'Alright! Everyone get ready… annnnd GO!'

Katsumi shot forward, but so did the other contestants. As soon as she started running she realised she should have taken her shoes off to use her quirk to its full potential. How annoying.

Passing through the door Katsumi, to her surprise, had the lead. All those early morning runs she had dragged herself out of her bed for had paid off. She reminded herself not to let her guard down.

The first obstacle was only about ten meters away, a (about fifteen-meter-high) web of metal pipes blocked the path forward. She reasoned it would be quicker to get to the top and run across the pipes there. She prepared to use her quirk as she quickened her pace. She had to build up momentum for her rubber band trick, since using it on her Dad she had practised and practised it till she had it perfect.

Raising her hands into the air she threw herself forward into a handspring, as she came up she stretched her arms, her hands flying far as her arms stretched up quickly to grasp a pipe. She flung herself upwards as the stretched limbs snapped back. Flipping over she landed on top of the pipes.

Katsumi wobbed on the pipe, she took a second to steady herself. It wasn't good to waste time but if she slipped down the pipes she would lose a hell of a lot of time. She started to move but stopped and cringed as she felt her throat tickle, causing her to cough. Still, she began to leap across the top of the pipes.

'Haha! Impressive!' Yoarashi's voice ran out from behind her. Katsumi automatically turned her head around to hear the voice. She could at least find out what his quirk was. Surprisingly though, it wasn't him who was the closest to her, it was the scar-boy, propelled by ice he skated along the top, quickly overtaking her.

'The hell!' Katsumi shouted, speeding up as she chased after him. Gritting her teeth she tried to swallow the thick slimy feeling in her throat as she jumped across the pipes. A gust of wind almost swept her away as Yoarashi flew from behind her.

'C'mon don't fall back now!' He laughed as he propelled himself over the pipes.

Shouting in frustration Katsumi quickened her pace. Already she was falling behind. No, she wasn't about to let that happen. Stretching her arms up and out, she threw them forward a good couple of meters to fling herself forward. Soaring past Yoarashi she landed awkwardly against a pipe, the few seconds she spent scampering back up to continue trekking forwards allowing him to catch up to her. He overtook her again, though the gap between them was closer. The end of the pipes was nearing now, and she could see icy boy skating down- she could use his ice to slide down. A grin reached her lips, this was kinda fun.

By the end of it, Katsumi felt violently ill. Her limbs were heavy, her pulse quick, her feet aching and stomach churning. Once she had passed the finish line she had immediately gone off to the side. Hunched over, sweaty, out of breath and cacking up flem. She was thankful for the tissues her dad had given her, sneakily spitting the gross flem into the tissue.

She got third. That was enough right? She was too tired to care. That damn ice boy was ahead the entire time, well until the end. She had been on Yoarashi's heel for most of the course but had actually overtaken him when they had to go through a net, seemed she was much more flexible than the other contestants. In fact, she had almost caught up to Icy during that lovely, lovely net until she was hit by the feeling of choking and started to cough. She managed to stay in second till the last stretch, when Yoarashi, with a powerful gust of wind, flew past her and stole first place.

Speaking of the wind dude, as Katsumi stood up and collected herself as she could see him approach her.

'Well,' he grinned, 'looks like you failed to sabotage anyone, Yagi.'

Katsumi would have rolled her eyes at the comment, she honestly forgot she said that. Normally she would have disliked someone she barely knew poking fun at her like that but something about the guy's unabashed banter was quite charming. It was the sort of personality that suited a hero.

'I was too busy trying to keep up,' Katsumi admitted. She turned to face him properly, putting a finger on her chin in feigned thought before she grinned evilly at him. 'I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to sabotage you in UA.'

'Haha!' he laughed heartily, 'I look forward to it!'

