Izuku smiled as he finished printing out the contract for Magne-San in the Kumamoto university library. Honestly, he was thankful to find one printer capable of connecting to his laptop but surprised with how few connectable printers there were in the building, well he knew they weren't a common thing, but Izuku expected that there would be more in a university building.
"Mido-Senpai, are you done yet?" Osamu-Kun asked walking up to him with a couple of medical books in his arms "Yep! Did you find the books you needed?" He asked placing the papers away in his bag and Osamu-Kun nodded "Great let's get to work then, you wanted to focus on learning more about the appendix, right?" Izuku questioned moving over to a table with the boy.
"Uh-huh, I know it's only guaranteed to be found in other two-toes, but you said that some quirked individuals have been found with them too." Osamu-Kun confirmed sitting next to him "They have, over fifty percent of people with a mutation quirk related to a herbivorous animal have been discovered to have the appendix."
"Biological anthropologists originally theorized the appendix's purpose might be connected to the herbivore diet our ancient ancestors could've had, so there is some grounding for those with vegetation heavy diets to have an appendix." Izuku explained opening one of the books, together they happily learned as much as they could about the small organ in the next hour.
This study session was something the two boys had done religiously every Tuesday before heading to another building for the E.M.T. class Izuku had found for Osamu-Kun. He had found the class simply to help Osamu-Kun, but the boy had been too scared to go on his own, hence why Izuku accompanied the boy to his classes every Tuesday instead of his college courses.
No doubt he was going to fall behind on his courses since he was losing a day every week but learning more about medicine and helping Osamu-Kun was more than worth it. Both boys had of course faced some... difficulty from their classmates, due to not only their quirkless status but from being the youngest members of the class.
That being said it had somehow helped Izuku gain some measure of confidence from defending his and Osamu-Kun's place in the class. Their teacher was willing to have them so long as they kept up with their payments, so it was just up to Izuku to make Osamu-Kun feel safe there by keeping the rest of the people in the class away from the boy.
Osamu-Kun had taken to the classes like a fish to water and was loving it despite the endless amount of work they both had from it, the boy had also begun to call Izuku "Mido-Senpai" after he insisted the boy didn't have to call him by his alias, Izuku was both flustered and a touch honored when Osamu-Kun argued that Izuku was his Senpai and wouldn't drop the honorific.
Standing outside of the room Izuku reminded himself that if he could yell at gangsters then he could deal with rude people *Well... I wasn't thinking the first time I did it, but the other five times worked out just fine... Even if it was only to not paint a target on themselves by crossing Yuri-San.* ritual mental pep talk done with, Izuku entered the classroom with Osamu-Kun trailing right behind him.
The two made their way to one of the two-person desks and took note of the odd rubber human torso on the desk "Oh, do you think we're going to be doing CPR practice again Mido-Senpai?" The brunette inquired head tilted as he looked the dummy over "Maybe, having exams to check our skills would probably be expected but we could also be learning something else." Izuku answered himself curious about what they could be learning today.
"Like what Mido-Senpai?" Osamu-Kun pondered and Izuku hummed "Well-" he said one word before a man at the desk in front of them whirled around "Oh would you two hollows stop fucking jabbering." He snapped at them making Osamu-Kun shrink back and press himself into Izuku's side, the greenette however, stared back at the man shocked.
While no one had been welcoming of them Izuku didn't think anyone there would sink so low as to call them that slur. He squared his shoulders and glared at the blond man not bothering to remember whatever his name was "What did you just call us?" Izuku questioned feeling slightly disgusted rather than the typical annoyance.
To his credit, the blond seemed to understand the gravity of what he just said and looked to the rest of the room... but for once the people in the room were clearly on Izuku's side, they probably wouldn't if the blond called him any of the other numerous quirkless slurs, hell Izuku himself wouldn't care if he said something else like geneless null.
But publicly calling a quirkless person a "hollow" was a serious social faux pas and might be the only time the quirkless were allowed to retaliate, especially when it was directed at a child.
Unfortunately, before he could the instructor entered the room and noticed the tense air, the woman groaned "What happened this time?" She questioned not having any patience for the current drama, a woman with antlers standing beside the blond immediately took a step away from him "Davidson called them... That." The woman told their teacher pointing at an empty beaker not wanting to risk becoming a social pariah by saying it herself.
The teacher stared at the pair for a minute, and it took another example for her overworked brain to catch on and she scowled "Davidson, out." The woman ordered "Rein-Sensei-" the blond tried to protest only for the teacher to shoot him another scowl "I said out. I do not have the time or energy to deal with piss-ants that spew bullcrap." Rein-Sensei said firmly.
Davidson wisely shut up and left, Rein-Sensei was not a woman to cross and as a working doctor, she had little patience for idiots. Osamu-Kun tugged on Izuku's sleeve "Mido-Senpai, d-did they help... Us?" He whispered in utter disbelief which was warranted considering both of the women were generally rude to them for being quirkless.
"Yes, what he said wasn't okay." Izuku told the boy making him even more confused "But people have called us slurs all the time?" Osamu-Kun countered and Izuku's heart twinged as he understood Osamu-Kun's confusion, Izuku didn't know why that slur was different either until he was Osamu-Kun's age.
"I'll explain it to you later. We should focus on Rein-Sensei right now." Izuku said a hand on the boy's shoulder. Osamu-Kun wanted to ask him about this magical slur that people couldn't call them but let it rest and turned to Rein-Sensei.
