It was a bright Saturday morning in the city of Musutafu. Saiko Intelli walked down the concrete sidewalk happily in her light blue heels, wearing a nice white dress with blue romance hued stripes. The day wasn't nearly over, but she already felt she was on top of the world. Great weather, her brand new dress arrived last night and got to try it on, her third year at Seiai Academy was coming up next week! Everything was just lining up perfectly. All she needed now was supplies for school coming up.

The girl stood still as she scanned the area. She found three shops that would be good for gathering the supplies she desired. But to find the most perfect one, she took a little bottle of tea from her bag and took a sip, letting her Quirk take effect.

'Hmmm… Well, the 'Academia Depot' is refined and fancy, but their prices are too high, even for someone of my wealthy stature. 'Scholar's Corner' is a fine option, if not a little plain.' She thought.

It was then that she set her eyes on the perfect one, named 'The Comichive'. It was perfect. From her knowledge, it has moderate prices for well-kept and pristine school equipment and has all the latest comics in the city. She wasn't much of a comic collector herself, but even someone like her couldn't help but take a gander at the latest stories people would create, or even the real stories from heroes long ago.

"Perfect." Saiko put the bottle of tea in her bag as she walked across the street and into the store.

The girl adjusted her monocle as she looked through the shelves. She reached for some pencils, blank white sheets of paper, the usual. But there was one specific thing she needed. And to be frank, she was having trouble finding it. It was a book about the history of many different heroes in Japan's history, which included their fighting styles and strategies they performed in their lifetime. Learning about as many heroes as possible in tandem with her Quirk would do wonders for her progress as a hero.

"But won't help if I can't find the damn thing," Saiko whispered to herself, letting out a sigh. "I could always get it tomorrow, I guess."

She stood up, a little disappointed that she couldn't find it. But no matter, she had a whole week ahead of her. Plenty of time to go look for it elsewhere. For now, she thought it was best to spend the last of her time here skimming through the comics.

"Let us see here… Oh? Another All Might story? Do they never run out of material for this guy?" Saiko said.

"He wasn't the Symbol of Peace for nothing."

Saiko jumped a little bit at the sound of a voice behind her. And as she turned, she suddenly got both nervous and a little frustrated. It was one known as Izuku Midoriya.

"Oh? Intelli-san?" He said.

Saiko cleared her throat, standing up straight and proper. "Ah, it's you, Midoriya-san."

The fact that he could even recognize her was surprising to Saiko. To her knowledge, they had never conversed before. At least not until today.

"Pardon me for asking but, how do you know my name?" She asked.

Izuku's eyes gleamed a little and smiled. "Yaoyorozu-san mentioned you before. I believe the Provisional Hero License Exam had been recorded too, and I wanted to watch what everyone else was doing. That included your school too. In all honesty, you did really well! Both you and Yaoyorozu-san! And—"

There he went off muttering. This is the first time Saiko has ever seen it, let alone heard it. She didn't exactly know what to do. She was more confused now rather than frustrated. But she came up with a brilliant excuse.

"My apologies, but I must be going. I have other matters to attend— AH!"

She gasped as she looked out the door. It was suddenly pouring rain. Not just that, it was a full-on storm outside. Wasn't the weather supposed to be clear today!? When did this happen!? Saiko sighed in frustration.

"Did you not bring an umbrella?" Izuku asked.

Saiko huffed. "Even if I did it wouldn't matter. The winds are entirely too rough for me to simply walk home. I'll just have to wait for the storm to pass."

Saiko found a chair and sat down, looking away from Izuku. The boy frowned a little, not understanding what she was upset about. Did he do something to offend her?

"I apologize if I was bothering you, Intelli-san," Izuku said and bowed, before turning to walk away.

Okay, now THAT made her feel bad. A lot more than she expected. Not that she didn't respect him, he was quite a strong hero. Hell, he was probably the strongest if we were talking realistically. But just like the other hero school, her default emotion was to be antagonistic against them to a certain extent. This time was different however. She sighed and to his surprise, she grabbed him from the back of his shirt and put him in the seat next to her.

