Chapter 4: Enter the Swift Hero and Floating Heroine

Pain.

Physical pain.

Self-induced physical pain.

This time, however, there was the mental pain as well.

There had been a lot of firsts that Wednesday for Izuku. It was the first time he had ever used his quirk on someone else. The first time he had to fight villains ever since he got his quirk. The first time he had ever seen All Might go all out in person. The last one was the source of Izuku's mental anguish.

Midoriya and All Might were both in the nurse's office back at school. Both had received injuries during a villain invasion during what was supposed to be rescue training. Recovery Girl could handle their injuries, however, pro heroes Eraserhead and Thirteen had received much more serious wounds and were at an actual hospital. Just minutes before he was told by Detective Tsukauchi, an ally and friend to All Might from the police, that both heroes would survive and recover, which brought some comfort to the teen. But it did nothing to stop Izuku from feeling dread about his mentor's situation.

The boy's idol had given his all against the villain known as Nomu. He had pushed past his time plus power limits, and it had cost him. The number one hero already mentioned that this encounter would shorten the duration of his muscle form, which concerned Midoriya of course, but another thought was dominating his mind. It was the thought of the actual possibility of losing his idol, his mentor, his friend. All Might had told his successor if he and his classmates had not helped, the symbol of peace would probably be dead. While grateful for the comment, to think that his demise was even possible had struck Izuku to his core. The idea that Japan would lose it's number one hero, of having to learn to develop his quirk on his own, and that he could have lost a father figure were all things he would need to deal with if his mentor died. The boy had lacked an actual adult male figure in his life for quite some time.

The green-haired teen shook such thoughts from his head. He then looked to his right. The sight of his mentor getting some well-deserved sleep eased Midoriya. Not much time had passed since the detective left the room, and after Recovery Girl did another check-up on her patients, she left to monitor the pro heroes at the hospital. All Might was quick to fall asleep after her leave. Sleep was starting to claim Izuku as well. His eyes were getting heavy, and it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. However, something he heard to his left made him quickly become wide awake.

"Hey, Midoriya-kun, you awake?"

The boy knew who that voice belonged to. Turning his head towards the source just confirmed it, because he saw nothing. Izuku's face then became flustered. There was no doubt that Tooru was standing next to him, but because she was entirely invisible meant she was wearing nothing. A naked girl was standing right next to him. "H-Hagakure-san," the teen groaned in a small voice.

"That's me," she whispered confidently back.

The question of how raced through Midoriya's mind. He knew there were police just outside the door guarding it to make sure no one bothered All Might and to keep his true form a secret. "How did you get in here? The police are blocking the door to get in," he murmured.

"I just slipped in the office when that granny nurse left. No one was in the office so it was easy for me to quietly open the next door to this room," she answered.

Izuku started rubbing his forehead and responded, "But why?"

"Well, we didn't get to hang out, again," Tooru said annoyed.

They did seem to keep getting their meetups consistently interrupted. The invisible gal had suggested that they sit next to one another on the bus drive back to U.A. after the training was over. Ida's failed assigned seating arrangements had kept them separate during the bus ride towards the unforeseen simulation joint, as Thirteen had called it. Tooru said she would try and convince the class president to let them seat freely as she and Izuku walked away from the bus. The boy wondered if she even bothered to ask Tenya after the events that unfolded earlier that day. Izuku noticed a depression in the bed to his left; she must be sitting down now.

"You really shouldn't be here. You could get in a lot more trouble than just skipping a class," Midoriya said worryingly.

"Oh, relax would you," she huffed softly. She then continued, "Classes for today and tomorrow got canceled. I just snuck in here the way I did cause of those bozos outside. Which, by the way, why are the police here? You're not in trouble, are you?"

Midoriya was caught off guard by the question and said, "W-What? No, I g-guess that they are just keeping watch since I'm a witness. A detective came by and asked me some questions."

Tooru responded quietly, "Oh yeah, I remember such a person talking to some of our classmates in the aftermath today. He was how we found our teachers and you were going to be ok."

Izuku responded with, "Yeah he told me about the teachers as well."

Before Midoriya could ask another question, the invisible gal spoke first. "And by the way, who's the skeleton dude next to you? He looks kind of sickly," Tooru said in a hushed tone.

Midoriya's mind began to race once again. He quickly blurted out, but softly, "I-I don't know, he was h-here before I got a-arrived." He turned once more to make sure his mentor was still sound asleep. Besides having turned his head away from the two, the man hadn't moved Izuku observed.

Hagakure was quick to ask another question, "You're acting weirder than usual Midoriya-kun. What gives?"

Izuku hiccupped to her question, which brought a soft giggle from Tooru. The boy placed his arms around his head, one around his chin, and another to his side of his face and the hand cupping the top back of his skull. While blushing even more and looking away from Tooru's direction he gave off the smallest of whispers, "D-Did you have to c-come here with n-no clothes on?"

"Um, I know we are trying to not wake the dude over there by being quiet, but even I couldn't even hear that, and I'm next to you," the invisible heroine explained.

A bit louder and with a shaky confidence Izuku asked again, "Did y-you have to come n-naked?"

"Gosh you are so awkward over the smallest of things," she chuckled quietly. "How was I supposed to get into this room if I wasn't invisible. You're totally doing what Ojiro-san did when we were partnered up from our battle training exercise. And it's adorable by the way."

Midoriya asked with a reddening blush, "D-Doesn't that make you u-uncomfortable at all?"

There was a slight pause before Tooru answered softly, "It did when I was younger but unless I have to undress when people are around I never feel embarrassed anymore. I shed my clothes in a bathroom and hid them behind a toilet, so it was no big deal. I don't see how you can be as uncomfortable as you are Midoriya-kun when you can't see anything revealing."

