Chapter Summary: Once the battle exercise is over, Toshinori has a talk with both Izuku and Katsuki: separately.

A/N: And now, we've entered the start of some of the longer chapters. Anticipate some of the word counts to increase as we go on, folks.

Were it not for the fact that one of his students wound up in the infirmary, Toshinori might have said that the first battle of the exercise was a perfect success. As young Bakugou was hauled off to be treated by Recovery Girl, he waited with bated breath as the remaining members of the two teams returned to the observation room amidst the clamoring students. Right as the door opened to reveal the dampened trio, however, several of their classmates came running towards the entrance.

"Hey, it's Midoriya!" greeted Kirishima. He flashed a beaming, fanged smile at him. " There's the man of the hour!"

Young Midoriya could not have looked more surprised. "Huh?"

"Man, I can't believe you held your own against Bakugou! " Sero exclaimed. He landed a playful hit on Midoriya's arm that caused him to nearly lose his balance. "That guy is absolutely ruthless , isn't he?"

"Uh, y-yeah, I guess," Midoriya replied, taking a step back, "h-he can be…"

Nedzu cleared his throat. " Everyone . You can all chit-chat after class is over." He gestured to the students who remained with the group. "As for the two teams, can you please step to the front of the room?"

The students who crowded around the trio all sheepishly returned to the group while Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida made their way over to Nedzu and Toshinori. A light flush fell upon Midoriya's freckled cheeks when he fell under the scrutiny of all his classmates and he looked down at his hands as he fiddled with the towel around his shoulders. Even with half a mask to cover his features, it was apparent that he looked embarrassed.

'Not used to being the center of attention, huh, kiddo?' Toshinori thought. 'Well, you better get used to it. You're gonna have to deal with that a lot as a hero.'

"Now," Nedzu continued, "after evaluating the first battle of today's exercise, I think we can all agree that this was quite the spectacle to watch unfold." He turned to the trio and smiled. "You all performed wonderfully today. Kudos to you for giving it your all."

While Uraraka and Midoriya both flushed, Iida bowed, causing drops of water to come down from his head. "Thank you, sir! Your compliments are highly appreciated!"

Toshinori almost had it in him to snort. "Your two teams really set the tone for today's exercise." He focused on Iida. "However, despite the results, Principal Nedzu and I both agreed that it was young Iida who was today's MVP."

Iida blinked and straightened up with wide eyes as the entire class gasped. Midoriya smiled and pat him on the arm, his eyes shining with barely restrained glee.

"I told you that you did good," Midoriya said quietly.

Asui raised her hand. "But, sir, shouldn't it be one of the heroes instead? They won the exercise."

"A fine question, young Asui," Toshinori acknowledged, giving her a nod, "but there's more to being the MVP than simply winning the game." He held up his hand. "Can anyone guess as to why young Iida was chosen over the winning team?"

Yaoyorozu's hand shot up. "I can answer for you, sir."

Toshinori smiled. Just from her first impression in the classroom, he could already tell he was going to like her. "Let's hear it."

"Iida embraced the challenge from the very start," she replied, still holding up her hand, "and while Uraraka and Midoriya were both commendable in their performances as heroes, Iida truly adapted to his role as the villain in this exercise. The same cannot be said for Bakugou, whose actions were far more erratic to settle a personal grudge against Midoriya."

Toshinori thought he saw Midoriya flinch out of the corner of his eye upon hearing that last statement.

"He also lacked communication with his teammate," Yaoyorozu continued, "while Iida was open to communicating, Bakugou did not reciprocate whatsoever. Still, despite this, Iida continued to persevere and made contingency plans for Uraraka's inevitable arrival." She opened her eyes to look at Uraraka. "And while Uraraka was determined, she let her guard down when she called Midoriya after he incapacitated Bakugou, which is why Iida was made aware of her presence. Not to mention the fact that she was a bit reckless in trying to grab the weapon in the way she did. If she had treated it like a real one, she would have exercised more care in trying to get it from Iida." Her eyes trailed over to Midoriya, who stiffened upon falling under her gaze. "As for Midoriya, he took a gamble in taking on Bakugou by himself. Not only that, but he used an attack that very easily could have threatened the integrity of the stronghold not once, but twice, the second time for the express purpose of tricking Iida, which was a gamble." Yaoyorozu closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Both he and Uraraka took advantage of the fact that this was a training exercise and didn't respect the spirit of the trial."

As silence consumed the room once again, Toshinori could only stare at her. Well, that certainly explained why she had been let in on recommendations.

"An astute observation!" Nedzu adulated. "Well done, Miss Yaoyorozu!"

Yaoyorozu nodded. "One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That's the only way to become a top hero."

Nedzu clapped his paws. "Oh, I couldn't agree more! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the other matches!"

"Alright, everyone," Toshinori announced, gaining their attention as some of them were still left reeling from Yaoyorozu's evaluation, "let's move on to the next team." He held up a hand. "Try to remember everything that we discussed as you tackle this training exercise for yourself."

The students all gave a nod. "Yes, sir!"

Toshinori spared a glance over at Midoriya and he saw his protege's eyes practically sparkle as he stared at Yaoyorozu. His lips were pulled up into a gleeful smile as he rocked back and forth on his feet, his hands trembling with excitement.

'Looks like he just found someone he has something in common with,' Toshinori mused, trying not to smile knowingly, 'I wonder what he'll have to say when it comes time to evaluate the other matches.'

He wasn't left waiting for long when he and Nedzu pulled out the balls for the next exercise: Team B with Todoroki and Shoji as the heroes and Team I with Ojiro and Hagakure as the villains. As soon as he and Nedzu called out the teams, Midoriya's hand slipped to his chin and his brows furrowed as he started to mumble quietly to himself. He couldn't quite make out what he was saying through his hand, but he picked up a couple of words that confirmed he was definitely making an assessment of the two teams. Toshinori almost chuckled; he bet that the boy wished he brought his notebook with him.

Then, Iida rested a hand on Midoriya's shoulder, breaking him out of his trance. "Midoriya, you're mumbling."

Almost instantly, Izuku's hands clapped over his mouth. He stood there for a long moment and his ears reddened to the point that Toshinori didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for him.

"S-Sorry," Midoriya said finally, his words caught up in his palms. He slowly dropped his hands with a sigh. "Just got caught up in my thoughts, I guess.