"Well, I am going to be here a while. I want some company in the meantime. You cannot refuse this." Saiko said.

Izuku looked puzzled. So, did she dislike him or not? Regardless, he was going to continue being himself. However, one problem did arise. He didn't know what to say.

Why did she have him sit down?! All of that and not even one more word to him? What was she thinking? For someone who's supposed to be smart, this was an absolutely idiotic blunder.

"I see you've been collecting supplies. Are you excited for your third year?" Izuku asked.

Saiko refocused herself, looking at the green-haired boy. He had on his usual smile and demeanor. And admittedly… it was kind of cute. Huh? What was she even thinking!?

"Oh… well, yes. I am. To be able to continue on my path towards a hero is truly outstanding. I want to learn as much as I possibly can." She replied.

Izuku smiled. "That's great, Intelli-san."

Saiko went deep in thought for a minute. "What about you, Midoriya-san?"

"Huh?"

"Are you looking forward to your second year at U.A.?"

It was a genuine question. Even though she wasn't at U.A., which is partly why she asked, she also wanted to get to know the successor of All Might a little more. To put it bluntly, she had a very small opinion of him as a person.

Izuku's eyes gleamed like a star in the night sky. "Of course I am! Even with how my Quirk has developed since last school year, I know there's still plenty I can still learn. New fighting styles, strategies, communication, all sorts of stuff."

Saiko lingered on his words for a couple of seconds. On the one hand, it was rather encouraging. On the other, she felt sad all of a sudden. She simply looked away again, which caused Izuku to worry.

"That's good. You should always be striving to learn more." Saiko replied.

Izuku paused for a moment, before speaking again. "Definitely. Which is why I decided I wanted to pick up this book."

Saiko turned back in curiosity and her eyes widened. That wasn't what she thought it was, was it? Well, it was. It was THE book. The book she was trying to find. No wonder she couldn't find it. Izuku had taken the last copy it seems.

"That's the book I was looking for." She said.

Izuku's eyes slightly expanded. "Oh! My apologies, if you need this book more than me I'll happily—"

Saiko put a finger to his lips. "Don't give me that. You found it first, it's only fair you get to check out with it."

However, she then gave a rather sadistic smile. "Or, are you saying you'd happily give up one of your future belongings to me?"

Izuku blushed a little, but then something dawned on him. "Wait, you haven't checked out either. Were you about to leave without paying for the school supplies you put inside your bag?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Let's not talk about that," Saiko said, looking embarrassed.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head and laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Saiko asked with a hint of annoyance.

Izuku waved his hands. "S-S-Sorry! I didn't mean to come off rude. But, it's just nice to see someone as smart as you make simple mistakes here and there."

Saiko's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "It is?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. It means you're human. It's good to be intelligent, I try my best to make sure I'm still learning and growing mentally. But if everyone were a genius with no room for error, then that would mean we wouldn't be making mistakes. Which also means we wouldn't be learning. And I wouldn't consider that to be human."

The periwinkle-haired girl just sat there, a little stunned in all honesty. Her smarts were something she was prideful of, more so for the sake of how she looked in front of others as much as she didn't want to admit. Being one of the top students at Seiai Academy kind of set her down that train of thought. But never in her life did she think anyone would ever tell her it was okay to not be smart all the time.

"…Izuku."

The boy was taken aback by the sudden use of his first name. However given her tone, it was not out of malice. No, it was something else. What could it be?

"Why are you like this?" Saiko asked.

"Huh?"

The girl cleared her throat. "Allow me to rephrase. Why are you so, for the lack of a more appropriate word, humble?"

Izuku looked more confused than Saiko did earlier. He guessed he could see what she meant. Especially since he could remember a few times being referred to as a 'Cinnamon Roll' by a few people before. Now THAT felt embarrassing.

