Chapter 41: Work, Confession, and a Pillow?

Izuku stomped down to block another leg sweep. Just as he did, another figure appeared on the left side of the original attacker and gave a high kick. Midoriya stopped it just short of his head with the back of his hand. Said hand proceeded to grab his opponent's fake leg and crush it, which caused the entire body to puff into a white smoke cloud. Izuku then dispatched the other with a gut punch to the same result.

Ectoplasm's voice then echoed throughout the underground parking lot. "It seems sending two at a time won't be enough for some of you."

A thud was heard, and Midoriya looked behind him briefly to see Hagakure on her back. She was visible for once, wearing the U.A. gym uniform. The pro hero clone in front of her stated, "Though some of you still struggle with just one." It was then puffed by a swift strike by Yaoyorozu's bo staff.

Ojiro was quick to say, "Gotta work on your stance, Invisible Girl. If you don't return to it after each scuffle, you're gonna lose your balance."

Tooru grunted but returned to her feet as another wave of coated clones attacked the group.

The formation had Mashirao in the front, Izuku to his right, and Ochako on the left. The back had Momo, Tooru to her right, and Tenya on the left. Everyone had their backs to a small podium that went up to Tooru's waist. On top of it stood a vase.

Today's TAC objective was a defensive formation, and this one was the last of four battles. Ectoplasm's involvement in this final task had come as a surprise to everyone. The goal was simply to defend the vase for ten minutes. They were all tired by this point, but the task was almost over.

Three clones proceeded to dash at Ojiro, the first's attack was countered by a foot thrust which topped the clone onto his back. The other two attacked together. One had its kick blocked by Mashirao's arm, but the other was puffed by an uppercut to the jaw by the teen's tail before it could land a blow.

All the while, everyone else was dealing with the various clones. Some had to be taken out with their partner's help. For example, Hagakure would usually hold off a clone until Yaoyorozu with her bo staff or Uraraka with her grapple hook could take care of it. The latter would throw a floated clone into the air if she was about to be overwhelmed, so Midoriya could take care of it with a strong air bullet from his Air Force Gloves.

Suddenly a large wave descended on the group. Midoriya and Ojiro had four each. Ida and the rest had three, minus Hagakure, who had two. As everyone struggled against the various clones, another came in and jumped over Mashirao, and raised a hand to snatch the vase. Ectoplasm was then brought to the ground by a tail that had grabbed his waist. However, the pro hero was still able to knock over the podium. As the whole event unfolded, the students tried desperately to fight off their attackers to save the object only for a flash of light to blind everyone. As their vision returned, the image of Tooru on her back was still holding the vase.

Ectoplasm held by Ojiro's tail then said, "A risky but effective technique. Nice last-minute save, Invisible Girl." Then, all the clones ceased to exist. The actual pro hero was being held down by the tailed teen.

Mashirao asked, "Wait, you were real?"

"It was the last push. I figured I might as well get involved. Mix things up a little." He then pointed to the boy's tail, "Now if you would please release me."

"Oh, uh, right. Sorry."

"No need, you did well there," Ectoplasm said as he stood up. He proceeded to dust himself off before saying, "Now if only that excellence rubbed off when you attended my math classes."

Ojiro's shoulders sank, but he didn't say anything. Yaoyaorozu then came over and patted her boyfriend's back. She then said, "Well, hopefully, not for too long."

Ectoplasm head tilted slightly upon hearing this before he could ask what she meant, Ida asked, "Sensei, should we not contact the other teachers since the testing is over?"

"Not to worry, Ida-san. I had a clone stay behind to give some live thoughts to your mentors as we did the exercise. They are on the way as we speak."

Izuku offered a hand to Tooru after she set aside the vase. "Your back isn't bruised, is it?"

"Nah. Though it might be a different story for my butt. It took the brunt of both of my falls."

Midoriya gulped but said nothing more of the subject as his girlfriend chuckled and gave him a light hug. After the embrace, Hagakure began to dust herself off.

Ojiro approached and said, "Well, it seems some of what I taught you got to you."

"Yeah, but I still have a long way to go."

"I mean, we went against a pro, though, so don't be too hard on yourself."

Tooru crossed her arms as she stated, "With a handicap. He's wearing those weighted bracelets."

Ectoplasm held up his left arm as he explained, "To be fair, these are different from the ones we used during your first term final exams. While they still hinder my power and speed, they are not as effective as the previous ones. Perfect for usage against more experienced students like yourselves."

Izuku knew that even considering that, the pro hero wasn't fighting seriously. At most, if he included the clone with All Might and Eraserhead, only 22 clones were used. Midoriya had observed Ectoplasm use over 30 against Tokoyami and Asui during their final exam. He figured it would be best if he kept the information to himself, so as not to further dampen their accomplishment. Still, the knowledge that the high-density weights were weaker this time made him feel more confident about his growth.

