A/N: Okay, it's been a tumultuous few chapters for our heroes, hasn't it? I promised a respite from all of that, and here it is! Enjoy a bit of fun and fluff, completely worry-free!

...Seriously, go have fun. I'm not about to yank the rug again.

P.S. This chapter's artwork isn't my best, but I still had fun making it! There's a bonus sketch related to this chapter on my Instagram, for those of you who follow me there.

New Start

Kurai woke up feeling very sore, but cozy and secure at the same time. He felt the sunlight starting to tickle his eyelids, so he yawned and started to stretch his arm over his head, but a somewhat familiar weight was pressed against his body, keeping him from doing so. What smells like strawberries?

Cracking his eyes open, he heard a soft mumbling coming from right in front of him, in addition to being unable to see much more than pink fuzz amid his blankets. It took a few seconds for it to click what- or rather, who- he was looking at, but when he did, he just let out a sigh and murmured, "Did you lock the door?"

"Mhmm," Mina answered as she nuzzled further into his chest. "I unplugged your alarm clock, too."

"Mister Aizawa is gonna kill us if he finds out about this."

"Totally worth it."

"…Agreed." Kurai's stump ached and stung, however, so he added, "I need a change of bandages and some painkillers before I change my mind again."

"You got it," his girlfriend said as she raised herself off the bed, gave him a kiss, and then hopped out, stretching her arms overhead as she yawned. "You stay in bed, I'll get the stuff."

"Thanks, but I feel like I need to get up and move," he grunted as he unconsciously began to scratch at his stump. "My legs are all stiff."

Mina saw him scratching out of the corner of her eye, so she smacked his hand away, causing him to yelp involuntarily. "I don't want you to open the scabs," she explained as she moved to get the first-aid kit. "Now hold still while I change this stuff."

"Yes ma'am," he said a little apologetically.

Once she had started to unwrap his stump, she took a moment to ask him, "So, what do you wanna do today?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you wanted to go on a date, so what did you have in mind?" she grinned at him, though the expression wilted as she started to unveil some of the wounds, a few of which were sticking to the cloth, making her boyfriend grimace in pain. "Hang on, I'll get some water."

"Thanks," he hissed as he forced himself to look away from the injury again. "To answer your question, I was thinking about going to an escape room, followed by a strawberry hunt."

"Wow," Mina said, looking impressed. "You've always said that you didn't know anything about dating. Everything we've done so far has just been dinner or a movie together- not that I mind. It's just unexpected, you know?"

"I invited you to I-island with me, and we have study dates all the time," he protested, shifting his weight as Mina moved a towel underneath his leg, as to catch the blood that was going to leak out of his stuck bandages, and keep it from getting on his bedsheets.

"Dude, we got attacked by villains, plus your brother ended up in the hospital on that island, and anything that has the word 'study' in it is automatically disqualified from being a real date," she replied, slowly pouring water from a cup onto his bandages in an effort to loosen up the scabs that had stuck to them.

"I'll give you I-island," Kurai said with a visible wince as she started to slowly tug on the bandages again, this time feeling them give a little. "Just rip them off, get it over with," he hissed.

"Can't do that," she said with a negative shake of her head. "If I did, you'd just end up with the same problem when you bleed into the new bandages later. Recovery Girl is at the hospital today, still helping out with the victims of the League's attack, so we can't take you to her in order to heal you. Not to mention that I don't think you really want to explain those cuts, do you?"

"…No," he whispered.

Realizing that she had been unintentionally harsh, Mina paused in her work and cupped his chin in her hand so that he would look at her while she said, "I'm sorry I said that, Kurai. It wasn't cool."

"You're right, though," he sighed. "I'm sorry that I put you through that last night."

"It's okay," she told him as she went to go get more water to pour on his shoulder. "Like I told you, I'm here whether you want me to be or not. So part of my job in being your plus-ultra girlfriend is putting up with you when you're acting like a total dingus." As she returned with the water, she kissed him on the cheek again before going to work with the cleansing liquid.

"You certainly are plus-ultra," he half-laughed, half-cringed. "There is something that I wanted to run by you real quick, though."

"What's that?" The water that came off of his stump was now sanguine, and Kurai was glad for the thick hand towel resting underneath the remnant of his arm.

"Midoriya and Uraraka," he said as he peeked back toward his girlfriend, her dark eyes narrowed in concentration as she worked at peeling away the stubborn bandages without causing him further harm. "What's the story there? I noticed that they've been closer since I woke up from my injury. Did something happen between them?"

"Nothing official, as far as I can tell," Mina giggled. "You know how they both are when it comes to this stuff. I mean, Midoriya is shy on a good day, so it's no surprise that he'd tiptoe around this kinda thing."

"So they're not dating."

"No, but I'd love the chance to change that," the pink girl said with a devilish smile that Kurai couldn't deny being attracted to. "You wanting to play matchmakers?"

"If you're down for it, let's drag 'em both along for our date, make it a double," Kurai replied as the first sore was finally freed. "I got her to admit that she likes him during camp right before the villains attacked, but understandably, other things have taken priority since then. I feel like nothing is ever gonna happen unless we give them a little nudge- ow!"