Saiko clenched her fingers over her knees. "We have never even talked before, you admitting that you only know of my existence through the recordings of the Provisional Hero License Exam. And yet, no matter how I may have come across to you, you still treat me with kindness and respect."

As he listened, Izuku's expression softened.

"Not that alone. I am aware of how you have been treated by others at times. Yaoyorozu-san has mentioned it a couple of times in our passing meetings every so often. I just can't understand how you can remain warm and appreciative of others, even those who wrong you. Especially with the strength you have accumulated." She finished.

There was a long pause. Longer than both of them had expected, or wanted. But for Saiko, there wasn't much else she wanted to say after that. And for Izuku, he wanted to find the right words to reply with. A proper response.

"To be blunt, it's just who I am." Izuku finally said, causing Saiko to look on in confusion.

"I-In school, before I gained this power. Before I had 'One For All', I was bullied for being Quirkless. A nobody who didn't have anything special about him. That included one I consider my best friend."

Saiko's face looked two different ways. Sad, specifically sad for him. But also a bit of anger too. Izuku continued.

"You think with a background like that, you would expect any person to become resentful or at least angry. And deep down, there were little bits and pieces of it there. I have even expressed it before to those close to me. But, in the end, I still pushed on with a positive outlook. Why? Because well, there really isn't a reason. Not a good one anyway. Like I said, it's just who I am. The kind of hero I want to be."

After he finished talking, Saiko was at a loss for words in all honesty. Even if she were to use her Quirk beforehand in the conversation, not even that could have helped her predict going down this road of conversing with Izuku. All she could do at the moment was sit and stare at the floor, thinking deeply to herself.

"I'm jealous, in all honesty."

Izuku's eyes widened, looking a little taken aback. Saiko stood up nice and straight as she looked down at him.

"I may not know a lot about you, Midoriya-san. But from what I've heard and even seen, you are a hero who does their best. Tries to work as hard as he can. And it fills me with both admiration and frustration." Saiko says.

"Why is that?" Izuku asked.

The girl's expression was shadowed, but clearly saddened. "Because… it makes me feel like I'm at a standstill. Like I can't improve."

Izuku soon stood up as well with Saiko, causing her to shift her gaze away from him.

"Obviously I am aware that I am more suited as a support to heroes. But, that doesn't mean I don't want to fight villains and help people. Be a hero in my own way, without needing others at all times. And seeing someone like you being able to do that so… casually. Again, admirable. But frustrating, for me."

"Then why don't I help you?"

Both of Saiko's ears turned red as she became startled. That was so out of nowhere! So nonchalant! It's like he said it without even pondering it for even a second more! Just what is with this boy!?

"W-What are you even saying?" She asked. "How can you help me?"

Once again, it was that warm smile of his that caught her attention once more as he said, "If you want to improve in terms of physical strength, I'm always happy to help."

"It is not that simple," Saiko replied.

"You really think that?"

"O-Of course, dummy!"

"But would your Quirk make you think otherwise?"

That was enough to make Saiko clam up. Shit, she forgot that he's also pretty smart himself. No way she can get away with being intentionally vague. She sighed and looked at Izuku right in his sparkling green eyes.

"Are you positive you want to help me? I'm not exactly fond of U.A." Saiko asked.

Izuku immediately nodded, extending his arm and hand out. "Definitely! Plus Ultra, right?"

She paused for a moment, looking at his face, and then his hand. His face. His hand. Face. Hand. And then quickly took it, shook it, and let go. Izuku was confused by how fast that was, but upon looking at Saiko, she was red in the face.

'I wonder what's wrong.' Izuku wondered.

'Too… cute… Wait, what am I saying!?' Saiko said internally.

As their conversation came to a close, the newly uncovered sun shined right through the store, signally the end of the massive storm. The two teenagers looked outside at the wet but sunny outdoors, then looked at each other again. The two stepped up to the counter and paid for their items before stepping outside.

"L-Like I said, you can borrow this book for a bit," Izuku suggested.

Saiko sighed. "I already said you can—"

"Saiko."