After they finished that day's class Osamu-Kun immediately plied him with questions about the slur, Izuku sighed and led him back to the library and away from prying eyes at a quiet isolated corner taking his phone out and opening a digital copy of a specific book before he explained a morbid event involving the MLA and the quirkless seventy-five years ago.
He also explained that hollow was short for "Hollow-blood", a slur that gained more traction due to how quirkless people were discovered to be more likely to have quirkless children regardless of their partner's quirk. "Hollow" itself wasn't a bad word and it was used interchangeably with the other "evolutionary backwash" names quirkless people were given until around seventy-five years ago.
Izuku also explained that people still called quirkless people hollows or hollow-bloods but that people just couldn't say it in public, he knew that was a weird point, but people just had strange rules for social situations and calling a quirkless person hollow around other people in public was just one of the things that were against the "rules of hospitality" or something.
Osamu-Kun seemed to understand what Izuku told him even if the social hypocrisy didn't make much sense to him, that was about as much as Izuku could ask for considering the reason for the odd social taboo was such a dark event in history and he was glad he didn't have to deal with the emotional mess of a person he had been when his mom told him of the event.
Osamu-Kun had his number so if he was affected by the knowledge he'd call if he needed to talk about it. With that in mind, he went on with his rounds in the red-light districts, teaching in one place and handing out care packages in all five of the districts.
Izuku finished up placing some of the new fluffy materials in the same places he always did. He had learned how dangerous winter was for the less fortunate after the SSI and he tried to do his best to help where he could, he didn't have property there yet, so Izuku had taken to buying large warm coats, warm gloves, large blankets, and easy to make warm food.
He smiled making sure the trunk was closed so weather and feral animals wouldn't get to the things he'd left there. Proud of himself he nodded and was planning to leave when he was mobbed by a group of rabbit-quirked children, Izuku was caught off guard and fell into the snow with a short cry of surprise.
Izuku wanted to be a least somewhat annoyed by them tripping him up and the snow that got in between his clothes making the boy wet and cold, but the small hill of excited children giggling and laughing from where they sat on top of him made it impossible "I apologize Deku-Sensei. Unfortunately, I think you know how hard it is to wrangle my brood." A woman with limp rabbit ears said, her arms crossed as she tiredly watched them.
The kids didn't take too kindly to that and more than one stuck their tongues out at her. Izuku tried his best to smile at her from where he was pinned on the ground "It's fine Vespa-San. I completely understand, fifteen toddlers are a handful." He playful assured not giving the kids any satisfaction when a few of them whacked him in retaliation.
Not wanting to risk frostbite Izuku sat up and caused the five kids that were on top of him to fall into the snow and their siblings around them. Whining was quick to come from those he displaced making him have to cover his mouth to keep them from hearing him chuckle but considering he was kicked in the ribs by one the toddlers he didn't know why he bothered trying to hide it with their hearing.
One of the kids easily jumped up and onto Izuku's shoulder gripping his coat to stay on there "We're having dinner at Nonna's. Would you like to join us Deku-Sensei?" She asked making Izuku a bit tense "W-well I don't think I should just invite myself to someone else's house for dinner." He nervously deflected looking to their mother.
The girl started pouting "But Deku-Sensei, I'm inviting you." She protested and the rest of the siblings joined in and started telling him that they were inviting him to dinner. Izuku laughed awkwardly "That's very n-nice of you all. But I won't be going to your house so I wouldn't be needing your permission." He explained trying to keep from being overtaken by the toddlers again.
Vespa-San thankfully stepped in at that moment by stomping her foot "Figli." She sternly called causing the kids to stop their pleading and turn to her "If Deku-Sensei doesn't already have plans, then I'm sure Nonna would be happy to have him over. But we should be respectful of whatever choice he makes, right?" Vespa-San questioned her arms crossed.
"Sì mamma." All fifteen replied their shoulders slumping and those with upright ears had them matching their floppy-eared siblings. Izuku also had to catch the little girl who was clinging to his shoulder as she let go and he didn't want her to hurt herself from falling that far.
Naturally being the very soft-hearted person he was, he couldn't stand all of the kids melancholy so against his better judgment he said: "I w-wouldn't mind coming over for dinner Vespa-San." The children of course burst into cheers and jumped him again "Figli!" Vespa-San shouted stomping her foot before giving up on getting any of them to calm down.
She walked over and scooped up five of them into her arms "I'm sorry Deku-Sensei. They're incorrigible but, unfortunately, the rest of the figli will likely have the same reaction when we get to the compound." She tiredly apologized quietly warning him of the onslaught of bunny children no doubt waiting on the Vespa property.
"I understand Vespa-San. Honestly, I'm more worried about eating your family's food." Izuku responded getting six of the kids into his arms, a larger one sat on his shoulders and had a firm grip pulling his hair. Izuku never liked it when anyone pulled his hair, but the boy's safety was always his priority... Besides, the kid's grip was nothing compared to that one mean girl from the second grade.
Vespa-San scoffed "Despite having over four hundred people living at the compound, Mamma always manages to make enough food for there to be leftovers so don't worry about anyone going hungry over you." She commented which Izuku found astounding. How could one woman make that much food without a quirk?
His disbelief seemed to clear on his face and Vespa-San rolled her eyes "Our family helps her of course. She always has twenty helpers at any time." She added making him sigh relieved. Izuku managed to stand himself up without his hands and started the trek to the local Vespa compound with the other three toddlers happily following the pair.