Ectoplasm then turned to Izuku and said, "While we wait, there is something I must ask. How did you all know I would focus on kicking attacks?"

Once they noticed that it was Ectoplasm attacking them and not more robots, Midoriya told the group to expect such a fighting style during the first wave of clones. "Well, sir, considering your prosthetic legs, one might see it as your weakness, but I saw differently when I observed you fight Tokoyami-san during the end of the first term."

"A weakness turned to an advantage. I will admit the transition was hard at first, but I leaned into my disability to throw off my opponents." He then proceeded to tap one of his legs against the other as he explained further, "These are quite light-weight when compared to one's flesh and bone. While my running speed isn't that impressive with prosthetics, they do allow me to attack faster than if I had my old legs."

Uraraka asked, "How did you lose them?"

"A villain robbed them from me years ago. I'm lucky I can still do my job despite the handicap. Not all heroes get that chance, unfortunately." Ectoplasm chuckled before saying, "Which is why I am quite happy to see you have improved your quirk so much Midoriya-san. A lot of the other staff feared you might overdo your arms before even finishing your first year. However, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore."

"Uh, thanks, sensei." Just how much of the faculty did he worry, Midoriya pondered.

Tooru then came over and leaned on Izuku as she stated, "Let's hope he continues doing that."

Momo then gave a quick bow before saying, "Thanks so much for assisting us tonight, sensei."

"Well, we cannot have your little club destroying all our villain robots over and over. And besides, I was promised a sweet deal if I helped tonight."

Ochako asked, "And what exactly was that?"

"A free night of Karaoke." Ectoplasm raised a fist as he stated, "My dream of singing a duet of my favorite song with All Might will finally come to fruition."

The group didn't know what to make of this at all.


Ida finished his orange juice before asking, "So is everyone okay with discussing our strategy for next Monday?"

Hagakure then immediately proclaimed, "I'm in front of the formation this time!"

Ojiro argued, "Look, I know this is the first time our objective isn't related to an outright battle scenario, but I think in Search and Rescue we would want someone like Ida-kun or Ochako-chan front in center."

"Besides, there's still the issue of your suit Tooru-chan. You're not exactly at a hundred percent at the moment," Yaoyorozu stated while wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"You never know, though. My upgrades might be ready before the next TAC meeting."

Midoriya knew better, though. The Fixer did state she would need a few weeks to make the new suit and other upgrades. Which was still much faster than he thought was possible, but it wasn't going to be fast enough for what Tooru desired at the moment.

"I don't think we should hinge our strategy in the hope it's ready in the next couple of days. Whatever it is," Mashirao noted.

Tenya spoke up and stated, "There is merit to Tooru-chan being center stage here, but I think it only applies if we are doing a search and rescue where we can't have our presence be known."

Izuku suggested, "So perhaps we should think of two variations depending on that factor."

Momo produced a pen in one hand and paper in another as she said, "Well, how should we do it then?"

The group then went silent as everyone went into deep thought. Midoriya then procured his own notebook as everyone brainstormed.

After about a minute, Uraraka said, "If you remember our first offensive formation task, we had Tooru-chan carried into the front lines. I think we should do the same in the scenario that the coast is clear for us."

Ida nodded. "Speed would take high priority here."

"Your quirk can easily lift anything someone might be pinned under," Ojiro noted.

Yaoyorozu added, "More importantly, she can move the injured safely and much more efficiently than any of us." She then drew a large U and I next to one another.

Mashirao spoke up and said, "Our next biggest heavy lifter and speedster is Midoriya-kun, so he should be upfront too."

Tooru then asked, "Where does that leave the rest of us, then?"

"Providing first aid," Momo answered. She then wrote an M behind UI and then a Y even further back before finishing by putting an O and H on either side of the Y. Yaoyorozu then drew a light line through all the letters. "I can produce any supplies we will need, but the more people that assist me in using them, the better."

"Fine by me," Ojiro stated as he leaned back into his seat.

As he held a hand to his chin, Tenya stated, "So basically an upside-down T this time."

With enthusiasm, Hagakure said, "All good, now let's talk about the formation with me as the forward!"

Yaoyorozu flipped over her paper and wrote an H before asking, "So any ideas?"

Ida was happy to reply, "Tooru-chan would need to scout ahead first to locate the targets before anyone can engage. Depending on if we need a speedy rescue or distraction, I feel I should be upfront."

Midoriya added, "And if we need some muscle to hold off the threat, I should be up there too."

"Makes sense." Yaoyorozu then lifted her pen to get everyone's attention. "Any problems with us in the back having the same task? Only Ochako-chan taking Tooru-chan's place?" There were no arguments, so she began to continue drawing the formation. Once done, Momo stated, "Well, the basics are done; we'll go over the specifics in the next couple of lunches."