"I-It's just me k-knowing that you are n-nude right now, r-right beside me is w-what is bothering me," Izuku muttered.

Hagakure then said, "If it makes you feel any better I got the uniform subsidy and the support department working together on a hero suit I can wear that stays invisible when I wear it. They are taking a while to get it working how I want it, but it is a big request and all, so it doesn't bother me that much."

"That s-sounds like a g-good idea," the nervous boy muttered. It did intrigue and somewhat comfort Izuku but trying to turn the conversation to a different subject, he asked, "Hey so, what did you do during the attack? Did you take out any villains?"

Tooru gave a quiet exhale and said, "I wish. Frosty took care of most of the bad guys in the landslide zone by himself. I just hid to stay safe as his quirk could have frozen me as well."

She must be describing Shoto Todokori, Izuku thought. He was impressed at the ice-wielding hero's feat of handling so many villains on his own. But then he remembered how quickly the student had shut down both Tooru and Mashirao during the battle training. Either way, Midoriya proceeded to tell his visitor what had transpired when the villains attacked. How he was transported to the flood zone, teamed up with Tsuyu and Mineta, made their way to the villain that was the leader of the invasion, and witnessed All Might's arrival plus fight with Nomu.

"Sounds like you have quite an adventure today," Tooru said quietly.

Jokingly the boy raising the arm that had an IV in it and weakly said, "Yep. Time of my life."

Hagakure let out a sigh and said, "Well I guess you do end up getting hurt often. But I suppose that's just how a great hero-in-training like yourself is like. I mean you were able to even help All Might-sensei."

The praise made Izuku heart skip a beat, but he retorted, "No if I am going to be a decent hero then I need to focus on figuring out how to use my quirk without breaking my bones." The boy rubbed his right leg with his free hand before continuing, "I cannot always rely on Recovery Girl-sensei to heal my mistakes."

They both did not speak for a few moments after the change in tone of the conversation. But Midoriya eventually broke the silence by stating, "Look Hagakure-san, we need another way to stay in touch if we cannot meet at lunch each day. I don't want you to get in trouble over me."

Tooru then asked with a little agitation in her voice, "Then what do you suggest, smarty-pants?"

Izuku racked his brain for a bit trying to figure out this problem. In the back of his mind, however, something distracted him. Why was Tooru so adamant about interacting with him each day. The boy did not dislike all the attention he was getting from the bubbly girl, but he wanted to know its meaning. He thought back to their talk when he was in this very room. How Hagakure had mentioned her struggles with maintaining the friendships she had from her previous school. Was the girl that afraid of drifting apart? They had only known each other for so little time; it felt odd to cling to such a short-lived relationship.

Gives you an idea of how bad my social life was in middle school, doesn't it?

What she said that day was still stuck in Midoriya's mind. Her lack of friendship in her previous school must be why Tooru was so desperate for friendship now. You can't have a sturdy building without a good foundation, Izuku thought. The foundation in a friendship is best established early on, and maybe that's why she is so frantic about meeting him each day. Without regular contact, was Hagakure afraid she might lose a friend again like she did before? And what of Ojiro? The tailed teen was her friend as well. Did Tooru chat with him during the bus ride back? Even if she did, she was here with him now. So why him? Was it because Izuku had interacted with her first? Was it because she saw him as something different? Something more? What would people in such a more personal relationship usually do to keep in touch?

A solution then hit Izuku. This could solve the problem. But he didn't like it. It felt too quick, to ask a girl for this at his age, at least in Midoriya's mind. But logically it made sense. And it didn't have to be the way he saw it and maybe she would see it as meaning something different.

Izuku meekly said, "Um, I-I got an i-idea that c-could work. "W-We could exchange p-phone numbers."

"Hey, why didn't I think of that? It's perfect Midoriya-kun," Hagakure happily said as softly as possible. Izuku saw the depression in the bed disappear and soon a piece of paper and pencil on a desk near the door were floating in the air. The boy then saw the floating pencil quickly whiz around as it wrote. The paper then traveled towards him and was then dropped on his lap.

"Oh, this is so great, now we don't have to worry about all our missed meet-ups, and we can be in touch when we just talk about anything," the invisible girl said with a slightly raised volume. Izuku quickly put his finger over his mouth in an exaggerated motion. "Oh, sorry," the girl continued a small voice.

The boy whispered back, "I'll text you later, so you can get my number as well. It's probably best if you head back to get your clothes and head home. And I got an idea on how to get you out of here." Midoriya told his plan to the invisible gal, and then he got up dragging his IV stand with him as he approached the door. He left it open as he entered the nurse's office and then walked to open the door to the hallway. Izuku's sudden appearance surprised the police sitting just outside. While he asked the guards if he could go to the bathroom, he left the door wide open, letting Tooru make her escape.

Izuku remained in the bathroom for a few minutes as he didn't need to use the bathroom but wanted to give the illusion that he was. During those minutes Izuku pondered at how he had gotten himself in this situation. He just had a girl give her phone number to him. And he had asked for it. From her reaction, Tooru didn't seem to take that as when someone was attempting to get a date with someone. He had hoped for that because he didn't want to come off as such. After returning from the bathroom and laying back in bed, Izuku finally thought he could get to rest. However, another voice, this time on his right got his attention.

"Well that was quite interesting, don't you think my boy?"

Izuku's heartbeat soared. All Might had been awake during Tooru's visit. "H-h-how long were you-," Izuku tried to say.

