Case file #4: Asui Tsuyu
"Dear Diary, how is someone that smart capable of being that stupid?"
"A field trip? Really?" Izuku whispered. "After that whole fiasco?"
"I admit it's a bad idea." Nemuri sighed. "But at the end of the day, it's Nezu and the teacher in charge's decision. A medical staff's presence might elevate the student's concern. You can decline if you want to."
"I'll go with them if you think I'm any help." Izuku waved off her concern. "But wouldn't Shuzenji-sensei's presence better than an intern?"
"Nezu didn't want to raise any 'false alarm'." Nemuri made an air quote. "Besides, 1-B is having their Battle Trial today and Shuzenji wanted to avoid what happened with 1-A."
Izuku showed an understanding look before he went off to prepare for the trip. From behind, Nemuri showed a proud smile before it turned into a frown as she whispered to herself.
"You better not give my student any trouble, Aizawa. Or so help me, no Quirk is going to stop me from putting you into a coma."
"Your mother thinks I should put a GPS on you."
Izuku spit out the tea he was drinking and snapped his neck at Chiyo.
"Quit being dramatic. It was a joke." Chiyo's expression did not change. "I'm a doctor. Not your babysitter. Where you go or what you get yourself into aren't any my business."
"That wasn't funny." Izuku deadpanned. "And I don't get into troubles."
"Remind me what happened last week? That night you ran out to get some medical supplies without informing anyone."
"It was supposed to be a short trip..." Izuku mumbled. "You guys are being unnecessarily overprotective."
"You came back with a bleeding head, Midoriya Izuku!"
"... I fell off the steps?"
"And I still don't buy that." Chiyo sighed. "Just... don't get yourself in any trouble. You seriously remind me too much of someone I knew."
"This is Midoriya Izuku. He's Recovery Girl's trainee and a first year, like all of you." Aizawa gestured at Izuku, who waved at the population of 1-A. "He's here to observe and provide first-aid if necessary."
Taking a quick look at the present faces, Izuku's smile got wider at the sight of some familiar face. The one who knew him looked away, not daring to show their blushes.
Everyone quickly got on the bus and separated into groups for conversation. Ochako and Toru immediately took seats next to and in front of Izuku, while Kouda was content with watching him from afar. Wasn't that effective though, as Izuku always caught him staring and smiled at him.
"Excuse me for being rude, Midoriya-san, but did you not pass the Heroic's Entrance Exam?" Tenya asked, a little too loudly as it caught everyone's attention.
Ochako immediately cracked her knuckles, ready to throw hands.
"Yeah, I did not." Izuku chuckled awkwardly. "I suppose purposefully avoiding engagements isn't a good thing for wannabe hero."
"But you recognized the true point of the exam, did you not?" Tenya continued. "You saved Uraraka-san from the Zero Pointer! You even assisted Recovery Girl in her healing efforts!"
"I merely provided the necessary amount of energy for Shuzenji-sensei to heal them." Izuku scratched his cheek. "My Quirk doesn't heal everything randomly. I have to know what I am healing for it to work."
"I see." Tenya nodded. "It's a shame, though. I was looking forward to seeing you in class."
"No reason we couldn't see each other outside of class." Izuku smiled, unaware of Tenya freezing up. "You can always find me at the nurse's office. After school, that is. Ideally when no one's around."
"Midoriya-san!" Quickly napped out of his stupor, Tenya reprimanded through a red face. "It's not appropriate to extend such invitation!"
"Really?" Izuku tilted his head and asked, an action made anyone saw it turn away. "That's when I'm usually at the office. I thought it would be better if we can talk without me being distracted by work."
Before Tenya could come up with any response, the bus came to a stop.
Through all that, no one noticed Katsuki being oddly quiet in his seat.
"Midoriya, a word?"
Izuku turned his attention away from No. 13's speech. The hobo-looking teacher (Eraserhead, he guessed to himself) called him over to the side. Izuku nodded a followed him to a spot away from other student's hearing range.
