroom, but I had already figured it out." She said, taking a bit of her food. "I saw her kiss his cheek this morning before school, and they held hands."
"So, what did you want to talk to him about," Toru asked.
"I wanted to make sure that he was okay. I was really worried about him after the USJ." She said. "I am happy for you, Tsu; he is a great person."
"Thank you, Ochaco," Tsu said. "I know you two are friends; I hope we can also be friends."
"I would like that," Ochaco said.
-The Boys of 1-A-
"Sit with us, Izuku," Mineta called as Ochaco took the last seat with the girls. Izuku smiled and took a seat. "Glad to see that you are doing good."
"Yeah, man, that was some manly stuff at the USJ," Eijiro said.
"Hey Izuku, what black stuff you fired to yank that hand guy around?" Sero added.
"I don't know," he said. "It just happened," he rolled his sleeve to show them the scars. "I haven't tried to do it again; Recovery Girl can be super scary."
"Midoriya," Fumikage said, calling his attention. "I wanted to thank you for your speech after All-Might's announcement. I like it; I am sure most of the others hold All-Might in high regard, and the news of his stepping back was quite unexpected and troublesome, especially after the USJ. But I found your words inspiring and helped refocus my mind."
"I agree with Fumi," Mezo said. "Good job saying what was needed."
"Yes, as our classmates have said, you did a great job lifting the class's spirits, my friend," Ida added with a broad smile. "Your words were quite passionate and inspiring."
"Thank you, everyone; I want you all to know I meant it. I want us all to do our best at the sports festival." He said, smiling.
"I have to ask a question," Mineta said. "What was your obsession with cake at the USJ? And why was Tsu talking about it?"
"Well…you see…," Izuku fidgeted nervously. "We had gone to a café that morning, and the waitress just slipped in…and we said we would share it later. Then, after the USJ, it was like a symbol that everything would be ok." He blushed as he explained.
"That sounds like something you would do with a girl you like…yo wait, do you like Tsu?" Denki, who had been silent, suddenly asked.
"Yeah," he said, looking down.
"Whoa, he admitted it!" Sero said.
"Manly," Eijiro added.
"While matters of the heart are important, do not let it distract from your heroic pursuits," Tenya said, adjusting his glasses.
"She may already be spoken for," Fumi said. "I must admit I found her quite striking once my gaze filled her visage; she is quite the fair maiden. But she informed me as we headed to the observation room that she had her eye on someone."
"She shot him down very fast!" Dark Shadow said, popping out and patting Fumi on the back.
"Well, I think you should go for it," Mineta said, taking some of his food. "The two of you inspired me at the USJ, and you have that whole cake thing; you should use that to ask her out on a date."
"Bro, I thought you would be all jealous and shit," Denki teased his friend.
"I am," Mineta said. "But I forgot what it was to try and be a hero. Tsu and Izuku reminded me of that. I am sorry, Izuku, for how I acted."
"As long as you keep trying, Mineta, I would happily call you a friend." He said before blushing more. "And well…we have already shared the cake and are now a couple…."
The table erupted as they started firing questions quickly at Izuku. Fumi looked a little sad, but he congratulated him. Izuku did his best to answer the questions by painting a hasty picture of the weekend's events. However, he did blush and stutter some when admitting to the fact that they had already kissed. That turned into Sero, Mineta, and Denki teasing him. As it happened, he couldn't help but smile as it wasn't like Aldera; there was no malicious intent behind it; it was all in good fun.
"Yo, what happens if you two have to fight at the Sports Festival?" Denki said as they cleared their trays.
"I won't like it," Izuku said. "But we all are striving to do our very best, and this isn't just for getting noticed; we are sending a message, right?" he looked at the others.
"Right," Eijiro said. "WE ARE HERE!"
"Correct, this is now about more than just trying to attract the attention of pro heroes. This is about showing everyone what we got," Tenya said, patting Izuku on the back.
"After the USJ, I would much rather battle you guys than those villains again." Mineta shuddered at the thought. "You guys are just trying to beat me up; they were trying to do much worse things than that."
"Yeah, except if you fight Bakugo, but he just seems like he wants to beat everyone," Sero added.