"Most of the conservation," the pro hero interrupted as he slowly turned his head towards his successor. "To tell you the truth, I've always been a light sleeper since I started getting famous as a hero. Plenty of villains have tried to get the jump on me at my home before I moved to a more secret and secure location. Saved me a few times, yes it did. Good thing for us both that your invisible friend is on the side of justice. I would hate to think how efficient she could be as an assassin if she had gone down the wrong path with a quirk such as hers."

Midoriya's mentor wheezed a bit but then continued, "However, what just happened was yet another instance of our secret almost being exposed. Luckily, she came in after Shuzenji-san left, and not earlier. Would have been troublesome indeed. You haven't hinted to her anything about One for All like you did with that Bakaguo kid, have you?"

Shuzenji-san? Was that Recovery Girl's actual last name? He wondered if pro heroes often shared their more personal details. Though because of All Might's condition, he must interact with her often. This subject also got Izuku to wonder, what was All Might's real name? He had been working with him for about a year now and he still didn't know this detail. Thinking that perhaps he was taking too long to answer, the boy turned his thoughts back to reality and then said, "No sir, I just said I was a late bloomer when it came to acquiring my quirk. I promise."

The number one hero scratched his chin and said, "Good, let's keep it that way. I must say though, I did not take you for being so bold as to ask a girl for her number, surprised me you did. At the very least that should solve our problem of her showing up in places and at times that would be disadvantageous to our quirk's secret."

His student was rapid in his response, "W-wait, n-no, it was j-just the only t-thing I could think of. I-I couldn't have her s-sneak in here a t-third time." Izuku quickly realized what he just said and was quick to cover his mouth with his free hand.

All Might's gaze hardened and he said, "Third time? This has happened before? When?"

Izuku admitted defeat and explained, "After our first lesson with you, Hagakure-san skipped Midnight-sensei's class to visit me here."

The withered hero grunted but continued, "Lass has spunk, I'll give her that. Though there are better ways to use her quirk."

Midoriya was quick to add, "Last time she came fully clothed, u-unlike this time. She was just lucky she wasn't caught last time."

The teacher crossed his fingers with his hands and thought for a moment before saying, "Yes, an odd condition to make full use of one's quirk. I might visit the support department to see if they can hasten the production of her hero suit. Should help you both overcome your current predicament faster." Izuku was quite embarrassed that All Might had noticed his problem with Tooru being nude. "Either way my boy, it's good to see you interacting with a friend so early in your schooling here. I'll admit, I have not been around much to see your progression outside hero training. It's good to have allies one can rely on; on and off the field of battle. I hope she's the first of many for you."

All Might's true form wobbled a bit, and he wheezed, "Now while that was a stimulating distraction, I would like some rest. And that goes for you too. We should both get some shut-eye before Recovery Girl returns to release us." Midoriya nodded, and finally, after adjusting himself a bit in his bed, let sleep take him.


With classes canceled, Izuku decided to start his daily aerobics and weight training in the morning for a change. Usually, this was done in the afternoon after school, but he was having a hard time trying to pass the time that morning with certain thoughts clouding his mind.

He was expecting a text from Tooru. The previous night he had sent a text to her to establish his number in her phone. She simply thanked him and said they would talk tomorrow. Midoriya figured it would be during lunchtime, to mimic the often missed meet-ups. But noon came and went. The boy had since finished his morning exercises and was now writing in his notebook about yesterday's event. He had hoped just some note-taking of his observations and conclusions from yesterday would pass the time quickly. And it did, too well. Now the sun was gone from the horizon, and it was getting darker by the minute. Midoriya was starting to panic. What could be delaying Hagakure? Was he supposed to initiate the conversation? Did she forget about the whole thing? Would it look desperate if Izuku texted first? But would Tooru be mad that he didn't text her even if she did forget? What was the invisible girl like when she was angry? The green-haired teen remembered her being annoyed a few times and she seemed upset when talking about the problems she experienced in her last school, but never actually angry. He didn't want to see her angry at him.

But before Midoriya could think into the matter more, his phone vibrated. All this time the boy had waited and worried, and now the text was finally here, and Izuku just sat there frozen. Minutes flew by. Midoriya eventually started to reach for his phone, but another jostle of his phone made him flinch back his hand. After a few moments, he finally grabbed his phone to see the two messages she had sent.

Izuku noticed the messages ware on his group chat app. He wondered, why not just a simple text? On the app, people's messages came with an icon. Midoriya's was, of course, a picture of All Might flexing. Hagakure's was simply a blank portrait, which made sense when he thought about it.

Blank: Good evening Midoriya-kun, you ready to have a little chat?

Blank: You there? It's okay if now isn't a good time.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. Tooru wasn't mad, and he was worrying over nothing. He began to type a response.

All Might: Sorry was in the bathroom, I should be good to talk now.

He hated to lie but couldn't think up of another excuse in such a short amount of time.

Blank: Oh, good. And thanks again for coming up with this idea.

All Might: No, problem. So what was it you wanted to speak about?

There was a bit of a pause before the next message came and Midoriya started to get a bad feeling.

Blank: So I was wondering, would you like to go shopping with me on Saturday?

A date?! Izuku wasn't prepared for this. Wait, was it too much to presume this was a date? Maybe Tooru just wanted to hang out? But isn't hanging out dating? What truly defined what a date was? Regardless, he could just say no. But would that come off as rude? Would Hagakure be angry if he said no? How could this conversation continue if he said no? Midoriya steeled his mind and nerves and began to stumble as he typed.

All Might: Of course, I would love to go.

Izuku felt this was out of character for him; he was currently dreading to go. But he had to say something. Even if the response was more for Tooru than himself. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, he received a response.

Blank: Thank goodness, I was working up the courage to ask you all day. I'll talk to you about the specifics at lunch tomorrow. Toodles!