"I know you have a tendency to jump in and help, but this is a learning opportunity for them." Aizawa said as he glanced over at the excited students. "Wait until the end of the day to reveal your Quirk to them. I don't want them getting complacent just because there's a healer nearby."
"Isn't it worse to let them run around with injuries all over? Izuku quirked an eyebrow.
"They'll have to get used to it at some point." Aizawa continued, not fazed by Izuku's reasoning.
"Still doesn't make it right..." Izuku did not back down. "They're still in-training."
"If they are scared off by a little pain, then maybe this isn't the right career path for them." Aizawa ended the conversation as he turned his back on Izuku. "Let's go. We're wasting time."
Although not comfortable with the teacher's ideology, Izuku opted to stay quiet for now and watch how the exercise goes. However, before No. 13 could divide the class into teams, one of the students pointed at the plaza and asked.
"What's that down there?"
Nemuri looked up from her paperwork at the noise of the door to the staff's room being opened. There, she found her student, wearing his usual white coat over the uniform, looking more tiring than ever.
"Midoriya-kun? What brings you here?"
"Nezu asked me to remind you that office hour is over, Kayama-sensei." Izuku smiled. "He said you can finish your paperwork tomorrow."
"My, I must have lost track of the time." Nemuri chuckled as she took a glance at the clock. "Why are you still here, then? Shouldn't you be back at the dorm? Are you overworking again? I swear to Nezu, I will knock you out by force if I have to-"
"I'm going back there now." Izuku waved off her concern. "I'm just prepping some stuff in advance for Chiyo-sensei."
"Aw~! What a good student you are!" Nemuri smiled as she closed the door to the office and teasing pinched Izuku's cheek. "I'm kind of jealous over how much you've helped her. God knows I need someone to help me with my paperwork..."
"I'll be with you all night if you want, Kayama-sensei." Izuku smiled.
"As intriguing as that sound, dear." Nemuri giggled at Izuku's phrasing, a weapon more dangerous than anyone could anticipate. "As your homeroom teacher, I would prefer it if you don't overwork yourself to exhaustion."
"It's not that bad." Izuku chuckled. "I slept for 4 straight hours on Tuesday. More energetic than ever and railing to go."
"... Today is Monday." Nemuri sighed as she pulled off a piece of her costume, emitting the sleeping gas.
Swiftly catching the now unconscious Izuku, Nemuri smiled at the sight of his peaceful, resting face. Guess that's why the rat sent him her way. Effortlessly, she picked him up and carried him over her shoulders, making her way back to 1-C's dorm.
She just hoped her students won't pull out the witch's hunt gear again at this sight.
"How are you so calm?! You're a civilian!" Minoru screamed at the sight of Izuku calmly looking at the water's surface.
"Why shouldn't I be? You guys are getting me out of here." Izuku casually replied as he threw one of Minoru's balls into the water while the villains were backing away from the floating ball.
"I'm grateful that you trust us that much, Midoriya-chan." Tsuyu spoke up with a tone matched Izuku's calmness. "But I don't see any ways we can defeat the villains."
"Not with this formation and this scenario." Hitoshi mumbled. A sinking ship with water-based villains readying to ambush them the moment they touched the water.
However, even with those odds, the nurse didn't even show a single tinge of emotion other than tiredness. He quietly studied the water's surface for a few minutes before he turned back to Hitoshi with an assuring smile.
"Shinsou-san, wasn't it?"
Hearing his name, Shinsou slowly nodded in confirmation. Keeping that kind smile on his face, the nurse asked him with the kindest tone he'd ever heard from someone else.
"How good are you at taunting others?"
"What do you think, Shuzenji-san?"
The attention was now placed on Chiyo, who stayed quiet throughout the whole conversation. After thinking over the question for a moment, Chiyo spoke up.