Tenya leaned over and observed Izuku's notes before saying, "Izuku-kun, she drew a pentagon, not a square."

"Um, just speculating an alternative strategy is all."

Before the class president could question further, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Everyone proceeded to throw away their trash and put away their trays before walking to class. As they did, Izuku started to fall behind the group as he looked over his notebook.

Tooru slowed her pace until she was by her boyfriend's side and said, "You've been really into that one these last few weeks."

"Just thinking ahead is all. I want to apply bits and pieces of these formations to any future teams I might be on."

"Hmmm, so like when you go pro?"

"Well, for the moment, I was thinking more about team exercises with others in our class, but in essence, it could apply to that too."

Hagakure then put an arm over Midoriya's shoulder as she asked, "Well, what is the name of this notebook? You always put a lot of effort into the name of them."

The boy was quick to close his notebook and hide its title by bringing it close to his chest. "Ah, it's stupid, you wouldn't care for it."

"Try me."

Izuku gulped before saying, "Uh, maybe once I finish it."

Tooru sighed. "Fine, fine, but don't keep me waiting too long." She let go of the boy before asking, "Hey, would you mind asking Hatsume-chan about my suit's progress after class today, would you?

"Sure, but you shouldn't expect anything so soon. She's only had it for a few days."

"I know, but it wouldn't hurt to ask."

The boy shrugged as he said, "Prepare to be disappointed then."

Hagakure groaned as the two arrived at their homeroom. As Midoriya sat down at his seat, he gave his notebook a hard look and thought, I hope this works out.


Izuku opened the door to Mina's room to see an odd sight.

Koda was on the floor, on his back, surrounded by wadded-up balls of paper. One intact sheet lay on his belly. Ashido was on her bed in the same position but with a pillow over her head. Both were still in their school uniforms.

In a muffled voice, Mina asked, "Is that Midoriya-kun?"

"Yeah. Sorry for getting here late." Izuku then proceeded to close the door behind him.

Koda lifted his head slightly and gave a weak wave before returning to his rest.

Ashido removed her pillow and sat up before saying, "It's fine. I never gave you a time frame to come today in my text."

Midoriya asked, "Are you both taking a break?"

"Sure. We'll go with that," Mina responded before laying back on her bed.

Izuku walked over to Koji and picked up one of the balls of paper. "So confessions are not going well, huh?"

"We're trying something else," Koda stated without opening his eyes.

Midoriya proceeded to open the paper up, and after a few moments of reading, he asked, "A poem?"

Ashido then spoke up and said, "Kaminari-kun suggested a song, but Koda-kun was adamant he wasn't prepared to sing."

"I'm sure Jiro-chan would have liked that more, but I'm just not up for it," Koda stated as he twiddled his thumbs.

Mina rubbed the temple of her head as she said, "It's fine. We just need to nail this to make up for it."

Izuku sat down beside Koji as he asked, "So why the change from a simple confession?"

"Well, beyond getting him to say, 'I love you, Jiro-chan!', we haven't made much progress."

Koda added, "I'm having a hard time conveying my feelings as to why. So Ashido-chan suggested I write it all down."

"At first, the idea was just a letter, but then the song idea came up."

"I decided to meet halfway and do a poem."

Midoriya scanned the room once more before saying, "Looks like this poem is becoming complicated."

Koda sat up and hung his head low as he explained, "I want it to be meaningful and expressive."

"Which is good, but it doesn't do any good if Jiro-chan can't understand half the words you have written down," Ashido argued. "Kaminari-kun wasn't much help today so he left about half an hour ago."

Ah, so that was the issue, Izuku thought. Koji was trying to write it similar to how he talked when nervous around new people. Full of difficult and rarely used words and speech patterns. Midoriya then came up with an idea, "Why don't I mediate between what you both envision?"

"The exact reason I asked you to come here today," Ashido stated with a grin.

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck as he stated, "I'll try my best."

"Good. Valentine's Day is next Friday so let's get to it!"


A ground shook as a spotlight scanned the street in front of the teenagers hiding in an alley. A towering executor class (or 0 pointer) villain bot waited for any indicator of life before moving on to another street.

The group sighed in relief as the threat moved on.

Yaoyorozu's shoulders sagged as she stated, "So much for our pentagon plan."

Ojiro groaned before saying, "Okay, seriously, the difficulty jump with this last go is too much."

Ida peered around the corner of the building towards the street as he said, "That's the point, though. The idea is to avoid that thing at all costs while we complete our assignment."

Mashirao argued, "Says the guy who ran around it trying to provide us a distraction."

"It would have worked flawlessly if it didn't lose interest in me so quickly."

Ockacho asked, "Any idea why, though?"

Izuku proposed, "Perhaps it only perceives those as a threat as something worthy to pursue. Once it noticed Ingenium wasn't going to fight, it turned its attention back to searching for us."