"Sorry," Mina grimaced as she looked at one of the scabs, which was now oozing a little. "I thought that one was coming off easier."

"It's all good," her boyfriend grimaced. "As I was about to ask, did you have something in mind to get them on board without realizing what we're doing?"

"I dunno how stealthy we can be about it, really," Mina admitted as she poured more water on his aching stump. "Let's see… If we can't be sneaky about it, why don't we go in the opposite direction?"

"What, clue them in on what's going on, but not give them a say in the matter?" Kurai guessed.

"Pretty much. You in, Cupid?"

"Only if you don't call me that again."

"But it'd be such a cute hero name!"

"No."

"What about-"

"Nope."

"Maybe-"

"Not happening."

"I-"

"Nu-uh."

"Fine. I've got Uraraka, what're you gonna do about Midoriya?"

Kurai smiled, despite the stinging in his arm as Mina pulled the last of the bandages away from him and set them aside for washing later. "Like you said, he's not the most assertive guy in our class. So…"

"Hey, guys," Kurai said as he approached his friend at the breakfast table with a bowl and spoon in hand. Izuku was eating with Todoroki and Iida, the three of them consuming varying cereals. "Good morning."

"Ah, Kurai," Iida said as he gave his friend a small wave by way of greeting. "Did you sleep well?"

"Surprisingly, yeah," Kurai admitted as he moved to sit next to Midoriya. "I owe you two a big thank-you." He was wearing long sleeves, an unusual choice given that it was the summer, but the others quickly realized that it was easier for their friend to hide the missing appendage with the extra fabric, so none of them commented on the matter.

"Just don't make us worry like that again," Iida chose to say in a reprimanding tone. "I'm glad that you're doing better, but if that happens again, I'll have to-"

"I know, I know," Kurai said as he reached for a yellow box near Todoroki. "Thanks, anyway."

"You're welcome," Midoriya replied, looking relieved that Kurai was in seemingly better shape than the previous night. "But, uh, are you gonna talk to a doctor about what's going on?"

"What happened last night?" Todoroki added, feeling like he was missing something big. "Is everything alright, Hikari?"

"They're better than they were," he replied to the half-and-half boy. "I guess I didn't really say anything before cos I figured you all had more important things to worry about, but I might as well tell you since it's a problem that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Fact is, I've got phantom pains in my right arm, and they haven't been getting any less vivid since I got out of the hospital."

"You mean you're feeling wounds that aren't actually there?" Todoroki replied, looking grim. "Is there a treatment for that?"

"It's completely psychological," Kurai explained as he poured the cereal into his bowl. "Doesn't make it feel any less real, though."

"Pain is in the mind," Iida quoted.

"Exactly." As Kurai put down the cereal box, he pointed to the milk sitting in front of Midoriya and asked, "Mind passing me that?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." Once he had the carton in his hand, however, he frowned at it a little. "It's kinda tepid," he grumbled, before an idea came to mind and he looked a question at Todoroki.

"Give it here," his friend sighed, causing Kurai to grin at him. One second later, the milk was back at a refrigerated temperature, and the handicapped boy was on his way to a quick breakfast. "Thanks. Now, as I was saying, my mind keeps trying to get some kind of sensation out of my arm, which of course, isn't there anymore. So it's trying to recreate the last feeling that I had in it before I lost the damn thing, and- crap!" The curse was drawn out as he overfilled his bowl, spilling milk all over the table. "Stupid hand…" No doubt about it, the days of inactivity and the harsh toll that his injury and recovery had put on him had served to weaken his body, badly.

"Here, we'll help," Midoriya said as he dashed off to grab some napkins from the kitchen.

A few moments later, when the table was clean and Kurai could start on his breakfast, Todoroki spoke up again. "So when will you be able to get a replacement arm?"

"Not sure," Kurai replied with a shrug. "There were a lot of people that were hurt in the battle at Kamino, many of them worse than me. Hospitals and insurance companies are being flooded with patients that need treatment, so who knows how long it'll be before all the madness gets sorted out?" Gripping his spoon as well as he could, Kurai was able to get a fairly large amount of the sweet cereal onto his utensil and into his mouth.

"When you get a prosthetic, do you think that it will help with the pain?" Iida asked him, looking concerned. "You can't take painkillers forever, but you can't live with constant agony, either."

"If a new arm doesn't help, then maybe I'll have to see a psychologist with a hypnotism quirk, or something," Kurai shrugged after he finished his mouthful. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." Turning to his green-haired peer, he was finally able to broach the topic that he'd been wanting to get to. "What are you doing today, Midoriya?"

"I was planning on getting some training do-"

"Wrong."

"What?"

"You're not training today."

"But I-"

"Nope."

"It's impor-"

"Shh!"

"Kurai, you can't just-!"

"Not talking to you, Tenya."

"So if I'm not training, what am I-?"

"Put on some casual clothes and then meet me in front of the dorms," Kurai answered. "We need to have a little chat."