Having now learned why Hagakure had texted him so late, Midoriya could only chuckle. The thought that they both were stressing over just a text made him smile a bit. For now, his stress levels had dropped, and he sent one final text before calling it an early night.

All Might: Good night and see you in class.


Izuku was walking to school on Friday and as he approached he was starting to feel less and less comfortable with what was going to happen Saturday. The stress had caused him to unknowingly pick up his pace, and before he knew it, he was in class a lot earlier than he normally was. At the moment only Momo, Tenya, and Tsuyu were there. A glimmer of hope popped into Midoriya's mind as he looked at his class president. He approached the tall teen and asked, "Ida-san, could I talk to you outside the classroom for a minute? I have a problem that I think you can help with."

Ida's face lit up at his friend's question and said, "I'd be glad to be of assistance to you Midoriya-san, please lead the way."

Once outside the room, Izuku began with, "Look I know this might sound too personal to ask you, but I am clueless when it comes to a subject like this."

Tenya rose his eyebrow and said, "Well whatever it is, I'm sure we can iron out whatever situation you have gotten yourself into. So what's the issue?"

The shorter teen tilted his head down and brought his two index fingers together before responding with, "H-Hagakure-san asked me to go s-shopping with her t-tomorrow."

Ida was silent as he let the information sink in for a second but then began to flail his arms in odd patterns as he tried to grasp the severity of the situation. If Izuku hadn't seen him make similar odd gestures before he would have sworn the taller teen was going to attack him. Eventually, Tenya stopped and coughed before adjusting his glasses and said, "Sorry I just wasn't prepared for such a response from you Midoriya-san. I could never assume anyone in our class to have already attracted the attention of another classmate so early in our semester. I am quite impressed actually. My duty as the class president wants me to condemn you for having any relationship like this with a fellow student but as someone who has been inspired by you to be a better hero I cannot just let you down; it would be unworthy of me as a class president and a fellow classmate. So I suggest you say yes to Hagakure-san and enjoy your time with her tomorrow."

While Izuku was taken back at how Ida had responded he bluntly said, "But I already said yes to her."

Surprised, Tenya then asked, "Then what do you need my help for?"

Izuku panickily responded with, "I-I just don't know w-what to do once I am with h-her. W-What should I even w-wear? S-Should I b-buy her something? P-Pay for the food if we e-eat somewhere? I-I just don't k-know. I am g-grasping at s-straws here Ida-san."

Midoriya was about to continue rambling, but two hands from Ida grasped his shoulders. Calmly he said, "Worry not, it's going to be ok Midoriya-san. Let me think this over during classes today, I'll think of something."


Classes that morning passed by with little incident. The bell rang for lunch, but before Izuku got up to leave for the cafeteria, Tenya approached his desk. With a thumbs up the tall teen proclaimed, "I think I have the perfect plan to assist you Midoriya-san. I cannot delve into details at the moment, as I still need to set some things up before I can fully commit to this solution to your inquiry." Ida pulled his phone from his pocket and continued by saying, "I suggest we exchange our numbers so that I might contact you after school when I have finalized everything."

The shorter teen then asked, "You sure this will work?"

With a shaky grin, Tenya responded with, "It's a little out of my comfort zone, but I think we'll manage." Satisfied, Izuku thanked him before heading to lunch. As Midoriya walked the hallway he thanked the stars for his luck. Originally he was going to ask Ojiro for advice, but he was having a hard time thinking of how he could discuss it with the tailed hero at lunch as Hagakure would be there too. Seeing Ida early that morning was a perfect alternative that seemed to have bore fruit.

Lunch itself was quite standard. Mashirao was quick to ask Izuku of the events that unfolded on Wednesday. While the two boys discussed the subject at length, Tooru was awfully quiet. Trying to bring the invisible heroine back into the conversation, Izuku asked if Tooru ever got to have her "petting session" with Ojiro's tail. She was excited to report that she did on the ride back to school after the villain attack. Hagakure then continued by revealing to Ojiro her plans with Midoriya for tomorrow. The green-haired teen expected a surprised reaction from Mashirao, but he seemed quite calm. It seemed Tooru thought the same and teased that the tailed teen's reaction was because he was trying to hide that he was jealous. Ojiro was quick to rebuttal that he disliked shopping and that even if wanted to go he couldn't as he was meeting with his Muay Thai instructor tomorrow. His response seemed to annoy Hagakure, but she accepted his answer regardless. Hagakure then showed Midoriya where to meet her on her phone, it was a shopping district just outside his own city, Musutafu, and to be there at 11:30 that morning.

Mashirao would later tell Izuku as they left lunch, once Tooru was out of range, that he figured she had used his tail for comfort than whatever reason she wanted to "squeeze" it before. "I could tell Hagakure-san was a bit shaken that day, so I brought up my promise to her in hopes to cheer her up. She was pleased to take up my offer and was silent most of the way back as she embraced my tail. But when she did speak up she only said how worried she was about you Midoriya-san," Mashirao explained with care in his tone. He then quickly held an index finger to his mouth as he said, "Please don't mention that I told you this tidbit to Hagakure-san."

So Tooru came yesterday not only to make up their missed meet-up but also because she truly was concerned about his well-being as well, Izuku thought. Or maybe her distress about his health was the entire reason she came, and the other reason was just a front. Either way, Midoriya was pleased that Ojiro had told him this. "Of course, just between us, and thanks for telling me," he said as he raised his fist.

Mashirao gave a quick fist bump and said, "Yes, just between us. Oh, and good luck tomorrow, she can be a handful." Izuku nodded and hoped Tenya's plan would make it manageable.


It was late that afternoon. Midoriya had just finished his daily aerobics routine, but there was still no word form Ida about his supposed plan. Being too curious to wait, and since it was just Tenya, Izuku decided to text him while making his way back home.