A huff of laughter escaped Iida's nose. "You get lost in your own little world, don't you, Midoriya?"

"I think it's kinda cute," Uraraka commented, and in an instant, Midoriya's cheeks reddened, too, "you do this little thing where you furrow your brows and your eyes look super intense!"

"O-Oh…" Midoriya replied. "R-Really?"

Uraraka giggled. "It's not a bad thing! I actually think it's adorable."

Oh, if Midoriya hadn't been blushing before, he definitely was then. He clapped both his hands over his scarlet cheeks and slid them up over his eyes, his frantic mumbles caught up in stammers and heavy breaths. He finally slid them down to peer at the ground with his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Adorable," he murmured softly, "have I wound up in an alternate reality…?"

"Huh?" Uraraka said.

Midoriya dropped his hands and waved them frantically. "N-Nothing! F-Forget I s-said anything!"

Toshinori covered up his laugh by coughing into a fist. Had he never talked to a girl before? If so, that would explain some things.

"Now, then," Principal Nedzu said, gathering the class' attention, "if we're all settled…" He leaned up to the mic. "Match #2 is ready to begin! Team B and Team I, your time starts now!"

With one final look to his protege and his friends, Toshinori turned back to the screen. He watched with rapt attention as Todoroki and Shoji made their way into the building and looked to a different monitor to see Hagakure slipped her gloves and shoes off. What material was her suit made from? Had she requested for her gloves and shoes to be made from a different material? He wondered why that was.

When his eyes settled back onto the lower screen, he saw Shoji's arms extend outwards and he blinked. Were those ears at the ends of them? Had those always been there? Then, to his absolute surprise, they shifted into the shape of mouths and actually opened up.

"One's in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor," the mouth said. Oh, so Shoji used his arms to talk? Was that why he wore his mask? "And I think the other's on the same level somewhere. Both are barefoot." His arms adjusted themselves and the other mouth leaned forward. "I bet the invisible one plans to sneak up and surprise us."

"I wonder what they're talking about," Uraraka murmured behind him, "we can't hear anything…"

"It was the same way during your battle," Kaminari whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "we couldn't hear you guys at all."

It didn't pass Toshinori's notice when Midoriya's shoulders seemed to slump at that.

"For your own safety, go outside," Todoroki said through the comms, causing Toshinori to look back to the screen again. Todoroki stepped in front of Shoji and set his hand on the wall with an intense stare. "I'm sure our opponents intend to fight a defensive battle."

Then, as Todoroki continued to walk through the hallway, a frosty mist spread out from his hand and into the air. Just seeing it was enough to make Toshinori shiver out of instinct.

"But we've already won," Todoroki stated simply.

Once his palm laid against the wall, ice spread out from his fingertips, causing Toshinori's breath to hitch in his throat upon seeing how fast it moved across the entire building. He had gotten a glimpse of Todoroki using his Quirk back at the assessment, but this was far more than what he had been expecting. Had he been holding back during the assessment? Or was he just applying it differently since it was combat? Another shiver ran through his body and Toshinori wrapped his arms around himself. Whichever it was, it was powerful nonetheless.

Uraraka huddled closer to him and Iida. "It's s-so c-cold…"

"Y-Yeah," Midoriya affirmed, "I-I s-see why he t-told S-Shoji to g-go outside…"

Todoroki made his way up to Ojiro and Hagakure at a leisurely pace and simply walked past them while they struggled to break free. He looked far too calm, almost like he was taking a walk at a park rather than participating in a simulation.

"H-He incapacitated them w-without c-compromising the w-weapon or his t-teammate," Toshinori noted through shivers. A shudder ran up his body and he wrapped his arms around himself. "T-Take note of his t-technique, s-students."

'I can see that Endeavor did well in training him,' he thought through shudders, 'it makes sense his son would take after him.'

"Whoa, he's so strong! " Kirishima breathed.

Midoriya sniffled. "And r-ruthless…"

"The hero team wins!" Principal Nedzu announced as soon as Todoroki laid his palm on the weapon. He straightened up with a smile. "It's times like this that I'm thankful I have fur!"

Toshinori sneezed and retreated in on himself. "L-Lucky you…"

Then, just as quickly, the ice started to melt, and before Toshinori knew it, the heat kicked on full throttle. He tugged at his collar to allow for better airflow and shook off the melted ice from his body.

"Whoa!" Mineta exclaimed. "Did he just melt the ice, too?"

Principal Nedzu nodded. "That he did. Todoroki is doubly blessed by being able to produce ice and fire!"

Midoriya's eyes widened. "He has a hybrid Quirk? Those are so rare!"

"He also got in on recommendations," Asui added, "it makes sense that he's this good."

"Man, that just makes him even more intimidating," Kaminari commented, shivering a bit, "he's kinda intense, isn't he?"

Toshinori was inclined to agree. Even as Todoroki made his way out of the building with Hagakure and Ojiro in tow, his demeanor had yet to change.

'He went into there expecting to win,' Toshinori thought, 'it wasn't a matter of if… just when.'

"Congratulations to the hero team!" Principal Nedzu exclaimed when the door to the observation room opened up again. He clapped his paws together. "Nicely done!"

Toshinori nodded and tried to ignore how damp his suit felt. "What a grand display of power and precision. I have to say, I'm impressed, young Todoroki."

Todoroki closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Thank you, sir."

'So polite, too,' Toshinori mused, 'you have yourself a good one, Endeavor.'

"Now, then," Principal Nedzu continued, "I'm sure that we can all agree that Todoroki is this match's MVP! Care to explain why?"

Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "If I may?"

"Of course," Toshinori replied, "we'd love to hear it."

"Todoroki came in with a clear plan of what he had to do when he stepped inside the building," Yaoyorozu stated clearly, "and from the looks of it, he decided the quickest, easiest way to incapacitate them was from afar so they wouldn't know what hit them. Plus, by freezing the entire building, he eliminated the possibility of them being out of range of his attack. By doing that, he both trapped them and the weapon, allowing for easy capture and retrieval. The villain team didn't have the chance to put any potential plan they had into action."

"Very good!" Nedzu complimented. "A thorough observation as always, Miss Yaoyorozu!"

Yaoyorozu nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Does anyone have any additional comments for the hero team?" Toshinori asked. When everyone's eyes failed to meet his gaze, a frown tugged at his lips. "Anyone?"

Then, Midoriya sheepishly raised his hand. "Um… Can I…?"