"We do?" From the look on his face, Kurai guessed that his classmate was thinking that it was along the lines of something to do with One For All.

"Yeah, and it's gonna be a long conversation- think we'll go for a walk," he added. "I could use the exercise."

"Okay…?"

"Hey, Ochaco!" Mina said in a peppy tone as she sat down next to Uraraka, who had been talking to Asui excitedly about what the next semester would be looking like for them. "Got any plans today?"

"No, not really," the brunette answered with a smile. "I'm all unpacked, so I was just gonna chill out for the day, maybe go grab some mochi from the convenience store after lunch." She waved goodbye to Asui as she took her leave, apparently needing to speak to Yaoyorozu and Jiro.

"I'll do you one better," Mina replied as she hopped up off the bench and held out a hand to her friend. "Let's get you changed into something cute- we're gonna enjoy our last day of freedom before Mister Aizawa loads us with tons of homework again."

"Oh, did you have something in mind?"

"You bet, but you can't go out looking like you just crawled outta bed. C'mon, we got work to do!"

"Wait, why does that matter?"

"Just cos!"

Kurai waited patiently for Midoriya on the front steps, doing his best not to scratch at his scabs through his sleeve, which had begun to itch again. He was relieved when the freckled boy arrived to distract him from the irritation, though his friend looked worried.

"Hey, I know we haven't had a chance to talk in private since All Might retired, but-"

"Forget about all that," Kurai interrupted, surprising Midoriya. "We're not gonna worry about any of that today, man. We're gonna hit up the town and have a good time, away from everyone else- no legacies, no villains, no hero work. We've been going nonstop and then some, and I'm sick of it. I need a day off, and so do you."

"Are you serious?" Midoriya asked, looking even more surprised. "You just… wanna go hang out?" He was dressed in a pair of khakis with a pale blue shirt, perfect gear for a stroll on a summer day.

"Is that so weird?"

"W-Well, sort of…" the green-haired boy admitted. "You're not exactly what I'd call a social butterfly, and… Well, it's been a long time since anyone just wanted to hang out with me, just because."

"You came to our Sport's Festival post-celebration," Kurai pointed out.

"True, but that was more of a class thing. I… haven't had a friend ask me to do this for a long time. I'd kinda forgotten it was an option."

"Sorry if I neglected that part of being a friend," Kurai chuckled, though he felt bad for Izuku. Now that he knew that the other boy had been quirkless for most of his life, he could imagine that his childhood would have been anything but easy- quirkless people nowadays were shunned about as badly as people with special needs used to be before quirks came about. Because of how positive and humble Izuku was, it was easy to imagine that he would have been well-liked in the past, but now Kurai knew better.

"No, it's not your fault!" Midoriya insisted. "Thanks for inviting me along."

"Not a problem," Kurai chuckled as he clapped his friend on the shoulder. "One thing, though."

"What's that?"

"I invited a couple of other people along- they should be out in a few minutes, hopefully."

"Oh, is Ashido coming?" Midoriya guessed.

"Her and one other."

"Iida?"

"Wait and see."

"So, I've been meaning to ask," Mina said as Uraraka came out of her bathroom wearing a pair of shorts and a light purple top. "What's the deal with you and Midoriya? Kurai told me about the little chat that you guys had back at the camp."

"Oh, that!" Ochaco laughed nervously. "Well… I mean, I haven't been trying to hide how I feel, especially from myself, but I don't see a reason to turn his world upside down, you know? I'm happy with the way things are right now."

"Okay, but wouldn't you like them to be better?" Mina asked insistently. "C'mon, that guy totally adores you! He always confides in you, and you both spend more than half your free time together- it's like you're dating already!"

Uraraka blushed at that, but she kept her composure. "Yeah, but like I said-"

"Girl, you can't keep using his shy guy nature as an excuse," Mina interrupted. "I dunno the whole story, but I'm under the impression that the guy had a rough childhood. It's hard for him to take the initiative when it comes to other people."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it," the pink girl insisted. "Name one person at UA that he's made friends with because he approached them first. You told me that you talked to him right before the entrance exam, and Iida approached him on the first day of class. Todoroki and him might have started out on a rough patch, but Todoroki was the one to approach him first, and open up their interactions. Kurai even offered to help him out without knowing him during the practical test."

Uraraka fidgeted in place, trying to find an exception to the circumstances, but being unable to do so. She knew that Mina was right- Deku was not socially inclined, or even all that active. If something was going to change between them, it would more than likely have to fall on her to make that happen. Still…

"How do I know that it'll turn out okay?" she groaned as she flopped face-first onto her bed. Muffled by the sheets, she also asked, "What if he doesn't like me back?"

"Okay, honey, we already covered reasons that he does like you," Mina giggled as she patted the other girl on the back. "Second, I've been where you're at. I know it seems like something has to go wrong, just cos you want to believe in the chance that it won't. But trust me, it'll all be okay. In fact, it's gonna be better than okay. It'll be plus ultra."

"Okay, but how do I ask him?" Uraraka asked, her voice still muffled by the sheets. "How'd you ask Kurai?"