All Might: Hey, any update on your plan?

Glasses: Sorry for the lack of news. I'm still awaiting an answer from someone. If I get a yes then we should be good to go.

All Might: Mind telling me what that's about?

Glasses: Oh, well I decided the best plan of action would be for me to come with you tomorrow.

All Might: What? Are you gonna follow us or something?

Glasses: No, I am coming WITH you. Besides, that idea is just asking for trouble.

All Might: WHAT? I cannot see any situation where Hagakure-san would be ok with this!

Glasses: Hence why I am asking another female student to come along. That should even things out, no?

Midoriya was puzzled. So was Tenya setting up this to be a double date? Midoriya was still flip-flopping whether he could count this as just hanging out or an actual date.

All Might: So who did you ask to join us?

Glasses: Well I still don't know if she wants to come or not. I'll tell you whenever she confirms she is.

Izuku was wondering who Tenya could be talking about. Perhaps it was Momo? She was the class vice president after all. He could see Tenya trying to reason with her that it was up to the class leadership to help with such a situation. However, this was something to do outside of school so that idea quickly became not possible in Midoriya's mind. He drew a blank of anyone else the tall teen might ask.

Glasses: By the way, can I come to your house tomorrow morning if this all works out? I should be able to assist you with what clothes to wear and give some pointers.

The length Ida was going for this to work astounded the green-haired teen. Was this all because of how much Tenya appreciated Izuku for helping him grow as a hero? The tall teen's words from the morning still lingered in Midoriya's mind.

"My duty as the class president wants me to condemn you for having any relationship like this with a fellow student but as someone who has been inspired by you to be a better hero I cannot just let you down; it would be unworthy of me as a class president and a fellow classmate."

All Might: Sure, that sounds fine. And thanks for everything today.

Glasses: You bet, I'll admit this is kind of fun for me!

Izuku could only smile at Tenya's final text. He had arrived at his house a few minutes ago and was already in his room getting ready to shower. Instead of dwelling on who Ida had invited, the green-haired teen instead focused on what to do tomorrow as he entered his bathroom. Shopping was not something he did often, and it usually involved being alongside his mother. Also, what was he going to do about money? Midoriya had a little over six thousand yen saved up. That should be enough for something decent right? That depended on where they were shopping though. Should he buy something anyway? Izuku truly hoped they were just going to window shop. But did that make him sound cheap? It all confounded Midoriya as he sat in the tub trying to figure this out. After finishing his bath he had found that Ida had responded back.

Glasses: Well luckily for both of us she said yes, so full steam ahead. See ya tomorrow!

Izuku eyes narrowed. He was not letting Tenya get away with this. The class president had promised he would say who she was once he was able to confirm.

All Might: You still have not told me who else you invited.

A few minutes passed before an answer came.

Glasses: Alright, I did promise. I invited Uraraka-san. You two are acquainted and have worked with one another in the past. It seemed logical that she would be willing to help.

Izuku facepalmed. Of course, it was obvious. Ochako was another female at U.A. that he had many positive interactions with. Also, he had seen Ida and Uraraka spend their time together at lunch. Again, Midoriya had worried over the small details too much.

All Might: She's a good choice. Sorry if I seemed pushy, you are just trying to help me after all. See you tomorrow.


Tenya arrived the next morning to the surprise of Izuku's mother. Inko was thrilled to see a friend of her son visit her home, as it was the first time she could remember since he was in pre-school. After some greetings, the boys made for Midoriya's room to begin their preparations. But before they began, Ida asked, "So, how much does your mom know about the situation?"

Izuku merely stated, "Well I only told her I was going to hang out with some friends this afternoon. I fell asleep before I could mention you coming today though."

Tenya acknowledged this with a nod and continued, "Let's start with getting you into an appropriate outfit. If this is truly just a straightforward get together, and not a date, then simple casual is our best course of action. And by simple, I mean nothing with a large logo or anything with a busy pattern. Something that is just a solid color with little variance in the design should do." While Midoriya began trying out clothes to show Tenya, he took note of what his class president was wearing. Ida was wearing dark blue jeans with a light orange polo shirt. His shirt was tucked in and had a black belt around his waist. If it wasn't for him wearing a dark blue baseball hat and a small black fanny pack to his side, Izuku was more inclined to say Ida had gone spiffy casual. Eventually, they decided on Izuku wearing some black cargo pants and a simple green t-shirt. "These colors contrast well, and I feel this shade of green of your shirt plus your black shorts matches your hair and eye color quite well," Tenya explained.

As Midoriya put away the clothes not chosen, he asked, "So what's the game plan?"

The tall teen replied, "You haven't told Hagakure-san about us arriving so I think it would be best that you keep it that way and approach her alone. I've already set a different time and place for me to meet with Uraraka-san that's nearby." He then pulled out a map, pointed to a particular spot and continued speaking, "It will be almost noon at this point, so take her to this curry cafe. It's outdoors which will make more sense when Uraraka-san and I arrive to attempt to join you. An added plus is the food is a good taste for the decent price they offer it at."

Izuku was dazzled again at Tenya's plan and inquired, "Have you been around this area before Ida-san?"

A gentle smile came upon Ida's face, and he said, "Yes, I have. I've spent a lot of time here with my older brother around this plaza when I was younger. Either way, this should start the afternoon off well enough. I'm sure Hagakure-san has a plan on where she wants to shop, and we shouldn't impede on that. Remember that she might reject the idea of Uraraka-san and me joining you for lunch or shopping afterward. I can only do so much, and you will be on your own if it comes to that."