Once they got back to the main building Katsumi didn't waste time waiting around, not even bothering to change back into her faux uniform. She left the school grounds and went straight to where her Dad had parked the car, messaging him to meet her there. As she turned on her phone she noticed she had a message from Izuku. The sight of the notification made her chest tighten and quickly put her phone away, not even opening the message. She could reply later when she didn't feel so embarrassingly vulnerable.

What to do about that… Crush? It was a crush. Oh wow, Katsumi had a crush. When was the last time she had a crush? She winced as her mind flashed with preferably forgotten memories.

Okay, working with the fact it was a crush, crushes don't typically last long. They're shallow and fleeting. It might go away in a couple of days, weeks, months. If she confessed to him it would be awkward if they broke up because she stopped liking him or if something else happened.

Wait, she was just assuming he would say yes. She was used to guys liking her so she just assumed… Well if she asked him out he would probably say yes right? Or would he? She didn't even know if he liked her! She didn't want him to date her just because she was the only girl he knew. He had to like her. So, what should she do?

Audibly groaning Katsumi leaned against the car, her forehead pressing against the glass. For years she had gone without a real, substantial crush, she had dated, sure, but that was normally just because she found a guy attractive and she was bored. That and to piss her mum off. Those guys were nothing like Izuku, she would never have described him as her type, so why did she like him so much?

'Ughhhhhh.'

'Katsumi?'

Toshinori stood behind her, one eyebrow raised at the sight of his daughter.

'You took your time,' Katsumi stood up and turned to him as if nothing happened, 'You watch my exam?'

'Yeah, you were incredible!' He smiled, 'I'm so proud!'

Katsumi felt her cheeks redden, 'Tch well, I would have done better-'

'If you weren't ill, yes yes I know,' He took his keys out of his coat pocket and opened the car, 'Those two boys in front of you were quite something right?'

'Yeah,' Katsumi agreed as they got into the car, 'I don't like the ice guy, gave me a dirty look while we were waiting for the introduction.'

'Oh yeah? He's Endevour's son y'know? Shoto Todoroki I think.'

'Wow, so he really is a nepo baby.' Katsumi snorted, remembering her first impression of him. It was nice to be proven right.

'And you are?' He laughed as he turned on the engine.

'Well- I don't pretend to be better than everyone else!'

'I thought he just gave you a dirty look?'

'Yeah- well,' Katsumi bit the inside of her cheek, 'He had a cold gaze, kinda like Mum.'

'Ah,' Toshinori pursed his lips, before he laughed, 'Gosh she's really changed over the years.'

'I don't really remember.'

'She used to be so… passionate,' he mused, Katsumi looked at him unconvinced.

'I suppose it's mostly because of me she's changed,' he sighed, 'I don't think we talked about what it would be like to be in a relationship with a hero enough. So, uh sorry kid.'

Katsumi coughed, she didn't care for continuing that conversation, the fact it seemed everything that sucked in her life stemmed from her Dad wasn't something that would be productive to dwell on.

'Anyways, did you see how Izuku did?' The question had been on the tip of her tongue since they had got into the car.

'I don't think I can tell you, why don't you just ask him?'

'Oh!' Katsumi went pink, 'Ah, I was going to but uh…'

Toshinori glanced away from the road to Katsumi, 'Oh? What's that face for?'

'Nothing! I just feel a little hot, I might be getting a fever!'

He raised his eyebrow, unconvinced, 'Alright, best to go straight to bed when we get back then, no screens.'

'What!?'

A week had passed since the exam and Izuku had been completely out of it. He'd failed to get a single point and it was eating him up inside. Not just that, but since the exam All Might hadn't contacted him.

Another thing playing on his mind was he felt like Katsumi was being weird. He had managed to work up the courage after that horrific practical exam to message her. He just asked how her exam had gone but her reply was vague and short. Not just that but it had taken her till the next evening to reply, since then she hadn't messaged him much at all.

He told himself it was just because she was probably still ill, maybe it had gotten worse and she was just resting. He hoped she was okay, but the idea of All Might telling her how awful he did and that being the reason she wasn't speaking to him was poking its way into his head.