"You watched the footage, right?" Toshinori nodded at his old teacher, now co-worker's question. "Then you should know he isn't the type to punch the problems away like you and Nana."
"But he wants to be a hero, does he not?" Toshinori argued. "Surely he must understand that it is inevitable."
"You're starting to sound a lot like Aizawa there, Toshinori." Chiyo blankly stated, making Toshinori sputter. "I abstained from violence as much as possible, too. Doesn't make me any less of a hero now, does it?"
"But even you engage in combat sometimes, Chiyo-sensei." Toshinori did not back down.
Nezu, who's been staying quiet and watching, finally spoken up. "Now, now, Yagi-kun. You took this job to pick out a successor, and I believe there's plenty of time before making your final decision. "
Although reluctant, Toshinori still nodded his head as he understood the logic behind Nezu's word. Seeing the conversation involving her student had ended, Chiyo took that as her sign and left the room.
After Chiyo had left the room. Nezu picked up his cup of tea and talked without even turning towards Toshinori. "Though, I assume you are already certain with your choice?"
Toshinori nodded. "The way young Midoriya ran straight at danger to save others, smiling through his exhaustion to put them at ease…. I know he will become a great hero, Nezu-sensei. I just don't get why you'd let Aizawa reject his application. Why not put him in Kan's class?"
"Because while I have no doubt Midoriya-kun would make a wonderful hero, I know that he will be a fantastic doctor." Nezu looked straight into Toshinori's eyes as he replied with a smile. "But at the end of the day, the choice is completely up to him. Even if Midoriya doesn't convince Aizawa-kun with his capability after a year, Sekijiro-kun will take him. It's harder to convince Sekijiro-kun to not take Midoriya-kun in than Aizawa about accepting him."
"I suppose I can understand the logic…." Toshinori scratched his chin, not totally convinced. "But aren't we making it too difficult for young Midoriya? He has to juggle normal education, working hours with Chiyo and his own self-study on Heroics. It seems unfair."
"It's a test for the young man, too." Nezu agreed. "Despite his obvious bias, Aizawa has a point. Midoriya needs to know for himself if he really wants to be a hero, or that's what he's been telling himself."
Before Toshinori could ask anything, the door to principal Nezu's office swung open.
"That worked. How did that work?" Minoru mumbled to himself. "Are we really alive?"
"Why do you sound so surprised?" Izuku tilted his head. "Shinsou-san's Quirk is amazing at these kinds of confrontations."
Tsuyu watched Shinsou burying his own face into the water to hide his blush.
"How do you know that's even going to work?! We would've been dead had they not replied!"
"I mean, they put Asui-san in her own environment, and they avoided your ball when I threw it into the water." Izuku pointed out. "That means they don't know anything about our Quirks. Shinsou-san simply needed to take control of the villains and have them brought us back. Your balls' adhesive remains for at least an hour, right?"
"Yeah...?"
"Good." Izuku smiled. "Would be awkward if they got out now and go after us again. All your Quirks are so cool."
Ignoring a jaw dropped Mineta, Tsuyu suggested. "We should get back to the entrance. It should be safer the-"
At the abrupt stop, Izuku turned towards where Tsuyu was looking. A black creature with a showing brain was standing on top of Eraserhead. Without missing a beat, Izuku grabbed Tsuyu, Hitoshi and Minoru's hands and pulled them into the closet bush.
"We- We need to help him." Hitoshi whispered. "He's bleeding! He's going to d-"
"It's not head trauma." Izuku whispered, eyes focusing on Aizawa. "His pupils aren't dilating. That means he was still focusing his Quirk on that... thing. That means it's not a concussion. The blood is from pieces of debris cutting against his skin. That decayed part of his elbow is concerning, though..."
Before any of them could come up with a response at that god-speed observation, the black mist that warped them away appeared slowly next to the man with hands covering all over him.