The shorter teen groaned in response, "Right, I understand. But any advice if I do have to fend for myself?"

Tenya paused for a moment before answering with, "Just go with the flow. If she wants to go or try something let her. But don't let her walk all over you either. If you are genuinely uncomfortable about something, be vocal about it. She will probably appreciate you being honest then just letting her do what she wants. Push your social limits further than you are used to, even if it's just a little, but don't push yourself to panic. It will be hard for you to want to push your limits socially again if you push yourself into a panicked state."

Izuku absorbed all the info he was just given as his life depended on it. However, he was slightly questionable about the panic part. He was gonna panic, that was a given. But perhaps it would be okay to panic anyway, just a little. Tooru did say she found it to be cute. Midoriya finally responded with, "That's quite insightful Ida-san. You sure know your stuff."

Tenya gave a slight bow, "I aim to please my friend. Now we should get going and head for the train towards our destination if we wanna get there promptly."


After a short ten minute ride, the pair exited the train and then split up. Izuku was surprisingly relaxed as he made his way to the meeting point, which turned out to be a toy store. Izuku didn't think much about it and simply leaned against a blank wall to the side of the shop as he waited for his friend. The weather was fair that day with only a bit of cloud cover. Not too warm but it was getting hotter as it got closer and closer to summer. He couldn't ask for a more perfect day in this regard. Midoriya's reflection on the weather was stopped short by a sudden figure that came into his view.

It was Tooru. She had already seen Izuku and was waving to get his attention. Her outfit included blue denim shorts that were lighter in color than Ida's jeans, a dark red t-shirt, and silver cuff bracelets on her wrists. The invisible teen stated in a cheery voice, "Goooood morning Midoriya-kun!"

"It's almost noon H-Hagakure-san," Izuku sheepishly said.

"Details, details, anywho thanks so much for agreeing to come today. It means the world to me," Tooru heartily stated.

Midoriya was quick to blush but said, "N-No problem. I-If you don't m-mind would you like to e-eat first since it's so close to noon? I know a p-place nearby if that's o-okay."

"Already? I was hoping we could shop a bit before we ate something," Tooru whined.

Izuku took a deep breath to try and calm down. He then tried to explain himself by saying, "That's my fault, I did not eat any breakfast this morning." It was true; he had skipped eating this morning in anticipation of Tenya's arrival.

Hagakure's tone changed as she said, "Oh. Well when you put it that way, sure why don't we grab a bite to eat." Midoriya was glad he was able to convince his friend. He didn't want to consider how Tenya would think of him if he was unable to even get to this point in the plan on his own.

The curry cafe wasn't far from their location, and once they got there Izuku chose a table outside that had four seats. They sat across from one another and started to look at their menus. "So why a place that serves curry? I'm not against the idea, just curious," Tooru asked.

"I s-sometimes get a craving for s-spicy food and today is one of those d-days I guess," the green-haired teen said as he gave a soft laugh while he scratched the back of his head with one hand. This seemed to satisfy his friend as she returned to looking at the menu. Midoriya didn't like to lie. However, the truth would be worse in this case. Either way, he started to eye the chicken curry selections as possibilities.

After a few minutes, the invisible girl placed her menu down and shifted her body forward and to the left. Izuku guessed what was going on and was glad they were finally here. The girl continued by saying, "No way is that who I think it is? Why is he here? Look Midoriya-kun!"

Midoriya looked around but was surprised not to see two of his classmates but a teacher, his homeroom teacher, Eraserhead. The darkly dressed man was looking through a window quite intensely, as much as he could tell from the wraps of bandages he still had on his face. At their angle, they couldn't see what was inside or what the building was. Izuku knew the pro hero rarely made appearances while on the job, as he tried to avoid the media and any attention at all when being a hero. Yet here he was, just as he dressed at school, in broad daylight in a shopping district of a city. Some people that were passing by were giving him concerned looks. Did they recognize the pro hero? Or was his bandaged appearance making those passing by to turn their heads? Eraserhead didn't stay long once he started to notice the attention he was attracting. He also glanced over to the two sitting down at the cafe but continued walked into the busy crowd of shoppers and disappeared.

"What do you think that was about? He doesn't seem the type to be out here in a place like this," Hagakure said, somewhat concerned.

"Indeed, Sensei's arrival is more perplexing than meeting you two here," said a stern voice. Both teens flinched and turned to see Ida and Uraraka standing next to their table. Wait why was he flinching, he knew they were coming, Izuku thought.

"This day just keeps getting weirder," huffed a baffled Tooru.

"What are the chances of meeting you two here? We saw you two as we passed by but as we approached we saw you two staring at Aizawa-sensei," Ochako explained. The green-haired teen took a better look at her outfit. She was wearing a gray t-shirt with black sports shorts that had a white line going down each leg.

Tenya chipped in again and said, "Did either of you see exactly what he was doing?"

Midoriya answered while pointing, "No, we only saw him taking a gander at whatever is inside that shop over there."

"Stay here I'm going to see what that store is," the tall teen stated. He then made his way over to the shop at a brisk walking pace.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch you two. We'll be on our way soon," Ochako apologized. Izuku violently shook his face towards the floating heroine from behind his menu so Tooru couldn't see.

Hagakure then asked, "Hey, why don't you and Ida-san join us today! We can all eat together, as we haven't even ordered yet. And afterward, if you want, we are planning to look around at some shops."

Before Ochako could answer, Tenya was back and replied, "That was an eyewear store. Why would Aizawa-sensei be looking into a place like that? I have never seen him wear glasses."

Izuku chimed in and said, "Maybe it has something to do with his quirk? He wears goggles because of his quirk."