"I didn't," Mina laughed again. "I told him. But you're not me, so do what feels like first nature."

Uraraka lifted her head off the bed to say, "It feels natural to just avoid the subject altogether."

"Okay, just do what feels second-nature."

"So, what exactly are we doing today?" Midoriya asked as he paced back and forth in front of the steps that led into the dorm. Kurai was watching him with a bemused expression from his seat on the same stairs, still actively trying to ignore the itching and stinging in his arm.

Too bad those meds don't cure itchiness, he thought sourly. Out loud, he answered, "We're gonna start with an escape room, have lunch, and then the afternoon will be a surprise."

"An escape room?" Midoriya repeated, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "I've heard about those, but I've never done one before!"

"My cousin, Shukin, and I used to go with Tenya when we were younger," Kurai replied, remembering days that made him smile a little. "We took Akarui with us a couple of times, but he'd always figure it out so fast that it was no fun."

"Yeah, I can see that," Midoriya laughed.

"You can see what?" Both boys turned to see Mina walking out of the doors with Uraraka in tow. The brunette looked a little distracted, so Kurai guessed that his girlfriend had already laid out some of the groundwork. Let's get this party started, he thought as Mina came down and put her hand in his.

"We all set?" she asked him.

"Yep, this is everyone," he nodded, causing Uraraka and Midoriya to look at one another in surprise.

"A-Are you sure?" Ochaco asked nervously. "I'm sure that Iida and Su would love to-"

"Nah, this is for members of Team Midoriya, only!" Mina said dismissively, using the name of the group that they had formed for the cavalry battle at the Sport's Festival. "C'mon, guys!" With that, she started leading the way off campus, Kurai in tow.

"Do you think that they're planning something?" Midoriya asked as he and Uraraka followed them at a respectable distance.

"Looks like it," she sighed.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be okay."

"How do you know that?" Uraraka turned to look at her crush, who had a happy look on his face as he gazed after the young couple.

"They're our friends," he replied simply. "Even if it's something unexpected, I know that they're just looking to help us, which is pretty amazing. Even though Hikari has a lot of problems right now, he's still trying to be a good friend to us. The least we can do is humor him, right?"

"…Yeah," Uraraka said with a forced smile. "You're right as usual, Deku." However, in spite of her feelings of disappointment at the fact that he was clearly missing the real point of this outing, it wasn't lost on her that his smile brightened at the sound of his hero name- the name that she had changed, just for him.

The escape room turned out to be a lot of fun for the quartet, and a much-needed break from all the constant hero training and League of Villains insanity that had been following them all year. Izuku and Kurai were the ones that picked up on most of the clues in the area, but Mina and Ochaco had fun picking up on the odd hint and watching the boys go to work on sorting them out. The boy with green hair looked like he was having the time of his life during the adventure- and in a sense, he probably was.

Having grown up a pariah since he was in pre-school, this was the first time in over a decade that he was surrounded by good friends, just doing something that he enjoyed. There was no need to wonder if Bakugo was about to turn the corner to yell at him or torch his stuff. He was on his way to becoming a hero like he had always dreamed about, and he had good friends to help him accomplish that goal.

Yeah, he thought happily as Ochaco sat close to him at the restaurant's corner booth, perpendicular to Kurai and Mina. I have the best friends that anyone could ask for.

"So, how'd you know about this place?" Uraraka asked as they opened their menus. "I've never actually had Italian before." The building that they were in was close to full with people seeking a respite from making home meals or TV dinners for the weekend lunch rush.

"This is where my Mom and Dad went on their first date," Kurai answered with a little smile, causing the others to look at him in surprise. "It's been rebuilt a couple of times over the years because of hero and villain activities, but this is the place."

"Oh, wow," Midoriya said as he looked around the warm building with a new appreciation. "I can see why they would come here- it's really nice!"

"You sure you're okay sharing a spot like this with us?" Uraraka asked him with a concerned look on her face. "We can go somewhere else if it's uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't have brought you guys if I wasn't sure," Kurai said with a negative gesture. "Besides, I've been wanting pizza since summer vacation started, and no one does it better than these guys."

"Sounds good to me!" Mina said as she eyed the menu hungrily. "Ooh, can we get the meat lover's?"

"Let's see… loaded with pepperoni, beef, sausage, bacon, ham, chicken, turkey, and anchovies…" Kurai blinked at the last part. "Nix the fish, and I'm in."

"Sounds good to me," the pink girl grinned happily. Glancing at Midoriya and Uraraka, who were poring over the same menu, she asked, "What about you guys? You gonna share a dish, or get your own?"

"What's a calzone?" Uraraka asked.

"Think a pizza sandwich," Kurai explained. "It's got the crust on the outside, and a bunch of sauce, cheese, and meat on the inside."

"I'll try that!" Midoriya said excitedly.

"Is there like a salad or soup menu I could look at?" Uraraka wondered as she eyed the prices. "I'm not all that hungry."

"Order whatever you really want," Kurai insisted. "This outing was my idea, so I'm paying."

"I can't let you-"

"You can and you will," the maimed student said to cut her off. "Today's about having a good time, not worrying about a few extra yen. If something looks appetizing, order up."