"Shigaraki Tomura, one of the students has escaped." The black mist spoke. "Reinforcement is on the way. We should leave."
"Damn it, Kurogiri..." The hand man scratched his neck. "If you're not our getaway ticket, I would have dusted you...! All Might isn't here, too...! What's the point of bringing the secret weapon if the boss isn't even here...?!"
Minoru released the breath that he didn't know he was holding. "They're leaving?! Thank All Might!"
"But before we leave..." Izuku could feel the malice that was aiming towards them. "Let's leave him some dead students...!"
Everything slowed down at that moment. Tsuyu could feel her face being grabbed by the villain's hand. The one with the disintegrating Quirk. She squinted her eyes shut in fear, not daring to look at what is to come.
Yet, nothing happened.
Slowly and shakily, Tsuyu peaked her eyes opened and glanced over to her right. Izuku was holding onto her hand for dear life. His eyes were squinting in exhaustion, he was panting.
But his hand did not loosen even a little.
"A healer with a counter Quirk...?" Tomura smirked. With his remaining hand, he reached over to Izuku's face. "Let's see if you can use it on yourself...!"
Tsuyu's eyes widened in fear. She let out a fearful croak, begging Izuku to run.
But as a response, Izuku only smiled softly at her before glaring at Tomura, not even attempting to dodge the incoming death sentence.
Tsuyu could still feel his tightened grip on her hand.
She gripped it back.
"Izu-chan?"
Hearing his name, Izuku lifted the book he was using to cover his face up and found a familiar face sitting next to him.
"Asui-san." Izuku smiled at the sight of Tsuyu. "Can I help you with anything?"
"I can come back later." Tsuyu said. "You look tired. Also, call me Tsu."
"I always look tired. Seeing you make it better now." Izuku joked. "What's up?"
Pushing down her blush, Tsuyu continued with a straight face. "I tried the thing you suggested."
"Did it work?" Izuku was suddenly holding a notebook and a pen, preparing to note down.
Tsuyu nodded. "No nightmares or waking up in the middle of the night. It's all thanks to you."
"I just suggested what has worked in the past." Izuku waved off the compliment. " 'A picture that brings peace to you'. Mine is the picture I took with my mom. What's yours?"
"It's..." This time, feeling a blush coming, Tsuyu turned away, not daring to meet Izuku's eyes. "It's... the picture of us."
"Oh, the one we took under the sunset on the bridge?" Izuku nodded with a smug, proud smile. "Did you know that the act of watching sunset can help you feel more relaxed, present and content? My mom recommended that spot. She used to go there with grandma and her brother on the weekends."
Even though she wanted to clarify that it wasn't the sunset that calmed her, Tsuyu was content with sitting and listening to him talk. Izuku's soft spoken tone always makes her feel at ease.
On the side, despite her annoyance at the densest being on planet Earth, Chiyo couldn't help but smile at the cuteness of the scene.
Even though she wanted nothing more than to shove some brain cells into her student.
"Annoying..." Tomura clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked behind his back. Aizawa was glaring at him with bright red eyes. "Nomu, kill-"
Before Tomura could end his command, Izuku threw Tsuyu into the water, with Hitoshi and Minoru immediately jumping after her. Ducking under a shocked Tomura, Izuku ran towards Aizawa and slid beside him. He grabbed Aizawa's hand and focused on using his Quirk, patching up the decayed elbow.
"Cool move, Healer." Tomura grinned, turning his attention away from the students who were now away from the shore. "A touch-based Quirk that heals. Finally, a player Two worth playing against...!"
Before Tomura could go further into that statement, the dome's top was crashed through by a huge figure.
All Might was here.
And he wasn't smiling.
A/N: Didn't see the somewhat serious chapter coming, did you?
The USJ is a serious traumatic event, though. It wouldn't be right if I took away its seriousness.
Doesn't mean I'll stop Izuku from unknowingly flirt with everyone, though.