Toshinori's smile returned. "Yes, young Midoriya, you may."

"Um, alright," Midoriya replied, "well, it's just, uh, I-I noticed during the match— well, more at the beginning than during, but—" He cleared his throat and straightened up. "It… Well, it looked like Todoroki only knew where the weapon was because Shoji told him."

Nedzu tilted his head. "Interesting. How could you tell that?"

"The ears," Midoriya answered, a bit more clear now, "I-I saw Shoji use them in the video…" He turned towards Shoji. "Do you have a higher hearing range in comparison to most people's when you use your tentacles? Is that why you were able to tell where the other team was so easily?"

Shoji nodded. "Yes. My tentacles allow me to hear things that normal ears usually can't."

Midoriya smiled. "Really? That's so cool! I bet you'd be great for stealth missions."

"Hm," Todoroki hummed quietly, "he's right. I was only able to find the weapon so quickly because Shoji told me what floor they were on." He closed his eyes. "He even told me they'd be barefoot."

"Whoa, that's some mad hearing!" Kirishima commented. "How come you get to be strong and have super senses?"

"A nice addition to the discussion," Principal Nedzu said, "well done, Mr. Midoriya."

"O-Oh, thank you!" Midoriya replied. His smile was soft, but it was still bright. "I-It was nothing…"

'Don't count yourself out, my boy,' Toshinori thought, 'you're far more observant than you give yourself credit for.'

Nedzu's eyes lingered on the villain team, who looked a bit downcast. "Now, does anyone have anything for the losing team?"

Midoriya's hand shot up, though he almost instantly appeared to regret it as soon as everyone's eyes fell on him. He wilted a bit and his hand dropped down as he slumped forward, his grin turning sheepish.

"O-Oh," he said, "uh, c-can I…?"

Toshinori gave him a reassuring smile. "You may, young Midoriya."

Midoriya straightened up. "Uh, well, it's just… I-I think that the villain team just got dealt a bad hand, you know? I think you two both have powerful Quirks that could be well-suited for different scenarios and that you both just got caught off guard." His eyes lingered on Ojiro, who met his gaze. "Like Ojiro. Your tail probably comes in handy during combat and can help you block attacks so you can counterattack while they recover. I'm sure if the other team was forced to fight hand to hand, you'd be able to hold your own pretty well." Then, his eyes trailed to the pair of gloves and shoes that indicated where Hagakure stood. "And Hagakure! I bet you're amazing at sneaking around, aren't you? You kinda gotta be, if you're invisi—"

Then, he stopped dead in his tracks. Midoriya's eyes scanned across the room while his classmates stared in silence and he retreated in on himself. His cheeks turned a new shade of red and he looked down, his gaze downcast.

"S-Sorry," Midoriya mumbled quietly, "I-I didn't mean to ramble… I get a little caught up in analysis sometimes…" He wrung his hands. "Sorry if I wound up boring you guys."

"Hey, dude, it's cool," Kirishima said, "you were doing great!"

Midoriya perked up. "Huh?"

"Yeah, Kirishima is right!" Kaminari commented. He gave him a thumbs up. "Don't be so down on yourself, man."

When Midoriya didn't seem convinced, Toshinori thought back to the day he introduced Nedzu to the young lad. He had been just as incredulous when his associate showed interest in his notes and was skeptical when Nedzu wanted to learn more.

"Sorry… I'm not used to people being interested in it. Some people think it's silly."

The memory of the burns that marred his protege's notebook was almost enough to make Toshinori grimace. After what he saw during the match, he had a very good guess of who "some people" was in reference to.

"You seemed to have some notes," Ojiro added on, breaking Toshinori out of his thoughts, "and after a match like that, I'm more than happy to hear whatever tips anyone has."

Midoriya brightened a bit. "R-Really…? You wanna hear what I have to say?"

Hagakure's hands waved excitedly. "Yeah! And you're right, Midoriya! I am pretty good at sneaking around." Judging from how her fists rested downwards, Toshinori guessed she placed them on her hips. "Too bad I got stuck, though. That was kinda my bad."

"It was just a bad match-up," Midoriya told her, "it can happen to Pros, too."

"That's true!" Nedzu affirmed. "Sometimes, even a Pro can wind up in a situation where their Quirk is at a disadvantage! It's an inevitability that you have to learn to prepare for."

Toshinori nodded. "Today's exercise is meant to be a learning experience for you all. Throughout the school year, you'll have plenty of opportunities to prove yourself and show your growth through trial and error." His eyes lingered on Ojiro and Hagakure. "Even though you two lost today, there's always something you can take from this experience."

"Yeah!" Uraraka chimed in. "And even though Deku and I won, there are still things we can improve on like Yaoyorozu said."

"Precisely," Toshinori told them all, "and that's what we do here at U.A. Whether you win or lose, there is always something new to learn so that you can keep trying." His eyes scanned across his students' faces. "You can try time and time again, but you only truly fail when you give up."

Months ago, when Toshinori first took on Midoriya as a protege, his heart had been filled to the brim with something absolutely inspiring. The moment that the young boy looked him in the eye and took him up on his offer was one that he would never forget. That same feeling that pulled at his heart all over again as he looked upon his class of students and just like that, his smile grew.

"All together now?" he asked, raising his fist slightly.

Nedzu nodded and raised his paw. "Let's hear a—"

Then, with bright smiles, his class raised their own fists high. "Plus Ultra!"

Amongst the crowd, Midoriya stood with his classmates, his smile wide and his eyes sparkling. It was such a far cry from the shy, timid boy he met all those months ago and Toshinori couldn't have been more proud to see the change.

'You've grown so much my boy,' he thought, 'and I can't wait to see how you do in the future.' Then, with the reminder of their upcoming discussion, a frown threatened to pull at his lips. 'Which is precisely why we need to talk.'

Izuku was riding a high when class finally came to a close. With every single match that passed by, he learned more and more about his classmates and their Quirks. He had gotten a good glimpse of them back at the assessment, but to see them applied in a combat setting was a completely different experience and he was absolutely enthralled by each match. Oh, if he had known the full details of the battle exercise prior to coming in, he would have thought to grab Volume 13 so he could fill up its pages with content about his classmates. He would just have to cope with filling it up from memory and hoping he could revise them when the opportunity arose.