Reluctantly, Uraraka took another look at the menu before she pointed at another item and said, "Can I get the Bottarga?"

"Yep," Kurai said as he reached for the electronic tablet sitting next to him, tapping a few buttons in order to place the order. "I'll also order some Focaccia to get us started… What do you all want to drink? There's a really good orange soda that Akarui loves here."

"What's Focaccia?" Midoriya asked.

"That sounds yummy," Mina said at the same time.

Grinning as he made the addition, Kurai answered, "It's a type of rosemary bread that serves as an appetizer."

"What do they have for dessert?" Uraraka inquired. She had the sweet tooth in the group, so the question didn't surprise Kurai.

"I'll pick us up some of their gelato another time, but we're actually gonna go somewhere else for dessert," he explained as he confirmed the order and put the tablet back. "After that, we'll head home."

"What time is our curfew?" Mina asked.

"We have to be back on campus by six o' clock," Midoriya answered without hesitation. "Though I think we'd be better off getting back a little earlier than that so Mister Aizawa doesn't get on our cases."

The rest of the group exchanged a look, then said in unison, "Good idea."

"Here are your drinks," said a waiter that approached them, carrying one beverage in each of his four arms. "Your appetizer will be here soon, and- Wait, Hikari? Is that you?"

"Hey, Ransei," Kurai said with a friendly smile. "How's business?"

"It's been good, although I can't say I know the details of what's been going on recently," the other young man answered as he brushed his hands on his uniform to rid them of moisture. "Man, I hardly recognized you with that new hairdo! I've actually been in the Caribbean until yesterday afternoon- needed some time away from home, you know? I haven't seen the place this busy in a while, but I guess folks are just looking for a break. I'm guessing that's why you guys are here?" By this point, he had taken the menus from the students, missing the uncomfortable looks that most of them were trading. He clearly hadn't picked up on Kurai's missing arm just yet, but the others gathered that he was hiding it on purpose, as best he could.

"More or less," Kurai nodded, ignoring the worried glances that the others were giving him. "Tell your parents I said 'hi', alright?"

"Yeah, sure!" Ransei nodded rapidly. "Speaking of parents, where are your folks? It's nice to see new faces, but yours' and the Iida family are some of our favorites."

"…What, I'm not good enough on my own?" Kurai half-laughed as he reached for his glass, his movements a bit unsteady.

"No, I-"

"Dude, Mister Hogo-sha died last week, same night that All Might had to retire," Mina said quickly, stunning the waiter. "Can we please get our appetizer?"

"O-Of course," the man replied, looking shamefaced. "Please, forgive my insensitivity, Hikari. Your meals will be on the house today."

"No," Kurai said with a negative shake of his head. "You're gonna take my money, or else I'm gonna put my foot up your ass. My Dad never accepted a free meal from you guys, and I'm not about to start, either. You guys make good food, and it deserves to be paid its due."

"I… I'll speak to my father," Ransei said after a brief moment of hesitation. "Your bread will be along shortly."

"Thank you," Mina said before Kurai could reply. Ransei left quickly, wringing all of his wrists as he did. "Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea."

"No, it's alright," Kurai shrugged before he sipped on his drink. "My dad is dead. The world isn't going to stop spinning because of that fact, and it would be unfair of me to expect everyone to know my situation. I can't be upset at someone just for being ignorant."

"You know, you're a pretty cool guy, Hikari," Izuku told him. "I honestly thought that my childhood was rough, but yours' has gotten seriously messed up. Even still, you're still trying to become a real hero. I gotta admire your persistence."

"Says the guy that risks breaking his bones every time that he uses his power," Kurai countered. "I might've had a hard time maintaining my quirk until recently, but I never shattered my limbs to gain self-control."

"No, you just risked bleeding straight outta your brain," Mina chuckled. "Seriously, thank goodness that part of your life is over with."

"You know, there's something I keep forgetting to ask," Uraraka piped up after a quiet moment. "How did you two meet? It seemed like you knew each other before our first day as students."

"Oh, that?" Kurai asked while reddening just a little. "Well, we actually were in the same block for the entrance exam. We met just minutes before the test started."

"I thought he was cute, so I decided to talk to him," Mina said, unabashed while her boyfriend looked at her with embarrassment. "He was kind of a downer when I first chatted him up, but fortunately, I have a smile that he couldn't resist."

"I think you're overselling it a little bit."

"I don't!" She kissed him on the cheek, which shut him up long enough for her to add, "We started talking about quirks, but then the test started, and we went our separate ways. Fortunately, we ended the test pretty close to one another."

"Yeah, 'fortunately' is the right word for those guys that I saved," Kurai grumbled. When Uraraka and Midoriya gave him puzzled looks, he decided to elaborate. "The zero-point robot showed up, and a group of geniuses decided that it would be a great idea to tackle it head-on. The long and short of it was that I had to save them when their plan fell apart, and one of them took exception to that."

"He tried to fight you?" Midoriya guessed.