Uraraka was quick to halt the conversation by telling Ida of Hagakure's invitation. Tenya acted out being surprised and not wanting to be a bother, but Tooru was adamant that it was okay for the two to join her and Izuku. Midoriya was just relieved that everything was somehow going according to plan.

Hagakure then dictated that her green-haired friend sit next to her and that the other two sit across from them. This made Izuku uncomfortable of course but he went with it, and it made sense to sit like this anyways. Plus, the waiter finally arrived and was ready to take their orders. Midoriya ordered madras chicken (boneless chicken curry made with tomatoes and onions) at a medium spice level. Both Hagakure and Uraraka asked for garlic chicken at a mild spice level. Ida went all in and ordered a lamb vindaloo (a very spicy curry made of boneless lamb and potatoes). Tenya also asked for some orange juice while everyone else just asked for water.

With their orders taken Tooru asked slyly, "So, why are you two here together?"

Uraraka slightly blushed and answered, "Would you believe that Ida-san called me yesterday and asked if wanted to spend this afternoon with him?"

The invisible gal replied in shock, "What? No way! I was expecting that you were the one that dragged Ida-san out here. Any reason for the call class president?

With a serious look, Tenya said, "What happened on Wednesday this week was hard on all of us. I had noticed Uraraka-san was still feeling in the dumps about it yesterday. So I thought I would cheer her up, as she is a good friend after all. We need to be at the top of our game if we want to do well at the Hero Festival that is coming up." Izuku wondered if that statement was just part of the act, or was true.

Hagakure then stated, "Well, it's more interesting than why Midoriya-san and I are here. I just asked him out of the blue Thursday night over the phone; I thought it would be fun for both of us." Yeah and it almost gave me a heart attack, Midoriya thought.

Tenya cleared his throat before saying, "Well while we wait for our food why don't we engage in some icebreaker questions?"

Tooru was clueless and asked, "What's an icebreaker?"

"It's an exercise used for people who don't know much about each other, to try and remedy that problem," Ochako explained.

Ida turned to his side and said, "Could not have said it better myself, thank you Uraraka-san. So I think for our first question, because of the setting here, let's share what your favorite food is. And I'll start. I enjoy beef stew more than anything else in this world."

Tooru was quick to respond with, "Oh, that's easy. Mine is caramel." Izuku made a mental note of this.

Ochako meekly said, "I-I like Japanese food."

Ida chipped in before Izuku could respond with, "That's too general Uraraka-san, try to be more specific."

This seemed to startle the "Oh, s-sorry. Um, I guess mochi?" (A rice cake made of mochigome, which is a short-grained glutinous rice harvested in Japan)

Midoriya spoke up and said, "For me it's Katsudon." (A rice bowl including fried pork cutlets, vegetables, and eggs)

Tenya then concluded with, "See this kind of exercise is perfect for letting us get to know each other better. Let's do some more."

Hagakure, however, pinched in and said, "Hey Ida-san, before we continue, I have wanted to ask you this for some time. Based on how you speak and act, are you from a wealthy family or something?"

Ida and Uraraka looked at each other with a concerned look on each other's faces. She put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I think it's ok if you tell them."

Tenya nodded and turned to the others and started with, "You are correct Hagakure-san, though I usually do not share this with others." He turned his head to Izuku and said, "Knowing you Midoriya-san, you've heard of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium before, right?"

Izuku's eyes widened, and he asked, "You mean the one with sixty-five sidekicks? You're related to him?"

Ida let a small smile show before replying with, "Yep, he's my older brother and he's my main inspiration for what a hero should be. Which actually should be our next question. Why did you guys want to become pro heroes?"

Izuku was first to answer this time by saying, "I want to be the number one hero in Japan, like All Might."

Tooru then stated, "Aiming for the top are we Midoriya-san? Well anyways, for me, it's because it would make me the first one in all my family to gain hero status." This intrigued Izuku. Another mental note to inquire more about at a later time.

Ochako looked flustered and said, "Ida-san already knows this but compared to your reasons, mine seems petty." The gravity hero then explained how her family had always struggled with money in their construction business. With her quirk, she wanted to help the family business, but they wanted her to instead focus on her dream of being a hero. Uraraka had hoped that she could use her money from being in the hero business to support them. But instead, she promised her dad to save up money from working as a hero so they could go on a vacation together. Midoriya had never even considered this and thought maybe he could help his mom in a similar way as well once he went pro. The group regardless voiced their support for her reasoning.

From there the food arrived, and the four dug in. Tenya might have gone a bit overboard with his order, as it seemed it was a lot spicier than he could handle. Pretty much each bite was followed by a sip of his drink to counteract it. The girls enjoyed their food and chatted to each other about other foods they enjoyed. Izuku was surprised how much he liked his dish, it was shot in the dark, but it turned out to be on point in taste. When it came to paying for the meal, Ida paid for Uraraka, which Midoriya thought was considerate. Izuku tried to do the same, but Tooru insisted that they pay for their own meal. She wasn't mad or annoyed luckily when he did offer, just simply stated that she was fine paying for herself. It ended up costing Izuku 1,800 yen, which left him at about four thousand yen left for shopping. The boy hoped that he didn't need to buy anything else.

To the green-haired teen's relief, Tooru just wanted to window shop. As the group made their way from store to store, they pointed out styles they liked or found hideous. Midoriya himself was not very knowledgeable at all when it came to fashion, and it seemed neither did Uraraka. Again, it surprised him that Ida was so well informed on fashion, which led to a lot of discussion of the subject between Tenya and Tooru as they looked around.

As the group passed a place that specialized in swimwear Tooru asked, "Hey Uraraka-san; summer isn't that far away, wanna try on some swimsuits?"