'I have to ask Uraraka and Iida questions over lunch when I get the chance,' he thought, 'I wonder what things they learned in their first combat scenario.'

His mind trailed over to Yaoyorozu and he had to suppress the urge to giggle excitedly. Even though she had been candid and even a bit blunt in her observations, he just had to pick her brain for more of her thoughts. Everything she had said back at the evaluation was pure fuel for his notes and he absolutely had to know what her thought process was so he could see about applying it to his own. Did she have her own notes? She seemed the type.

"You got a bit of a bounce in your step," Iida noted as they both made their way back to the classroom after changing, "still happy about that win?"

"Huh?" Izuku replied. Oh, right. He and Uraraka had won, hadn't they? That wasn't even on his mind at the moment. "Oh, I was just thinking about all the matches. They were all so intense ."

Iida chuckled. "That they were. All of our classmates really showed their stuff today. After everything we saw, I'd say that we're in for an interesting school year."

"Heck yeah!" Uraraka piped up, causing both Izuku and Iida to jump back. She giggled when they both stared at her with bewilderment. "Sorry, couldn't help myself! I saw you two and had to catch up!"

Izuku breathed out a laugh. "Well, today's exercise really was something else… It's a good boost for us to get through the rest of the afternoon, wouldn't you say?"

Then, as if the universe were just waiting for a chance to prove him wrong, someone cleared their throat behind the trio. "Young Midoriya. May I speak to you for a moment?"

With a blink, Izuku turned to see All Might— ah, Mr. Yagi, standing there. Oh, that was gonna take some getting used to, wasn't it? "O-Oh," Izuku stammered out, "um, i-is everything alright?"

His mentor nodded. "Everything is alright. I just wanted to have a quick chat with you, is all."

"Oh," Izuku replied. His eyes flitted to Uraraka and Iida, who both seemed as confused as he was. "Um, alright… I'll see you guys…?"

"We'll be in the classroom," Iida told him.

Uraraka nodded and gave his arm a squeeze of reassurance. "See you in a bit, Deku."

Izuku nodded back and turned back to his teacher. "Should we…?"

"We can go to a private room," All Might replied, "let's go."

As soon as Izuku joined him at his side, All Might turned his back towards Uraraka and Iida. He offered up a small nod and a smile, which caused both of his friends to relax, if only a bit. Once they fell into step with each other, though, Izuku clutched the straps of his backpack. Was he in trouble? Or was this about something else?

After a short walk, All Might opened up the door to a small room and, to Izuku's surprise, Principal Nedzu was already in there. He sat at the small couch with a teacup in hand and perked up when he spotted the pair.

"Oh, good," Principal Nedzu commented, "you found him. Now we can talk."

Izuku's shoulders tensed up. So he was in trouble? Was it because of the match? He practically jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Relax," All Might told him gently. He gave his shoulder a squeeze and smiled at him. "You're not in trouble, young Midoriya. We just wanted to talk to you, is all."

Izuku let out a small breath. "S-Sorry…"

"It's no trouble," Principal Nedzu said, "now, come take a seat."

With no other option except to run away and never look back, Izuku took a seat at the chair opposite to Principal Nedzu and watched as All Might took a seat beside him. Both of their gazes on him was enough to make him look down.

"Um," Izuku said quietly, "is this about the match?"

All Might's lips drew into a thin line. "It is, my boy."

Oh, here it comes. He had messed up, hadn't he? He should have known not to use his Quirk, but when push came to shove, he had no choice! Kacchan was so angry and he didn't want to run the risk of winding up on the opposite end of one of his explosions after he had accumulated so much sweat, there was no telling what he could do if he had waited a moment longer. Besides, he hadn't hurt Kacchan, had he? He just knocked him out! Then, Izuku froze. Oh, God, did he hurt Kacchan? Was he in pain because of something he had done—

"Midoriya, you're breathing really hard," Principal Nedzu noted, and instantly, Izuku went still, "try not to do that, you might hyperventilate."

Izuku clapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry!"

"My boy, we told you that you weren't in trouble," All Might reminded him, "and don't worry, Recovery Girl is taking good care of young Bakugou. He's just resting for the time being."

"Oh," Izuku replied, and his shoulders slumped with relief. He let his hand fall from his lips. "Um, alright… so what did you want to talk about?"

Principal Nedzu let out a hum of thought. "Well, during the match, Sensei Yagi and I noticed that there seemed to be some… history between you and young Bakugou."

"I thought you couldn't hear anything on the monitors," he blurted out, and then he clapped his hand over his mouth again. Why did he say that?

All Might's frown only deepened. "Principal Nedzu and I both had earpieces that let us hear the match. It was so we could evaluate communication skills." He clasped his hands in front of him. "But during your match, we heard you and young Bakugou exchange some… interesting dialogue."

Izuku remained still, unable to speak. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't really put much thought into what he was saying, so now, he was scrambling to try to remember what he said. Kacchan had come after him and then when he stood up to fight him, he…

Oh . Oh, that wasn't good.

"Young Midoriya," All Might began, his voice soft, "why didn't you tell me that young Bakugou was bullying you?"

Izuku's hand dropped from his mouth and he waved both of his hands frantically. "I-It's not what you think! K-Kacchan wasn't—" He swallowed thickly, trying to find the words. "H-He was just upset with me, is all!"

"You said he burned your notebook," Principal Nedzu interjected, "and I saw the damage for myself when you showed me your notes all those months ago." His brows furrowed. "How long has this been going on , my boy?"

"Kacchan isn't a bully!" Izuku exclaimed. "I-I know he can get really angry, but he isn't—" He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. "He isn't a bully! "

Izuku was not an idiot; he knew very well how Kacchan treated him sometimes fell under the definition of bullying. But he also knew that not everyone else saw it that way and that if he tried to raise a voice against him, it'd only make things harder for him. How would it look to everyone else if Kacchan got in trouble just because he played into the role of a villain during the battle exercise like he was instructed to do? And how would Kacchan react if he found out?

"My boy, he kept calling you names ," All Might stressed, "he called you—" He paused for a moment and closed his eyes, his lips pulling into a tight grimace. "He called you Deku ."

"T-That's just a nickname," he replied, "h-he calls me that because he misread my name once when we were four…" It wasn't a lie , but it wasn't the full truth, either. "It just wound up sticking, is all."

Principal Nedzu tilted his head. "When you were four? So you've known each other for a while, then?"