"Yeah, and I was close to blowing my top with how much I had strained my quirk by that point," Kurai admitted. "Fortunately, I had a stalker nearby."

"Hey!" Mina objected. "I was so not stalking!"

"You sure about that?"

"Completely, though I will call it a very happy coincidence."

After the couple had shared in a smile, Kurai turned to his friends to ask, "What about you two? Did you run into each other during the test?"

"Right before orientation, actually!" Uraraka answered excitedly, just as the bread arrived. Once they each had a piece, she continued on to say, "Poor Deku tripped on the path, and I kept him from falling with my quirk."

"Wow, you're a regular damsel in distress, aren't you?" Kurai teased the other boy.

"No way, he totally paid me back for it, and then some!" Ochaco insisted. "You should've seen him in the test! He jumped up super high and wasted the zero-pointer with one hit!"

"I saw that Ochaco had gotten trapped by some of the rubble," Midoriya admitted with red cheeks as he looked at his lap. "I didn't want her to get hurt, so I just moved without thinking. In hindsight, I should've had a better plan in mind- if wasn't for her, I would have been hurt a lot worse."

"Did you break your legs with that that jump?" Mina guessed.

"And the arm that I hit the robot with," the green-haired boy sighed. "I was about to break my other arm so that I could make a safe landing when Ochaco slapped me to negate my gravity, which kept me from getting hurt even more."

"So, wait," Mina said as she held up her hands in a sign for a timeout. "She saved you in front of the school, you saved her in the exam, after which she saved you again? Sounds like you still owe her one, buddy."

"Oh! I hadn't really thought about that…"

"She's kidding," Uraraka giggled as she nudged Midoriya in the arm. "And I'm not keeping count, got it? I get the feeling that you and I are gonna save each other a few more times down the line, you know?"

"I'm looking forward to it!" her best friend grinned happily.

"A toast, then," Kurai said as he raised his half-empty glass. "To Deku and Uravity- I look forward to watching you both save countless lives in the future."

"And to Kai and Ashid Queen," Uraraka laughed as the others raised their glasses. "I have a feeling that a lot of villains are gonna regret their life choices whenever you two show up!"

"Yeah, bad guys beware!" Mina laughed in kind.

"Actually, that has me thinking…" Midoriya said as they set their glasses down. "Hero teams used to be way more popular before All Might came on the scene."

"And with him retired, you think that they might make a comeback?" Kurai guessed.

"Maybe. The Wild, Wild Pussycats did pretty well for themselves, even though each of them on their own aren't that strong. There are others that are still active, but none of them contain the top pros."

"It's harder to win acclaim for yourself when you're part of a group," Mina pointed out. "And when people are trying to work their way up the ranks, it's easier to stand out when you're a one-person act, or maybe have a few sidekicks that don't get much screen time."

"You had an idea, Deku?" Uraraka asked.

"Yeah!" he nodded quickly. "I was thinking that maybe we could think about forming a hero team after we get our licenses. It wouldn't have to be anything permanent, but it might be good to know that we have people we can trust watching our backs when we're first getting started as pros."

"I dunno," Kurai grinned. "You've always told me that you want to be number one. You sure you can get there with a couple of slackers like us dragging you down?" He gestured to himself and Mina as he said this.

"I kinda wanna smack him, but he's right," Mina sighed.

"That, and my injury gives me enough pity points to merit an invisible shield."

"Grr…"

"I'd love to be on a team with you, Deku," Uraraka told him with a bright smile and slightly reddened cheeks. "Even if it's just for a little while, I think it'd be great to start our pro careers together."

"I like the idea, but it'd be difficult to convince a pro to take on four new sidekicks simultaneously, let alone creating our own agencies right off the bat," Kurai said, his expression growing serious as he began to consider the logistics involved. "If we could make it work, though, we'd have a pretty balanced team to work with. We've got me and Midoriya as the heavy hitters, Uraraka wants to be a rescue specialist, and Mina is a good all-rounder."

"Not to mention cute and approachable," she added with a snarky grin. "I'd make a kick-ass mascot for our agency."

"Agreed, and agreed," Kurai chuckled as he clinked his glass against hers'. "But you forgot the part where you deck the daylights out of villains with the best of 'em."

"Gotta keep something hidden as a surprise."

"So what name would we go under?" Uraraka asked, apparently getting really into the idea of them making a team. "We can't really use our own names, so Team Midoriya is out."

"We also don't need to have the word 'team' in it," Mina giggled.

"Let's shelve this for another time," Kurai said with another grin, having spotted their food coming toward them. "The main course has arrived."

"That was super-fast!" Uraraka commented as the others turned to see what he what he had described.

"The head chef's quirk speeds up the cooking process of any dish that he touches," Kurai explained. "I dunno the particulars, but it's delicious."

"I'll bet!" Uraraka said eagerly as Ransei began to set down the food on the table. "This looks so great!"

"As I mentioned before, this meal is on the house," the waiter told them as he stood up straight again.

"And I'm pretty sure I told you where my foot was gonna go if you tried to give us a free meal," Kurai said with a smile.

"My father insists."