"Thankfully, it didn't see us as we got the tracking device," Momo replied with a sigh of relief.

Tonight was another thrilling training for the Team Appreciation Club. The first three objectives had gone smoothly as the group was able to implement their "backward T" formation. But this last task was entirely a different matter.

"For your final test, you will not disclose your rescue target. Instead, you must find a device that will tell you its location."

Aizawa then laid a map on the ground. It showed a detailed view of Ground Beta. As he spoke, he pointed to the various locations mentioned.

"We will start the exercise here, and you will make your way to the location of the device. From there, locate your rescue target to this point. Your target is in critical condition, so be careful when moving it. Once recovered, you will have a set time to reach the safe zone, or this will be considered a failure."

All Might spoke up and said, "Think of it as a person needing serious medical attention that you cannot provide."

"Precisely. However, the kicker will be this element." Eraserhead then pointed upward. Everyone looked up to see the executor's massive head loom over the building they were beside.

"Sometimes fighting is a no go in certain rescue scenarios, and this represents that. Even being spotted would be dangerous enough. So you only get three tries. Avoid this during the rescue at all costs. Being spotted counts against you, and you only have a small grace period between being seen before it counts once more. Use that time wisely or risk another lost chance."

Toshinori then said, "Oh, and one more thing. You are prohibited from entering any building unless it involves the objective. Think of it as being in a warzone type of scenario, such places might be unstable and unsafe."

The group had secured the device, only to quickly learn it was proximity-based. So it wouldn't point them directly to it. While Ida could promptly run around to locate it, he advised it would instead be a better idea for Hagakure to do it to not risk losing another try.

"The 0 pointer will only count as seeing you with normal sight. We have disabled its infrared sight to make things not too hard for you all," All Might explained.

"Invisible Girl sure is taking a while," Ojiro stated in a worried tone.

Ochako then said, "Well, she is nude at the moment. We can't expect her to be that quick in this cold weather and without shoes."

Izuku added, "She was happy to do it, though."

"Only because she felt more useful if we did it this way," Mashirao stated with a sigh. "Not that I blame her, though. I feel pretty ordinary at the moment in this situation."

Tenya then spoke up and said, "It's starting to make its way back to this street. We should hide."

Everyone proceeded to hop the fence that separated the alleyways to make it to the next street over. As the executor scanned the previous street and its alleys, the group put as much distance as possible. Soon it resumed looking over the buildings to observe many roads at once.

"I still find it hard to believe you destroyed one of those during our entrance exam," Ojiro said.

Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck as he explained, "Well, it cost me my arm, and even then, I would have gone splat if it wasn't for Uravity coming to my rescue."

Uraraka put her hands on her belly as she stated, "Oh man, I threw up so bad that day. I'm feeling a bit nauseous just thinking about it."

Before anyone could comment further, Hagakure's voice came up on the communicator. "Hey, guys, I found it. I'm at the dead-end of 11th street on the east side. Last building on the right."

Yaoyorozu looked at the street sign they were on before saying, "We're on 9th street, so we'll be there in a minute."

Ida asked, "The coast looks clear, so let's move."

After traveling a bit, the group arrived at a small shop with a shattered front display window. Once inside, Momo produced a flashlight that revealed a robot that was smashed against the front counter. Like the victory class villain bots, this robot stood on one wheel. They were much smaller, however, a head shorter than even Ochako. The head of the bot was shaped like a horseshoe with a little red light in the middle. The light flickered faintly.

Yaoyorozu asked, "What's a Transpo-bot doing here?"

Hagakure's voice from beside the broken bot stated, "A what?"

Uraraka's face lit up as she said, "Oh, I remember these. They carry the injured. Two of them helped me off the stage after I lost my fight during the Sports Festival."

"Regardless, we need to transport this to the west side of 6th street to finish this assignment," Ida stated as he gave a look over the fallen bot.

"I'll levitate it then to reduce any damage," Ochako said as she touched the pile of scrap.

As it rose into the air, its right arm fell off, and the tire began to droop. However, to everyone's surprise, its remaining arm began to flail as it said, "Oh what humiliation. To be saved by stupid humans!"

Mashirao sighed as he said, "Well, at least we know it's working."

The floor beneath them began to shake.

Tooru was quick to say, "I mean, really, now of all times?"

Ochako gulped before saying, "And we're at the edge of Ground Beta too. Literally against a wall here."

Izuku took a deep breath as he stated, "I guess this is where I come in." He turned towards his teammates with a clenched fist as he explained, "If I can damage it, then it should pursue me further and longer than Ingenium. Use that chance to make for the safe zone."

Hagakure proposed, "Why not just hide out here? It's not like it can enter the building."

"We don't have the time, remember? Aizawa-sensei said we would only have a limited amount of time to move it once it was found," Ojiro argued.

Yaoyorozu nodded and stated, "He's right. So get to it, Deku, we're all counting on you."