Izuku nodded. "We grew up in the same neighborhood… Our families are friends with each other."

Once again, not a lie. His mother and Auntie Mitsuki had been friends since before Izuku and Kacchan had even been born. With only three months between them in age, they had known each other since they were in diapers and wound up growing up together like they were family. Izuku's mother had a whole scrapbook full of photos where the two of them would sleep in the same crib or go waddling around the house in their All Might onesies.

"We grew up together," Izuku continued, "I've known him my whole life." He smiled a bit as he recalled a time when he had been crying and Kacchan made silly faces to make him laugh instead. It seemed like such a distant memory, but it always made his heart light. "He's always just been there."

Principal Nedzu's gaze softened, if only a bit. "His behavior is still a matter of concern nonetheless. He kept taunting you and calling you names during the match."

"Kacchan is just competitive," Izuku defended, "it's just how he is." He managed a weak laugh. "Just 'cause we grew up together doesn't mean he's gonna go easy on me, you know?"

All Might didn't seem convinced. "It didn't look like he was trying to avoid going easy on you… He looked like he really wanted to hurt you, young Midoriya."

Izuku's fists only tightened. "H-He's just mad at me right now… I-I made him really upset, so he's angry with me."

"All because you didn't tell him about your Quirk?" Principal Nedzu guessed. He let out a small hum. "Well, I could imagine why that would make him angry, especially since you two grew up together. But he seemed a bit excessive , wouldn't you say?"

"I-It's not just that…" Izuku told him. He let out a heavy breath and looked down. "H-He's mad because I tried out for U.A. just like he did."

All Might snorted. "So he's petty , then?"

"No!" Izuku exclaimed. He shrunk down under All Might and Principal Nedzu's startled gaze and looked away with flushed cheeks. "S-Sorry… I-It's just that… Kacchan has always wanted to go to U.A. high school and no one at our school has ever made it in…" He finally brought his eyes up to meet with theirs again. "When he found out I was trying out, too, he thought I was trying to undercut him."

"So he started picking on you?" All Might questioned. "Is that supposed to make it all alright, then?"

Izuku pursed his lips. "It's not like that… He just got angry at me and then he wound up burning my notebook in the process… B-But he put it out before it got too bad!" Not a lie— Kacchan had thrown it into the pond shortly after, so it didn't get terribly burned. "He threw it away because he thought he ruined it, but when I checked, I saw it was still alright for me to use."

"But your notebooks are your world ," All Might argued, "young Midoriya, how could you be alright with him doing such a thing without punishment?"

"He was punished!" Izuku blurted out. OK, now he was lying— that is, unless he counted Kacchan being attacked by the sludge villain as some form of divine punishment. He decided that it did, if only because Kacchan came out of it alright in the end. "And he never did anything like that again afterward!"

He was only telling half the truth, he knew. Kacchan may have avoided him during the last year or so when he first started training with All Might, but it didn't erase everything that came before or after. He had still been angry with Izuku when he found out he got into U.A. and just like that, he was back to his old ways, threatening him and slamming him into the wall to teach him a lesson like the worthless little Deku he was.

But he wasn't that worthless little Deku anymore. Izuku had told him as much during the match and he had put the walk behind his talk to make sure that it stuck. The difference between a year ago and now was that, unlike before, Izuku could fight back .

"Hm," Principal Nedzu hummed, "well, that still leaves the issue of his behavior towards you. He acted erratically and clearly had an axe to grind with you during the exercise." He lowered his teacup. "Midoriya, I don't think you understand just how serious his behavior was."

"But he barely did anything to me!" Izuku shot back. "H-He barely even touched me! It's not like he blew a hole into the side of the building or anything!"

All Might let out a sigh. "Young Midoriya, I trust you when you say that young Bakugou was punished for his behavior in the past and that he hasn't done anything to you since—" Hearing that felt like a knife in Izuku's heart. "—but he threatened you. He said he wanted to hurt you. If he truly moved past his feelings, he would have told Principal Nedzu and I about it before the match so we could rearrange it."

Izuku met his gaze. "But I didn't tell you, either. So does that mean I should be in trouble, too?"

"My boy, that was different—" All Might tried to say.

"No, it wasn't," Izuku argued, "I didn't tell you about my history with Kacchan, either, but you're only mad at him for it." He straightened up his posture and met All Might's gaze head-on. "I didn't want to tell you because I wanted to prove I could handle going into the match. And at the end of the day, Kacchan is a lot more prideful than I am."

That was the most truthful statement he had made thus far. Kacchan was, by all rights and means, very prideful. It was one of the things that both vexed and entranced Izuku, ever since they were both kids. It was a double-edged sword because he absolutely had every right to be prideful about his abilities, and yet, it was one of his biggest weaknesses. That was how Izuku had been able to get the upper hand on him.

"Plus, he only found out about my Quirk just yesterday ," Izuku continued, causing All Might to blink, "he had no idea I even had one until the Quirk assessment with Sensei Aizawa." He furrowed his brows. "But if he said that to you before the exercise and asked you to switch us out, he would have hated it. He's always hated getting special treatment because he wants to prove himself."

Now he was just sharing his analysis of Kacchan. Ever since they were little, Kacchan always wanted to prove he was the best. He absolutely hated it when anyone he competed against held back because he wanted for it to be clear that he was the best and that he had won because he was just better . If he caught even a hint that someone wasn't going all-in like he was, he'd be furious .

"That's why he was angry with me, too," Izuku concluded, "he was angry because he thought I was holding back against him." He set his jaw. "He wants to win, but only against the best . And if he thought I wasn't giving him my best this entire time, then it felt like a betrayal."

All Might stared for a long moment, his expression unreadable. As he sat there, Principal Nedzu watched Izuku in quiet contemplation and took another sip of his tea.

"He's competitive," Principal Nedzu commented, "that's a quality trait here at U.A."

All Might whipped around to face him. "Principal, you're not serious —"

"Now, now, I'm not saying he's without fault ," he continued, setting his cup down, "it's good that he wants to prove he's the best, but he's been going about it the wrong way." His eyes met with Izuku's once again. "I trust your assessment of Bakugou, Midoriya. While it's apparent you think highly of him, you're also willing to admit his shortcomings."

Izuku tried not to let his relief show in his features. "H-He's like family… Sometimes I feel like I know him better than I know myself."