'Oh yeah Izuku, are the results for the UA exam due back today or tomorrow?'

Izuku barely heard his Mum as he stared vacantly at the wall, 'Uh-huh.'

'Honey, even if you didn't make it I think what you accomplished was amazing!'

'Uh-huh.'

Sorry All Might, he thought, you really wasted your time on me. It would have been better to give One For All to Katsumi.

'Izuku! Izuku!' His mother shouted, running quickly from the door she fell to her knees in front of him.

'It came! It's here!'

'All Might!' A loud wailing voice cried.

'Who's that!' Toshinori coughed, blood spurting out as a crying Izuku rushed towards them. It was the night after the letters had been sent out and Toshinori had asked Midoriya to meet them at the beach.

'Did someone say All Might's here?' Someone's voice from the pier called out.

'Nah! Don't worry 'bout it!' Katsumi shouted over.

'Ah!' Izuku covered his mouth, 'Sorry!'

Toshinori raised his hand to high-five Izuku, 'Good job on passing kid. Just to let you know I didn't tell the school about us, you got in completely on your own. I know you're the kinda person to worry about being accepted through connections.'

Katsumi frowned, 'What about me?'

'Yeah well your situation is different, plus your birthday's too early for that class so I had to pull some strings.' He shrugged.

'Oh really?' Izuku turned to Katsumi, 'When's your birthday?'

Katsumi physically felt her heart leap up as his eyes met hers. His big, emerald eyes… Pursing her lips she felt her face heat up, she had to look away from him before she replied.

'March tenth,' she managed to say nonchalantly, internally she was screaming at her stupid red face. She could only hope her Dad didn't notice.

'Wait, isn't that tomorrow?' Izuku eyes widened as he realised

'Oh yeah, I hope you don't think I've forgotten about that.'

'It's fine just give me some money.' Katsumi shrugged. There was nothing she really wanted at the moment.

'Haha!' Toshinori shook his head, grinning, 'Just you wait.'

Katsumi eyed her father with suspicion, 'Right… I don't know if I like that.'

'Anyways,' he chuckled before getting quite serious, 'both of you listen, I've told the academy about my predicament, but other than the staff only you two know.' Toshinori looked out at the dark night sky, 'I had UA notify me if they found me a suitable successor, though obviously I don't need that anymore.'

'One For All…' Izuku looked down at his hands, 'Just one kick or punch and it wrecks my body. I can't handle it at all.'

'Really?' Katsumi's eyebrows shot up, 'It was that bad?'

Toshinori sighed, 'It can't be helped for now, if you tried to get a guy who suddenly grew a tail to do tricks he wouldn't be able to. Same story here.'

'You knew he was going to get hurt!' Katsumi gasped.

'Well! There hasn't been much time… but everything worked out all right!' He chuckled, 'Or should I say All Might!'

'Gross.' Katsumi cringed.

'Right now kid,' Toshinori picked up a can from the floor, Izuku looked at All Might intently, Katsumi watched his face carefully, 'You're stuck at all or nothing, but if you can learn to adjust the amount of power you use to save your body the strain of using One For All's full strength. The more you build up a vessel the more you can control in it!'

'Like this!' He exclaimed as his body puffed itself up into All Might. Izuku nodded fervently.

'Izuku's pretty well built already,' Katsumi grimaced as a disturbing image popped into her head, 'he's not gonna have to look like you to use it properly?'

'No,' All Might stroked his chin, 'but why are you saying it like it's a bad thing?'

Katsumi took a good look at her Dad before turning to Izuku. He looked back at her nervously.

'It wouldn't suit him.'

'I-'

'Oh wow is that All Might?'

A woman's voice came from the pier, and the three of them jumped at the voice.

'When did he get here!'

'Whoops!' All Might turned on his heel, 'Time to run kids!'