Just like that, Miss Intelligent was completely caught off guard. Izuku looked red in the face from using someone's first name without permission, but he tried to keep his composure. He extended his hands out to Saiko, handing her the book.

"I-I mean it. You can borrow it. I really don't mind. We're both trying to become great heroes, right? So isn't it normal to want to help out other heroes?" Izuku said.

Saiko took a gander at the book. The unique engraved symbol on the front, the brown and black patterns all over. She wanted to deny it, almost out of a sense of pride at this point, but one more look at Izuku's expression sealed the deal. She lightly took the book from Izuku's hands and placed it in her bag.

"Thank you, Midoriya-san," Saiko said smiling, before blushing and turning away. "T-This does not change a thing by the way! It's just a temporary alliance."

Izuku blinked for a few second before smiling, beginning to take his leave, when he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his shirt again.

"Hold it. You said I am only borrowing this book. That means we need a way to know when I should give it back." Saiko said.

Izuku titled his head. "Couldn't we just come back to the store?"

The periwinkle girl sighed and poked Izuku on the forehead with her index finger. "I swear, sometimes I can't tell if you're really smart, or really stupid sometimes."

"Chalk it up to nerves."

"Fought the deadliest of villains and this gets your nerves going?"

The green-haired boy felt something taken from his pocket, as he saw Saiko going through both his and her phone. Before Izuku could even ask what she was doing, she simply handed his phone back to him.

"W-What was—"

"I input my contact information into your device and vice versa. That way we have an easy way of communicating in case something were to happen. As well as for scheduling our training." Saiko said.

The boy was puzzled yet again. "Huh? Training?"

Saiko sighed but smiled. "I swear, are you really as smart as I thought? Did you already forget what you said you would do for me?"

Something clicked in Izuku's mind as he had a face of both realization and embarrassment. Saiko chuckled as she patted him on the back.

"Well, Midoriya-san. I think it's about time I begin to run my other errands. I will be seeing you soon." She said as she began walking.

"I-Intelli-san!"

The boy had suddenly yelled, causing the girl to turn toward him. Saiko could tell Izuku was sort of already regretting it. She could guess only sort of, given how he looked like he desperately needed to say it.

"I… I think your dress looks really good on you!" He said.

Saiko blushed and turned away flustered. "O-Of course! That much was obvious." With that, she walked off.

Izuku sighed and tried his best to keep standing, as he was pretty sure he was about to lose consciousness after doing something like that. He felt like he was back at his Entrance Exam all over again somehow. Why would he say something like that out of the blue? Well, it just felt like the right thing to do.

It was late in the evening when Saiko returned home. It had been quite a long day so she headed up to her room immediately, crashing onto the bed. Yeah yeah, really unrefined, she genuinely could not care any less. As she rolled over onto her back, she looked through her bag and pulled out two things. The book she got from Izuku, and the bottle of tea she had before.

"Okay. Time to get a head start." She said.

She sat up as she was taking a sip of her tea, her IQ went up tremendously. Even starting on the first hero she just started reading about, she was already thinking of ways she could incorporate what they did or what they knew into her own fighting styles or plans. It was during this reading session, however, that her phone dinged. She wondered who it could be, but then saw the name.

Izuku: Whenever you are ready, we can start planning days for training. If that's alright with you.

Despite how she'd been toward him before, she couldn't help but smile at the boy's constant need to make sure everyone had a choice. She grabbed her phone and began typing.

Saiko: Sure. How about this Sunday?

Izuku: That works! I'll see you then!

She laid back on her bed looking at her phone. It was weird. After that talk she had with Izuku, she felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. In all honesty, she hasn't been able to open up to anyone like that in a long time. And weirdly enough, not even to her group of girls at the academy. There was something about Izuku that made talking easy, even though was their first ever true conversation with one another. Even though she saw U.A. as her rival. As her eyes unconsciously stared at the ceiling lost in thought, another smile made its way across her face.

"I am awaiting our day together, Midoriya-san."