"I look forward to the opportunity," Mezo said, surprising everyone. "Despite his attitude, his quirk is very strong. If I could put up a good fight and maybe even win, that would help show the pros and the world. That we are here."
"I just hope I can avoid him, Todoroki, and you, Fumi, in the first round," Denki said.
"Me?" Fumi responded, a little off guard.
"You are quite strong, Fumikage," Tenya said. "It would be a daunting task between you and Dark Shadow."
"That's right, Fumi and I will take the whole thing!" Dark Shadow said, raising his and Fumikage's arms in victory. Fumikage blushed as he attempted to lower his arms. As the boys walked towards the exit, the girls came over with Tsu walking up and slipping her arm around Izuku's waist.
The outburst of teasing from the assembled groups soon turned into laughter as they returned to class for the afternoon session.
-Declarations of War-
With the signal of the end of the day, the class gathered their things and began to head towards the door. Ochaco opened the door to find the hallway full of students looking at them.
"Excuse me," she said. "Can we help you with something?"
"What is going on, Ochaco," Izuku said, walking up behind her. Seeing the assembled group, he gently touched her shoulder and pulled her behind him. "Your class 1-B," he said to one group before turning to the other, "I assume you are in the general studies course."
"What are they here for?" Ochaco asked.
"The Sports Festival," Izuku said calmly; he hadn't noticed that Bakugo came up and took a position on his right side.
"They are here to scout out the competition!" Bakugo growled.
"Yes, with all this talk of Class 1-A and their hogging of the spotlight, we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And I must say I am not impressed." A young man of average height with slick blond hair, which got shorter the further down his head, styled so that it's parted to the right, his bangs left hanging over his right eye. Periwinkle blue eyes, a contemptuous smirk, and a slight head tilt added to a look of disdain he was giving 1-A.
"Yeah, YOU THINK BECAUSE YOU BEAT UP SOME "D" LIST VILLAINS THAT YOU ARE ALL HOT SHITA young man with messy gray hair that reaches his chin and black eyes with thick, jagged tan eyelashes that tilt inwards.
"THIS MOTHER…" Bakugo didn't get to finish that statement as Izuku turned to him.
"Give me a minute before you blow them off the planet?"
"Fine, only because you know I can do it," he said with a tongue click.
"SUCH ARROGANCE!" the blonde exclaimed; irony seemed lost on him. "Know this: 1-A, we have come to declare war on you; we will show the world that you are simply the inferior hero course and that 1-B is superior in every way."
"We are coming for you as well," The young man standing before them is fairly tall, with messy indigo hair that flares out in large tufts around his head; his eyes are a striking shade of purple with white pupils. They appear half-closed, and he has noticeable dark eye bags underneath them. "This is the chance for the General Studies to take a seat from you 1-A. This is war!"
"30 Seconds," Bakugo whispered.
"Are both of you done?" Izuku said, stepping forward; his tone took his classmates back. "We all heard All-Might's announcement today, right?" he waited for those in the hall to acknowledge him. "You can come here and make all the declarations of war, or that you are going to come to take our seats or whatever, but it won't matter in the end. 1-B Who said you were inferior? Not us? General Studies, we welcome you to come try and take our seats; we fought to get into them, and you can bet we will fight to keep them."
He took another step out of the class, Bakugo, Ochaco, Tsu, and Mineta coming out with him. "We have no intention of surrendering our spots to anyone. All-Might is stepping back for all of us because he believes in ALL OF US. This is all of our opportunities, I mean EVERYONE, 1-A, 1-B, SUPPORT COURSE, GENERAL STUDIES, BUSINESS COURSE FOR ALL OF US TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE ARE HERE, NOT "I" AM HERE BUT WE." He stepped out, and more of his class filed out behind him.
"DECLARE YOUR WAR, DECLARE WHATEVER YOU WANT," he took another step; all of 1-A was not in the hall. "SCREAM AND DO WHAT YOU WANT, WE WILL STAND HERE AND SAY "WE ARE HERE!".
"WE ARE HERE!" 1-A SHOUTED WITH HIM.
"See you all at the sports festival," he said, extending his hand to Tsu as the crowd parted and class 1-A walked away.