Before Midoriya could exit, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned to see it was Ida by his side.

"Just a word of advice. When I got into the sight of it, its spotlight turned red. Before it stopped pursuing me, it started to alternate between red and yellow until settling on yellow for a few seconds."

Izuku thought for a moment before saying, "That must be the grace period Aizawa-sensei mentioned. Thanks."

After receiving a thumbs up from Ida, and good luck from Hagakure, Midoriya stepped onto the street. He then turned to see the 0 pointer arrive at the intersection in front of him. Before its spotlight appeared down the street, the boy dashed forward towards its tracks. He quickly climbed the behemoth and delivered an uppercut kick at just above 30% towards its head. Barely flinching, it looked down at the descending assailant. Its spotlight quickly turned red once it saw the boy.

So that much only moves it a bit, Izuku thought as he landed on the nearest rooftop. But then again, it took 100% to cave its face in so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

The robot motioned to smash down on Midoriya, so he dashed towards another building's top. Which prompted it to move forward.

"We're going to make a break for it, Deku. Good luck," Yaoyorozu's voice stated over the communication.

Izuku leaped down to street level, using a few air bullets to break his fall, and then proceeded to make a break for it away from the 0 pointer. After only three streets, however, the spotlight on him started to flash between yellow and red. This prompted the boy to quickly run back at his pursuer and produce Black Whip with his right hand.

"Perhaps if I jam the tracks, I can just immobilize it," Midoriya thought. However, just before the energy could reach the target, fire bellowed from a port just above the track well, and Black Whip's tendrils quickly dissipated.

Izuku sighed before saying, "Of course. That would have been too easy." He then dodged backward as a giant fist came down on where he once stood. The spotlight was now red once more.

"Though it's not like it's going to stay that way for long," Midoriya thought. "I need to actually damage it."

As the executor's fist slowly rose, it gave the boy an idea and he rushed towards the index finger of the bot. With a surge of power, he flipped forward and performed an ax kick as he yelled, "Manchester Smash!"

The finger bent inward towards the middle, but the hand was quick to swat away the teen. "Finally some damage!" he thought.

However, Midoriya felt a sharp pain in the ball of his foot. Like he kicked a wall without using his quirk. Even if only for a moment, 40% was dangerous, he thought.

This seemed to have angered the 0 pointer as its pursuit speed picked up as it chased Izuku. However, the boy was still faster. If only slightly.

The precious minutes of distraction, in the end, led to their success. The robot soon shut down, and Midoriya was greeted with a chorus of cheers over his communicator. The results of his training were paying off, and he couldn't be happier.


Izuku and Minoru climbed the stairs towards their dorm rooms as the latter stated, "I can't believe you got tomo choco (friendship chocolate) from all the girls in our class."

"To be fair, Tsuyu-chan gave almost everyone in our class chocolate."

"Besides me."

"For obvious reasons."

"Yeah yeah, but I'm trying," Mineta stated with a sigh.

"Look on the bright side. Tsunotori-san gave you some."

"And it nearly gave me a heart attack. I almost thought it was honmei choco (true feeling chocolate) until I opened it." Minoru then shrugged as the two arrived at their floor. "Not like that will ever happen."

"Give it time, just keep working on it."

"Your hope for me is almost baffling at times, Midoriya-kun."

Mineta soon stopped at his door, and before opening it, he asked, "So did Hagakure-chan give you some yet?"

Midoriya shook his head before saying, "She wants to give it to me after dinner."

"It must be something good then."

"Well, all the girls were cooking up a storm last night. I think they ran Uraraka-chan a bit ragged." Izuku had observed Ochako looked quite sleepy throughout the day.

Minoru held up his single bag of treats and said, "To next year, I guess." He then entered his room, and Midoriya did the same.

Izuku was now clueless about what to do. He expected to spend time with his girlfriend at this time, so he hadn't planned anything. There weren't any tests or quizzes coming up, so studying wasn't worth it. Midoriya was curious about how Koda's confession was going, but the large teen wanted to go at it alone despite Ashido's protests. It made him proud his friend was going about this on his own. Though he still couldn't shake the feeling of worry.

Izuku put his backpack on the side of his bed and proceeded to sprawl into bed. Perhaps a quick nap wouldn't hurt, he thought. After setting the alarm on his phone, the boy quickly drifted into slumber. Well, that is what he wished, but no more than ten minutes later someone knocked at his door to wake him.

Midoriya didn't know if he should have expected or been surprised at the image he saw as he opened the door. Ashido was front and center with a weak smile on her face while Jiro stood behind with a hand on her shoulder. The latter asked, "Mind if we come in?"

Izuku sighed but nodded.

Kyoka then said, "You heard him. March."

Once both were inside and the door was closed, Midoriya noticed Jiro had an opened red envelope in her free hand. "Guess you got the message from Koda-kun."