"Well, send him out if he's got a minute, please," the maimed student replied. "My father will roll over in his grave if I let this one slide."

"…I'll see if he has a moment," Ransei finally answered through a grimace. "Please excuse me."

"Why're you so insistent on paying up?" Mina asked once the man was gone. "They're trying to be nice to you."

"Dad busted a drug lord that used to keep his contraband in the owner's cellar while extorting 'protection money' out of them," Kurai explained. "It was the first case that he made as a detective. Ever since then, my family has done what they can to contribute to Ransei's family business."

"That's why your dad took your mom here," Midoriya realized aloud. "This place has a lot of good memories for you guys, huh?"

"Some of the best," Kurai laughed. "Let's just eat for now, and I'll take care of the bill afterwards."

The food turned out to be excellent, much to the delight of the other three teens. Once their bellies were full, Kurai went to the back of the restaurant to speak with the owner while the other three enjoyed the last of their drinks. After the owner claimed that their card readers were temporarily down, Kurai flipped the proverbial tables by leaving a 'tip' roughly the price of their combined dishes in Ransei's pocket as they made their exit.

From there, they made their way to a greenhouse where a number of young people- the majority of them being couples- could be seen entering and exiting. Upon standing in front of the entrance, Midoriya asked, "Is this a strawberry farm?" From the entrance, it was easy to see that the couples were picking the fresh fruit off the branches and dipping them in various sauces before feeding one another the sweetened pieces.

"Yep," Kurai answered as he paid the admission fees and then turned toward a table where there were trays holding varying types of chocolate in their pockets. "Alright, they said one for two people. Mina, you're obviously with me, so that leaves Uraraka and Midoriya to share the other one." Shooting his now-red-faced friends a quick smile, he said, "C'mon. I've never been to one of these before."

As Mina walked past, Uraraka grabbed her arm and whispered, "You guys planned this, didn't you?"

"Totally," the pink girl giggled. "Your move now, Ochaco. You gonna make this awkward, or are you gonna turn up the heat on your shy guy?"

Uraraka's only response was to blush even harder and move toward Midoriya, who looked just as nervous as she did.

Not even five minutes into the activity, and Uraraka realized that Mina and Kurai had somehow given her and Izuku the slip, leaving the two of them relatively alone among the bushes. "How did they even…?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe one of them had to use the bathroom?" Deku tried.

"Something tells me that's not it…" she sighed. "I mean… this is a date spot."

"Oh, right!" her best friend exclaimed. "I guess they just wanted some alone time!" If it weren't for his red face and barely-concealed stuttering, Ochaco would have assumed that he was completely oblivious to the type atmosphere that they were now essentially trapped in.

Still, there's worse ways to be trapped, she thought as she looked at the tray in his trembling grip. Maybe Mina's right… We're here, I might as well try something.

"Hey, Deku?" she asked as she moved closer to one of the bushes, having spotted a bright cluster of the fruits. "You wanna try some of these?" She could feel her face getting red again from what she had in mind, but now she was determined to see it through, nerves be damned.

"S-Sure!" he all but yelped.

So he really is nervous, she thought with a hidden smile as she reached for the strawberries. But he's really cute when he's freaking out. For the first time, she could somewhat understand Mina's attempts to fluster her boyfriend.

Picking a trio of the ripe fruits out, she turned back around and held up the cluster with a smile and asked, "These look good?"

"Y-Yeah, they seem nice," he stuttered again as he awkwardly held up the tray. "Which one w-would you like to try first?"

"I like sweets, so I'm gonna try the honey," she answered as she scooped the first strawberry into the selected dipping. It turned out to be very good, so much so that she nearly forgot her plan to only eat half of it. Barely managing to contain her delighted taste buds, she pulled the piece away from her mouth with a cheery smile and said, "Ooh, that's really good!" Before her courage deserted her, she held the remaining part of the fruit out and added, "You wanna try it?"

Izuku's face turned redder than Kirishima's hair. The tray in his hands wobbled even more, but he managed not to drop it as his brain tried to process what he was hearing. "Y-You want me to…?"

"I wanna share this with you, Deku," she said as her voice nearly cracked, hoping beyond hope that she hadn't just made the biggest fool out of herself.

The green-haired boy blinked a few times before he looked around wildly, leaving Uraraka wondering just what he was up to. Eventually Izuku returned his wide eyes to her and asked, "D-Did Ashido and Hikari s-set this up?"

"Kind of?" Uraraka answered honestly, her own hands trembling as her stomach began to drop, fear threatening to take over. "A-Am I wrong? Do you not wanna…?"

"I do!" Izuku yelped before he slammed his hand over his mouth, his eyes growing even wider. Muffled by his fingers, he added, "I just said yes… I wanna share the strawberry with her… Holy whoa, is this a dream?! Am I dreaming?! Or is someone playing a joke on me? This can't be real, I've never shared something like this with a girl, much less a girl that I really, really like, or one that's my best friend, or, or, or…!"

"Deku!" Uraraka giggled, her heart soaring as his eyes refocused on her. "You do know you're talking out loud, right?"

"I did? I am?" he squeaked.