The floating heroine was beet red when she said, "I-Is this the b-best time for this H-Hagakure-san?"

Hagakure expressed in a teasing voice, "Oh, are we afraid to show the boys a little skin?"

Ochako was quick to rebuttal with, "Hey that's not fair for you to say! I would be the only one to show any skin, no one can see yours!"

This gave Tooru pause, but then she laughed and said, "I guess you got me there."

"Hagakure-san, I find this discussion somewhat inappropriate and if you haven't already noticed you are scaring Midoriya-san," Ida said while pointing at the shorter boy.

Izuku was in a corner muttering something about battle preparations to keep his mind from visualizing the two girls in swimsuits. The invisible girl gave a chuckle at Izuku's behavior but then sighed and whined, "Fine, maybe another day."

The rest of the afternoon went without incident. As time passed 4 pm, Tooru announced that she was tired and was ready to call it quits. The others had no complaints and after a few exchanges the group split. Hagakure had to catch a different train to go home, but they still had a few minutes of walking before needing to separate.

"I wonder how much those two like each other," Tooru randomly blurted out as they walked.

Izuku was a bit taken aback by this statement. Tenya only invited Ochako for the plan, but of course, his invisible friend didn't know that. Maybe she saw more than Midoriya could? But the boy did notice that the two did get along quite well. They always sat next to one another at lunch, as he and Tooru did. Trying to input something Izuku said, "I'm sure they are kind of like you and me."

Hagakure stopped walking and said, "What does 'you and me' mean to you?"

Back to the never-ending roller coaster that was the question of if this was just hanging out or this a date. Were they friends? Or something more? Izuku decided to go with a compromise. "I s-see us as b-best friends," the boy muttered out.

Tooru was silent for a few moments. Midoriya wasn't prepared for her quick movements to bring him into an embrace. Izuku was stunned at first but slowly to hugged her back. Once he did, Tooru spoke up, "Thanks for being honest."

After a minute they both separated and continued their walk. It wasn't long till they arrived at the station. After saying her goodbyes, the invisible girl made her leave. Izuku could only wave as she walked away, as he was having trouble speaking after the hug. He stood there for a while before his phone vibrated. Midoriya took it out to see who would be trying to message him at a time like this.

Glasses: So, did anything happen after we left?

Izuku waited a bit before having the nerves to text back.

All Might: Well she hugged me.

Glasses: First time?

All Might: Yeah.

Glasses: All right!

Bubbles: Great success!

Midoriya's mind raced, who was bubbles? He scrolled up on his phone and noticed Tenya had invited Ochako to the group. She then changed her name and icon to bubbles.

All Might: Why is this a group chat now?

Glasses: I thought it was appropriate.

Glasses: Uraraka-san was in on the plan after all and I thought if we needed to communicate secretly this would be the best place to do that.

Bubbles: Yeah, and I'm glad I could be of help today.

Izuku understood his point. However, it did irk him a bit. Midoriya revealed that he had hugged Tooru to another girl unknowingly.

All Might: Thanks you two. I don't know what I would have done without your assistance.

Midoriya got a bit curious at this point and worked up the strength to text a question for the two.

All Might: So did anything happen between you two after me and Hagakure-san left?

Izuku never got a response from them and decided not to push it. There was always time to ask later. Which got Midoriya to thinking, maybe he should invite those two to lunch at school.


That was a doozy of a chapter to write. I almost wrote more in this chapter than the first three chapters combined, all in like three nights. But I felt it was needed here. I wanted to do more than just get through the aftermath of the villain invasion and not just leave the end with a tease with Tooru setting up a date, especially if I could expand it to a double date in the same chapter!

More scenes using the phone texting format will happen in the future. With more characters eventually joining in on the phone texting I felt this format would work best once multiple people are talking to each other. Again I felt it was best to leave a note in the middle of the chapter of what I was doing instead of having people get confused, with my explanation only being in this section would be wrong.

So yes we have Tenya and Ochako joining our main cast now. I guess I focused more on Ida than Uraraka, but I just find him more interesting to write about. I revealed their motives for being a hero here since Midoriya missed the lunch that the two talked about the subject. Not much else to say about them as they are commonly present in the manga. But I am doing something a little different with them from the manga if you haven't already noticed. ;p

Mashirao didn't have much presence this chapter, despite his introduction last chapter. I was considering adding him to the shopping scene, but I felt it would have been tacked on and wouldn't allow the two new additions to shine as much I had hoped. He will be returning regularly come next chapter.

I plan to continue to take advantage of the two-week gap in the main story between now and the hero festival in chapter five. Next chapter will throw a bit of conflict into the story, as it's been pretty streamlined up to this point. Nothing major but I feel it's kind of needed at this point. Then chapter six will focus on the aftermath of the Hero Festival arc.

My knowledge on curry is pretty recent (about a year old). My work introduced me to a local restaurant called Taz: Indian Cusine, it's amazing by the way, which was the first time I ever had curry. Izuku's dish is my favorite, though I usually order poori as well (deep-fried wheat bread). I didn't wanna over complicate things with the bread choices, which there are a lot of, so I left them out. So that was why I chose a curry cafe. ;p

I was glad I included All Might and Eraserhead (though the latter's appearance was super minor) in this chapter. They'll have small appearances here and there in the future but will eventually be necessary to the plot and its main theme (other than Izuku and Tooru fluff of course). Originally I was going to have another teacher show up as well, but I decided to have the two mentioned previously just pick up the slack. Also, I did not want to borrow too many ideas from the story I got inspired to make an eventual plot point from.

Eventually, my weekly release schedule will probably either become bi-weekly or monthly releases as my work starts again (I'm off during the summer). So just a heads up. Until then, see ya on August 13th for chapter five.