"Yep."

"Look, I know why you think I was involved in this, but how did you figure Ashido-chan out?"

"Well, let's see; first, there was her muffled squeal after I read this. And then there was her terrible hiding spot."

Mina's head hung as she said, "I thought hiding in the bushes was the perfect place."

"Not if your horns are sticking out from the top!"

The image almost got a laugh out of Izuku, but a quick glare from Kyoka held it back. "So, are you mad?"

Jiro gave a look of surprise as she stated, "What? No, far from it. I'm glad you two helped Koda-kun. Who knows how it would have gone if he had approached me without assistance from either of you." She let go of her friend's shoulder as she said, "I need advice from you is all."

Ashido argued, "Advice? Then why drag me along?"

"I want both of your opinions."

"Oh, well, ask away."

Midoriya held up his hands and stated, "Wait, wait, before that. What was your answer?"

Jiro let out a long exhale before saying, "I said I need some time to think about it."

"How long?"

"I don't know," Kyoka said as she placed her hands on her cheeks. "This is way too sudden and out of nowhere."

"Ah, so you were oblivious as well," Ashido said with a sly grin.

Jiro asked, "Wait, who else?"

"Kaminari-kun. He helped us at the start, too, you know. Though he kinda became less useful once we got to writing the poem."

Kyoka shook her head before saying, "Makes sense for him. You both still have the lowest grades in our class."

Mina looked like she was about to say something but instead closed her eyes and held up her hands as she said, "Anyways, what advice do you want from us?"

Jiro looked to Midoriya as she asked, "Mind if I take a seat on your bed?"

"Oh, uh, feel free."

"Thanks." After being seated, she asked, "To tell you the truth, I am utterly clueless on how to move forward here."

Ashido asked, "Well, how do you feel about him right now?"

"I don't know. I only saw him as just a quirky shy friend until now. It's hard to grasp what to feel when they suddenly say they like you romantically."

Midoriya sighed. It might be blunt, but it needs to be said, he thought. "Jiro-chan, it's okay to admit it if you do not have any feelings for him."

Mina was quick to bring up a hand. She then shook it back and forth by her neck to signal to stop, but Izuku kept going by saying, "He doesn't want you to feel guilty about whatever decision you decide."

"I know it's in his poem." Kyoka looked at the letter once more before saying, "He just wants his feelings known even if we just stay as friends."

Izuku nodded as he said, "Right. So if there's nothing there, then that's your decision."

Kyoka rummaged through her hair as she explained, "That's the problem though cause now there is something there. And it's only been around for a few minutes."

Mina crossed her arms before saying, "So basically, you're in shock."

"What?"

Ashido explained, "You're second-guessing your thoughts on him now that you know his intentions, and it's all rushing through you since you haven't had time for things to settle."

Midoriya noted, "So really, asking for time to think about it was a good call."

"At the time, I just said it to stall, but perhaps you're right." Jiro's shoulders began to sag before she asked, "How long does it take for things to settle, though?"

Izuku shrugged as he answered, "No way to know, really. Everyone's different."

Kyoka groaned but was then met by Mina sitting next to her and putting an arm around the confused girl's shoulders. "No need to worry, just give it a few days. Eventually, something will come to you." The pink girl's eyes became much more fixated before asking, "But now I am curious. What about Koda-kun has you bubbling with feelings, huh?"

"Damnit, that's not helping!" Jiro stated as she tried to pull away from the girl.

"Come on, I'm not asking for anything detailed, just what comes right off the top of your head."

Kyoka had a slight blush as she said, "I guess he has a cute voice."

"Ah, see, that's something. And here I thought it was because he carried you like a princess during our final exam during the first term.

"You know about that!?"

"Yeah, cause Koda-kun told me last week."

"Is that when he started to like me?"

Izuku spoke up and said, "He told me it happened over our summer break."

Jiro's face turned to confusion as she processed this tidbit.

Ashido then asked, "Anything else? Oh, wait, you gotta like Kawaii-chan too."

"The rabbit's name is Yuwai-chan."

Mina gave a sly grin which seemed to annoy the other girl.

"Alright enough of that. Anyways, I can't believe I never realized. Koda-kun just seemed too shy to ever pursue such a thing, so I brushed it off."

"Turns out you were wrong," Mina stated before sticking out her tongue.

"Utterly." Kyoka then turned to her host and said, "I didn't expect you to be the one to suggest that I drop his confession so quickly."

Midoriya held his hands up defensively as he explained, "Well, hear me out. Of course, I don't want that to happen for Koda-kun's sake, but you know, you can't force love. If there was nothing there, it would be worse to fake feelings for him out of pity. He wants to get past this so things could go back to normal for him, regardless of your answer."

"Man, both of you boys have a weird sense of romance," Jiro stated while pointing one of her jacks at her companions.

"Well, we both do have some similarities in personality I guess."