"That being said," Principal Nedzu went on, causing him to tense up, "his behavior in today's match was still something of concern. Now, while I am aware that he's been punished for his past behavior, I do think it would be negligent to ignore it."

"W-What do you mean?" Izuku stammered out. His eyes widened and his knuckles turned white again. "Are you going to expel him, like Sensei Aizawa said he would?"

Principal Nedzu huffed out a laugh. "Heavens, no. I'm not a grouch like he is. But we will be paying attention to him.

"And make it very clear that his behavior isn't to be tolerated," All Might added, "I'll be sure to have a talk with him." He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. "His ego may be justified, but a school like U.A. is bound to shatter it. As his teachers, we'll have to do our best to counsel him."

Izuku almost had it in him to snort. His old teachers at Aldera had said the same thing, too, but that hadn't really stopped Kacchan. Not that he would say that to his mentor or principal because, at the end of the day, he didn't want Kacchan to be punished, not if it cost him the chance of becoming a hero. He didn't hate Kacchan, just the things that he did sometimes. Kacchan was capable of doing amazing things as a hero and holding a grudge against him wasn't going to solve the issues they had with each other.

What was Izuku compared to the countless lives Kacchan could save?

"But that will have to wait until he's awake," All Might said, sighing a bit, "last I heard, he's still resting in the infirmary."

"Was he hurt that bad?" Izuku asked. He wilted a bit when he remembered how Kacchan slumped to the ground after he fell unconscious and clenched his fists. "I hope he's alright… Maybe I should go see him and check on how he's feeling."

All Might shook his head. "I understand that you're worried about him, but… Perhaps you should give him a little space. I think he may still feel a bit sore, especially after your match."

Just as Izuku was getting ready to argue, Kacchan's voice rang out loud and clear in his head, repeating the words he shouted all those months ago:

"I would never ask for a weakling like you to help me! Don't think you can look down on me!"

With a resigned sigh, Izuku slumped in his seat and closed his eyes. "Yeah… You're probably right. I should just leave him alone for now."

Principal Nedzu smiled sympathetically. "I know things aren't great between you two right now… But he'll come around in due time." He took a sip of his tea. "Once he's up and walking, I'm sure he'll be just fine."

Katsuki was not fine. Ever since he woke up to a white ceiling and wrapped up under a warm blanket, he had not been fine in the slightest. Then, once he spotted the clock, he had all but shot out of bed once he saw it was the late afternoon. The old bat in the nurse's office didn't even have the chance to grab him before he picked up his shoes and made it down the hallways, where he saw the late afternoon sun begin to set through the large glass windows. He grimaced and picked up the pace.

'Dammit,' he thought, 'I missed all my damn afternoon classes!' His feet slapped against the tile floor as he continued to charge through the halls. 'That nerd is going to pay for this!'

The last thing he remembered was seeing Deku flick his finger before his world went dark. He had no idea what that nerd did or how he did it, but whatever it was, he hated it. It was Katsuki's fault for letting the damn nerd get the drop on him.

"Damn him," he snarled, "damn that nerd to hell! "

Then, as he was getting ready to round a corner, a hand clapped down onto his shoulder and he was jerked back. Katsuki turned back with a growl, ready to snap at the old hag for trying to stop him, only to blink when he came face to face with a suit. He sputtered for a moment and looked up to see that skeleton of a man who taught his Hero Basics and Public Relations class standing in front of him.

"What're you looking at?" Katsuki snapped. "I gotta go grab my shit from the classroom!"

The skeleton frowned. "Young man, that language is not appropriate for school. It's unbecoming of an aspiring hero to talk like that."

Katsuki had it in him to scoff. " Whatever . Just let me go so I can go grab my things. I need to go pick up my assignments and make sure I don't fall behind because of that stupid nerd—"

"Young Bakugou," the skeleton said firmly, "you will do well not to talk to me or your classmates with that tone." His grip on Katsuki's shoulder tightened just a tad. God, his hands were so long and bony, like spider legs. It made him seem like the Grim Reaper. "Now, since I've caught you, I wanted to have a word with you."

"Can't it wait? " Katsuki snapped. Maybe if he weren't so frustrated, he might have been more conscious of the fact that he was talking to an authority figure, but his patience had long since worn thin. "I missed all my classes and I need to make sure I have all my assignments so I can turn them in. I'm not about to start the school year with missing work."

The Grim Reaper didn't relent. "You can gather your work in just a moment, young Bakugou. But right now, I'd like to have a discussion with you about the battle exercise."

Katsuki scoffed quietly. "What about it? Is it about how I lost? "

"No," the Grim Reaper replied, "it was about the… conversation I heard between you and young Midoriya."

In an instant, Katsuki went very still. He heard what they said? Did the entire class hear it, too? Just how much did they know?

"Young Midoriya already explained to me about what went on between you two," the man continued, which made Katsuki blink, "and he's assured me and Principal Nedzu that it wasn't a matter of concern."

Katsuki didn't know whether to be thankful or annoyed. Well, at least the nerd knew when to keep his mouth shut.

"That being said," the Grim Reaper went on, and just like that, the tension in his shoulders returned, "I would like to make one thing very clear to you, young man…" He leaned down until he was at Katsuki's eye level, making his back hunch up a bit. "Your anger will only get you so far. It may be the driving force that keeps you going, but it will not last forever."

Perhaps it was the weight in his words. Perhaps it was the way his piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into Katsuki's. Perhaps it was the gentle, yet firm way he spoke. Whichever it was, it was enough to give Katsuki pause while the man continued to speak.

"You want to be the best," he said, "and you want to win. Wanting those things isn't a bad thing." Then, his hand grew heavy on Katsuki's shoulder. "But when they come at the expense of others, then it becomes an issue."

Katsuki let out a low growl. "What're you trying to say? "

The Grim Reaper sighed. "I can see you're a driven young man. That is a good thing to be, especially at U.A. And you're quite talented, too—"

"Well, a fat lot of good that did me now, didn't it?!" Katsuki exploded. He jerked his shoulder away from the Grim Reaper. "What good is being talented if I still wound up losing the damn exercise? And to Deku , no less?!"

His hands started to shake and he grit his teeth. If what that nerd said was true and he really had developed a Quirk late, then what did that mean for Katsuki? Had he really managed to surpass him in just a couple of months when Katsuki had been working hard for the past ten years? What kind of a cosmic joke was that?