"Uh-huh."

"So you heard…?"

"You really like me?" she asked him hopefully.

"…Yes," he whispered. "But I… I never thought that… Nobody ever liked me enough to wanna be friends with me before UA, much less… And, and you're so amazing and strong, while I'm just…" He paused, his mouth working up and down before he managed to get out, "And I'm just 'Deku', the worthless wannabe."

"No way!" Uraraka insisted as she lowered her hands. "I know you said that Bakugo used that name to make fun of you, but I like it- I like what you've done with it! It's like you told him, remember? From now on, 'Deku' is the name of a hero! It's the name of the hero that saved All Might, Iida, and even Kota and Bakugo!" Moving closer to him and looking deeper into his verdant eyes, she insisted, "Deku is the name of my hero, because he's amazing!" At this point, she didn't care if there were onlookers, or the fact that Mina and Kurai were probably spying on them nearby- all she saw was Izuku Midoriya.

"…You really think I'm that awesome?" he asked sheepishly, the tray still trembling in his grasp. "I-"

"If you think that I'm amazing, you've never looked in the mirror," she interrupted, her high energy now building up to override her crush. "Any girl would be lucky to have a chance with you, but I hope that I got to you first."

"Y-You're definitely first," he stammered, his mind reeling. "And I… never would have dreamed that someone like you… could ever look at me like this!"

"I'm definitely looking, Deku," she said with a smile through the furious blush that had completely colored her face. "I have been for a while; I just didn't realize it until recently."

"I-I-I've liked you since you first rescued me in front of the school!" he blurted. "You were so nice, and-!"

"Deku!" Uraraka laughed again as she moved around to his side and grabbed onto his arm. "You don't need to explain it all to me. I'm just happy that you feel the same way that I do."

"Sorry!" he yelped again. "I've never been in this situation, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"For now, let's just enjoy the afternoon?" she suggested hopefully.

"S-Sure! I'd really like that, Ochaco."

From a few rows over, Mina put away her mini-binoculars and held up her left hand to her boyfriend with an impish grin on her face. "We rock," she laughed as they exchanged a hi-five.

"Nice," he chuckled. "I'd say that this date was success."

"Agreed," she nodded. "Next on the list?"

"Wait, what?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Jiro has a thing for Kaminari, and Yaomomo is always looking to Todoroki for inspiration, but I think that Schnee might be on that bandwagon, too… Hmm, the boy's got options."

"Oh no," Kurai said with a negative shake of his head. "No, no, no. I'm not getting caught up in any more of this. I only went through with this one because I'm good friends with Midoriya."

"Well, I'm good friends with Jiro, and you're buddies with Todoroki, so there."

"Ashido, no!"

"Ashido, yes!"

Mataras: Eh? What'd I tell you guys? No nasty surprises!

Kai: Alright, alright, we get it. Even you have a basic concept of mercy.

Deku: Personally, I'm happy with the way that this chapter turned out.

Mataras: I'm betting you're not the only one.

Kai: I'm also betting that you're not one for letting your readers relax for too long.

Mataras: While you're not entirely wrong, I will say that the next few chapters will be relatively low-stress in comparison to what's been happening up to now.

Kai: Considering that the last few have been pretty damn hair-raising, that's not much of a benchmark.

Mataras: Why are you like this?

Kai: Ask the guy who imagined me a pessimist.

Mataras: Fair.

Deku: I imagine that the next thing to happen will be the licensing arc, right?

Mataras: Correct, though we'll also be including the OVA training arc that leads up to the test.

Kai: Which one was-?

Mataras: The two-episode special that was released post season four.

Kai: Ah.

Deku: Next time- Make Your Move

Kai: Time to create some ultimate moves as we Go Beyond!

Mataras: Plus Ultra! Except for Kai!

Kai: Wait, what the-?!

Next time on Your Hero Academia: Survival...

What can I do that says 'me'? Mina wondered on the second day as she started her usual warmup exercise of secreting acids of varying potency from her hands and watching the effect that they had on the stone around her. One of Ectoplasm's clones was observing her, and she had seen Midoriya get kicked by the veteran hero more than once for just staring off into space, so she knew that she had to make it look like she was doing something at all times.

"Sir?" she asked as she settled on a variety that she was comfortable using for a while. "I feel like I'm kinda stumped."

"How so?" the man's garbled voice replied.

"Like, I have a really good handle on my powers and how to use them, but I feel like I don't know what I could do that makes me stand out to citizens and villains, you know?" she admitted as she started to secrete the same stuff out of her feet, using it to skate around in the small area that she had picked out for herself. She always did her best thinking when she was moving- it was one of the reasons that textbook tests were such a pain for her to get through.

"Your quirk is certainly a versatile one, given your level of control over how destructive the acid you create is," Ectoplasm replied, his pale eyes watching her carefully as she moved. "I suggest that you take that control and apply it to a different aspect of your quirk."

"How's that?" Mina asked as she spun in a rapid three-sixty before sliding into a crouch that gave her purchase to spring forward at a higher speed for a wall on top of which she knew Kaminari was practicing his wattage control.