"I can see it." Kyoka then stood up and said, "Thanks. Both of you. I'm gonna let this stew over, I guess." She got up to leave, but before she opened the door, she turned around with a slightly crimson face and stated, "This talk doesn't leave this room. Got it?"

The others nodded quickly.

"Good. Later."

Mina let out a deep breath before laying back on Izuku's bed and said, "Well, I guess that could have gone worse."

Midoriya sat down at his desk before saying, "Love is a lot more complicated than it seems on the surface."

"And this isn't even a fun kind of drama."

"Drama can be fun?"

"Sometimes. But this is the muddy waters kind." Ashido then sat up as she stated, "This sorta feels like the start of you and Hagakure-chan."

"It did feel like I was sailing with no mast at times."

Mina's face soured as she stated, "Yeesh."

Izuku shrugged as he said, "But things worked out in the end."

"I hope it does here too."

"You and me both."


Midoriya approached his girlfriend's room with slight hesitation. He figured they would spend time together directly after dinner, but instead, Hagakure asked for another hour before they met up. Just what was she up to, he thought.

Now in front of the girl's door, Izuku gave a few knocks.

"You can come in."

Midoriya let himself in and discovered his host sitting on the side of her bed. She was wearing an oversized white shirt with long sleeves. He really couldn't even tell she was wearing any pants.

"Sorry for the wait. I wanted a shower before you came over."

Izuku gulped at his comment but still approached the bed with a few steps. "So, um, what do you have in store for me tonight?"

In an innocent tone, Tooru responded, "Oh, nothing special. I thought I could feed you the treats I made for you."

Midoriya squinted his eyes. This was too simple. "What's the catch?"

Hagakure said nothing but raised one of her arms and patted where her legs would be.

It took a few moments for Izuku to process, but eventually, once it hit him, he asked, "You want me to l-lay on your l-lap?"

"Considering all my options, I figured a thigh pillow was a nice middle-ground for both of us."

Just what else did she have in mind that was more intimate, the boy pondered. He shook the thoughts out of his head before saying, "I think I can handle that."

Tooru then outstretched her arms and grabbed her boyfriend's head as she proclaimed, "Then come on over!"

The maneuver nearly toppled the boy into the said lap, but he caught himself in the nick of time. "Slowly Tooru. I don't want my heart to explode."

This only got Hagakure to giggle.

After a sigh, Midoriya positioned himself properly and was now looking up at a non-existent head. It was a lot warmer than he thought it would be. Izuku however picked up a new smell. He was used to the scent of mint. This time, there was a hint of vanilla. Perhaps this was her body wash? The angle, however, was proving to be impossible for Midoriya to not blush at.

"Comfortable?"

The boy simply nodded once.

"Good, now let's feed you some treats."

Izuku made sure to skip dessert for this very reason. As Tooru began to unwrap a small handbag, it became increasingly difficult for him to keep looking up at her. He then tried to turn his head away from her body. However, this brought up another issue he felt immediately. Now Midoriya's right cheek was in direct contact with Hagakure's thighs. He was now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Looks like my guess about you was right on the money Izuku."

"And w-what is that?"

Izuku felt Tooru poke his left cheek as she stated, "You're a boobs kind of guy."

Midoriya closed his eyes and took a few breaths before asking, "What l-led you to that conclusion?"

"Well, your lack of enthusiasm with the butt pinching beyond the first time you tried. Now there is what's happening right in front of me." She started to twist her prodding with the finger as she asked, "So am I right?"

Izuku gulped before saying, "I mean they are n-nice. B-But it's not like I am obsessed with them."

"It's not about being obsessed, it's just a preference thing. Though I guess I prefer this over you staring at my ass in public."

Midoriya was quick to retort, "Well, I'm not staring at their b-breasts all the time."

"No. But perhaps a quick glance or two. Not that I mind, of course."

At this point, Izuku had his face covered with his hands and was speechless about continuing this conversation.

Tooru then stated with sass, "Looks like someone doesn't like to be exposed as being perverted."

Midoriya just gave a soft whimper as a response.

"Izuku, it's okay to be like that sometimes. I know I am but you're not the best at hiding your emotions when it comes to me. Now, are you going to accept my chocolates or not?"

"Y-Yes, but before we continue, I have a question."

"Go ahead."

Izuku brought down his hand slightly as he asked, "Are you wearing pants?"

"Of course silly," Tooru stated as she lifted the bottom of her shirt to reveal some black shorts. To be fair, they were really short, but still, it wasn't underwear or even worse nothing at all.

Satisfied, Izuku resumed his original position and was fed his first treat. It was crunchy, but he soon tasted a minty and creamy center.

When the look of surprise came upon Midoriya's face, Hagakure stated, "That was Ochako-chan's idea. She thought my initial idea was a bit bland for honmei choco, and I think it turned out well."

"I'll have to thank her later then."