"He couldn't keep up with me," he continued, his voice low, "he was never even in the damn running… " Katsuki stared hard at the ground and his boots fell from his grasp onto the tile floor. "But now he has a Quirk and he beats me? Just like that? In front of everyone? "

Katsuki could feel his eyes start to burn and it only made him angrier. He always hated to cry and worse yet, he was doing it in front of a teacher he barely knew. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I had to work hard to get here," Katsuki snarled, "I busted my ass day in and day out to make sure I knew I was the best!" The tears began to take form and he stomped on the ground to try to ignore them. "I studied for months so I'd score well on the exam and trained every single damn day! I scored first place in the entrance exam, but it wasn't enough!"

Katsuki wanted to claw his eyes out once he felt the tears start to fall, so he stomped again. Pain jolted up his leg, but he didn't care, he just didn't care .

"When I saw what Deku did at the assessment…" he went on, his voice rising, "when I saw what he did at the exercise… " Katsuki fought to swallow the lump in his throat. "I realized I couldn't beat him in a head-to-head fight! He made me look so stupid! " He slammed his fist into the wall and wanted to scream . "All of my attacks were so fucking stupid!"

"Young Bakugou—" the Grim Reaper tried to say.

"Dammit!" Katsuki cursed. He hit the wall again and again. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! "

He felt the same way he did when he was four years old and he couldn't control his Quirk. His mother and father would try to help him to gain some semblance of control, but he just couldn't do it. The explosions used to hurt his ears and make him cry, so he'd slam his hands into the walls and the ground in hopes of making them stop, which only made them worse. His mother would grab his arms and his father would restrain him while he screamed and thrashed around, unable to break free of their grasp while his ears rang with the aftereffects of his explosion.

He was just a brat throwing a tantrum and he fucking hated it.

When his fist got ready to hit the wall again, a firm hand stopped him. Katsuki blinked through his tears and looked up to see his teacher staring at him. His piercing blue eyes shone with pity, which almost made him scream with frustration.

"Young Bakugou," he said firmly, "I understand that you're upset." Then, he slowly placed his giant hand over Katsuki's aching fist. "But this is not how you cope when you're upset."

Katsuki bit his lip to keep from cursing. Great, now he was being scolded again. He might as well have gone home and let the hag lecture him.

"This is only your second day here at U.A.," the skeleton of a man told him, "and you will have plenty of opportunities to prove yourself." His hand practically swallowed Katsuki's as he gave it a gentle squeeze. "You may have lost today… but there is still something you can take from this experience."

"Well, so what?! " Katsuki exclaimed. He could feel a heat start to rise out of his fist, so he jerked his hand away to keep from doing something stupid. As angry as he was, he didn't want to risk blowing the damn fool's hands off his body should he lose control. "He only beat me one time! That doesn't mean a damn thing! "

He expected to be rebuked. He expected to be scolded. He expected to even be punished. However, the skeleton of a man simply closed his eyes and inhaled sharply.

"You are a talented young man," he told him, startling Katsuki, "and there is no denying that you are driven."

Then, when his eyes opened, Katsuki froze. There was something deep and untold in his eyes, something that he was too young to understand and know for himself simply because he hadn't been alive long enough to experience it. He didn't know this man or what he had been through, but at that moment, Katsuki began to believe that there may have been some credence to his classmates' assumptions that his teacher may have once been a Pro. The skeleton of a man had clearly seen things that Katsuki had not and faced far scarier things than Katsuki's wrath. He had gotten a glimpse of something like that when he saw Aizawa use his Quirk, but this was something more intense, something older, something more powerful .

"But like it or not," the man continued, "you lost today. And in the future, you may lose time and time again. That is simply life, my boy." He straightened up and holy crap, just how tall was he? He practically towered over Katsuki. "You may have been at the top for a long time at your old school, but as a first-year at U.A., you're starting at the bottom with everyone else. You'll have to work to get to where you want to be. You're not ready to give up so soon now, are you?"

Katsuki was startled out of his trance and he bristled. "Hell, no , I'm not ready to give up!"

The man tapped his nose. " Language , young Bakugou. That's not a heroic trait."

"Tch," Katsuki replied, "like you'd know."

"I know plenty , young man," the Grim Reaper retorted, "I've been alive on this Earth for far longer than you have. I have faced against things you wouldn't even be able to imagine while you were still a twinkle in your father's eye." He rested his hand on his shoulder again. "But I was young like you once, my boy. So trust me when I say that allowing your anger to get the better of you will not help you to achieve your goals."

While his eyes remained fixed on Katsuki, it was as if his gaze were somewhere else entirely. It appeared almost as though he were lost in a completely different time and place.

"Having a fire inside of you isn't a bad thing," the Grim Reaper told him, and his words didn't sound like they were being said to Katsuki, "it can be the thing that drives you to keep moving forward. But, when you allow your fire to take over, it can consume your entire being and you'll only be left with ashes in its wake." Then, his eyes focused back on him and Katsuki's breath hitched. "And once it's gone, it'll leave you cold and dead in your grave."

Katsuki stood there, unable to speak.

"You're talented," the Grim Reaper repeated, though it felt drearier somehow, "and you're driven." He gave Katsuki's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But when you sort yourself and others into categories of being weak or strong, you only set yourself up for failure. Perfection comes at a hefty price, young man. Do not let it cost you the chance to become the hero our world needs."

He barely processed it when the man finally let go of him. Katsuki stared straight ahead, his words caught his throat and his cheeks wet with tears he hadn't realized had fallen.

"I hope you take this talk to heart, my boy," the Grim Reaper said softly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tissue. "Now, why don't you get dressed and head on home? I'm sure you could do with some more rest."

Katsuki found it in him to be offended. "I don't need to—"

"I would also suggest you leave before Recovery Girl finds you," he interjected, causing Katsuki to tense up, "I have a feeling she didn't just let you walk out of her office barefoot." He placed the tissue in Katsuki's hand and gave him a small smile. "Also, before I forget…"

He pulled his briefcase up and cracked it open. Then, he fished out a small folder and offered it up to Katsuki.

"I already gathered your class assignments from your teachers," he said, still smiling, "I stopped by your classes to get them while you were still recovering. I figured you didn't want to fall behind, so I made sure to get it for you."

The defiant part of Katsuki wanted to grab the papers and throw them in the man's face for what he said to him. However, he was too exhausted to rebuke him and figured this was the best option, especially considering that he had shouted at his teacher and cursed in front of him repeatedly. With a begrudging sigh, his shoulders slumped and he looked down at the ground while he took the folder.

"Thanks," he mumbled out.

"'Thanks,' what?" the Grim Reaper questioned, and Katsuki grimaced at his tone. He sounded just the old hag did.

Katsuki inhaled sharply through his nose. "Thank you… sir ."

The Grim Reaper gave him a thumbs up. "You're welcome, young man."

Huffing tiredly, Katsuki turned on his heel and continued his journey down the hallway. The Grim Reaper didn't stop him, which he supposed was the man's way of allowing him to save face. God, what the hell was wrong with him? Why the hell couldn't he just keep his cool?

'It's that damn Deku's fault,' he thought bitterly, 'it's always his fault.' He clutched his boots tightly. 'Can't believe I actually lost to that idiot…'

But he had meant what he said before; he wasn't going to give up, not anytime soon. Deku may have shot ahead of him for the time being, but Katsuki knew that the nerd wouldn't know what to do with that position. He'd find a way to mess up and once he did, Katsuki would be ready to strike. For now, though, he would just have to focus on catching up on his work so that way he didn't fall behind.

'I can't worry about what those other extras think,' Katsuki mused as he drew closer to the locker rooms, 'or what that damn Grim Reaper thinks, either…' He shook his head when his words replayed in his head. 'Whatever… he hasn't seen anything yet. None of them have.'

Whether or not he was once a Pro, the Grim Reaper had no way of understanding what level Katsuki was trying to aspire to. He could only dream of achieving the same level and status that All Might had while Katsuki knew he was going to surpass the Symbol of Peace one day. And when that day finally came, he sure hoped that the Grim Reaper was there to see it.

Teaching was, Toshinori realized, really, really hard. In spite of the overall success of his first class, in spite of the way that his students all smiled and bid him a sweet goodbye when it came time for him to leave, in spite of the way that his heart felt so full when he saw them all light up during all the matches, he couldn't erase that feeling of unease that lingered deep within his gut whenever he thought back to young Bakugou. The boy's anger during the match had left a bad taste in his mouth and his feelings only grew stronger when he saw them directed at his successor in such a vicious manner. His instincts were screaming at him not to trust him, to turn him away, to regard the boy with suspicion and protect his protege at all costs.

Then, when he stood in that hallway with Bakugou and stared at his tear-stained face, he was struck with an obvious, but nonetheless heavy observation: young Bakugou was, in fact, a boy. It would be so easy for Toshinori to dismiss his feelings as immature and childish when he himself was an old man, and yet, as he stood and watched while Bakugou fell apart in front of him, he could easily see himself in his shoes because he, too, knew how it felt to be young, angry, and rendered helpless.

Toshinori was only eighteen years old when his mentor was taken from him. When he was fourteen and first gained his Quirk, making it to that point had felt like a milestone of maturity, but now that he was in his fifties, he realized that he might as well have been an infant at the time. Losing his mentor had left a mark on his soul that he would never be without and even though the monster who took her was gone, that same anger he felt when he first lost her lingered deep within him. However, it was that same anger that might have driven him to an early grave had he not been guided by Gran Torino in the wake of her death.

'I may not favor your methods,' Toshinori admitted to himself as he made his way down the hallway, 'but now that I'm older, I understand what you were trying to do.'

Toshinori had meant every single word of what he said to Bakugou in that hallway: he was talented and driven, there was absolutely no doubt about that. But at the end of the day, his anger could very easily cost him everything that he was striving to achieve. Toshinori could only hope that he would be able to provide a guiding hand to the boy throughout the rest of his time at U.A.

With a tired sigh, Toshinori opened the door to the teacher's lounge. As soon as he was inside, he closed the door and leaned up against it, his eyes falling to a close.

"So," said a voice, startling his eyes open. He looked over to see Aizawa laying on the couch in his sleeping bag, tired as ever. "How was your first day, rookie?"

Toshinori wanted to be witty. He wanted to be snarky. He wanted to shoot back a reply that would knock that tired look off Aizawa's face. However, instead, all he did was let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Teaching," Toshinori murmured, leaning his head back against the door, "is really, really hard."

Aizawa snorted, if a bit humorlessly. "Well, then… At least you learned it on your first day." His eyes fluttered shut and he burrowed back into his sleeping bag. "Welcome to hell, rookie. Hope you enjoy your stay with the rest of us."

A/N: I know what some of you are thinking:

"Why on earth didn't Bakugou get punished for how he acted in the simulation?" Reminder that in canon, he didn't get punished, either, and he acted a *lot* more extreme. It's like Izuku said: it's not like he blew a hole into the side of the building. Izuku was confident enough to get the drop on him before Katsuki could go nuclear.

"Why isn't Bakugou being punished for his history with Izuku?" Izuku is covering for him, for the most part. He's spinning things into positives so that way Nedzu and Toshinori won't try to pry because at the end of the day, Izuku doesn't want Katsuki to lose his chances of becoming a hero. He knows how much that dream means to him and as angry as he may get, he's not going to put that in jeopardy.

"Why would Izuku cover for him?" I know some of you may think this is strange, but Izuku doesn't really talk about his full relationship with Katsuki. It's kind of this unspoken thing between them that comes up during moments of extreme tension. However, this doesn't mean Izuku is blindly devoted to protecting him at all costs or is blind to how he's being treated. He doesn't like being mistreated, but at the same time, he has a lot of complicated emotions surrounding Katsuki that *will* be getting explored as the series goes on. (Spoiler alert: some of those emotions are in relation to the thing that Katsuki said to him on the day the sludge villain attacked. *You know the one.*)

"Why didn't Toshinori go off on Bakugou?" Toshinori is many things, but at the end of the day, he's not a very angry man. When he gets angry, and I mean *really* angry, it's usually on behalf of others. As of now, Izuku has assured him that while things are tense between him and Katsuki, Katsuki is not a bad person. During his interaction with Katsuki, it's apparent to him that while he an angry person, he is still a teenager and has room to learn and grow. Now, I'm not saying that Toshinori is always going to be as patient as he was today (especially later on, when people push him past his limits, which is spoiler territory), but right now, Katsuki had a really, really hard day and the bucket wound up spilling over. Toshinori knows from experience how rough things can be when it gets to that point.

Anyway, until next time~! We'll be moving onto the next arc!