"She really went above and beyond last night. Though, I think we might have relied on her a bit too much. She looked exhausted all day."

"Well, hopefully, Tenya-kun can remedy that." The two had also planned to spend the evening together. Ojiro had mentioned he had already spent time with Yaoyorozu during dinner, though nothing on the details of what happened.

"Remember, this is our class president we are talking about."

"You doubt his abilities?"

"In romance?"

"Oh well, you might have a point."

"See? I know he can mean well, but he can be a bit much sometimes."

"I guess you can always ask Ochako-chan later."

"I tend not to pry too much with the other girls. If they tell me themselves that's cool. Otherwise, not my business." Tooru then rose another chocolate before asking, "Are you ready for another?"

"Yes, please!" After Izuku finished chewing the next piece, he asked, "So what was the backup plan if I wasn't up to this?"

"I figured after giving you these we could just make out. It surprised me that we haven't really done such a thing in each other's beds."

"U-Uh, if you want, we could still do that."

In shock, Tooru asked, "Really?"

"S-Sure thing."

"Well, if you insist," Hagakure stated before laughing. Once she calmed down, she said, "You are really setting yourself up for a big payment on White Day."

The boy stated confidently, "Oh, don't worry, I have something neat planned already."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point. I bet you already have ideas in that little head of yours about my 17th birthday."

"I might have a few floating around," Midoriya stated with a chuckle.

"I guess we both spoil each other a bit much," Tooru said before giving a light peck on her boyfriend's head. "Now, let's have a few more treats before we move on to round two."


Oh, man. It's been three years. CRAZY!

Thanks again, everyone, for your patience despite my more erratic release schedule this year. Even this chapter ended up being a few days late but when compared to the previous delay, I think I bounced back a bit. ;p

I'm sure you have noticed the new cover art! Unfortunately, the way images are uploaded to FFnet, the Ida (well most of it), and Ojiro dolls got cut out, even if I crop the image to the best of my ability before uploading. Oh well, at least the central pairing is quite visible. You can always check Twitter/Tumblr for the full image. I commissioned hazel2019 once more to do this piece (first time in color!). The bonus page is a boy's version that came out just hours ago. I felt the girl version would be a better cover page. ;p

Speaking of commissions, there was another finished since chapter 40's release. Izuku's birthday was about a week ago, so of course, I had some IzuTooru art made for the occasion. This last piece was created by VagitisArt (Twitter(NSFW), or VArt on Ko-fi), a good discord friend of mine. With that done, I have covered all the birthdays of the main cast. It's not truly over, though, cause I plan to do some bonus stuff with the theme early next year. Either way, until then, I'm going to be taking a break from commissions for a while now. Maybe one in October, but otherwise, don't expect anything till December.

One thing I did publish on time was Iichako Cubicity side story oneshot on the 23rd, Tales of Point Dexter and Cheeks. Though it's now morphed into a short story collection project. I will work on a MashMomo variant in the fall and a 2nd chapter of the former in the winter. Expect a new chapter around every three months. I don't expect everyone to read them (and am not making them ultra important to the main story) but for people that wish to see extra/expanded content for the side ships.

A lot of focus on TAC in this chapter, even if it was only short and sweet bits. It will have less of a presence after this chapter, more being in the background, but I wanted to show at least some of the team formation training. Ectoplasm's inclusion came up when I just didn't want to write a fight after fight with the villain bots. Though the 2nd TAC scene, I went ahead with the robots cause I felt dealing with the 0 pointer was unique enough. And about the Tranpo-bot's personality, it's heavily hinted that the robots are semi-sentient in the MHA universe. They have been mostly shown to be sassy or overconfident when concerning humans. We'll see him explained a bit in the next chapter.

Initially, there was no visit to Mina's room. However, I felt briefly mentioning that Koda confessed via a written poem over a standard confession felt out of nowhere in the 2nd to the last scene. Besides, the original 3rd scene was going to be another meeting with The Fixer. However, I decided to push that until chapter 42. I think that will play out better cause I can have a much more meaty scene I already planned with her that chapter. Back to Koda, the confession itself would have been quite brief to write, so I instead wanted to focus on Jiro's thoughts on the matter.

And finally, the final scene. Oh, what a joy it was to write. It probably was a nice read for you since it's been a bit since we had some progression between the two. As I have stated before, it would be incredibly easy to escalate their relationship, but it doesn't feel realistic to me if I go that route. Regardless I am sure this incredibly slow burn is still agonizing to some of you even if you agree with my logic. And yeah, I headcanon Izuku as a boobs guy. It's how he often reacts to in canon. ;p

Night Foliage was able to edit chapter 29, with only 32 edits. But then again, that was a pretty short chapter.

Welp, that's that. Let's hope my next year into writing brings more consistency in releases and more enjoyment for all. Best wishes to your health and see ya in September!