U.A.'s schedule, compared to even other Hero Academies, could be considered rather unique.

Firstly, the timetable stretched from Monday to Saturday. The first day of the week would usually be filled with regular classes. Following that—from Tuesday to Friday—during the last three periods after lunch students would attend Foundational Heroics on a rotational schedule. Class 1-A would recieve practical Foundational Heroics on Tuesday but would get theoretical Foundational Heroics on Wednesday; Class 1-B would be on the flipside. This continues until Friday.

What truly makes U.A. stand out from other schools is that, during Saturday, the entire time would be spent on the study of Foundational Heroics.

'But that would only start a week after our first day.' Izuku thought as he stood in front of U.A.'s pristine gate. He was decked in U.A.'s prestigious uniform—a grey buttoned up blazer with green stripes along the lapel and the cuffs; a white shirt with a red tie; dark, blue-green pants; and a button atop each shoulder, which apparently signified one's department.

Perhaps that was why hushed whispers echoed from the students passing by. Even within the exalted halls of U.A. High, students who attended the Hero Course were held on a pedestal. That shouldn't come as a surprise. More than anyone else, Izuku knew how much this society values Heroes. 'Still...' he thought, his fingers reaching up to wrap around the locket hanging on his neck, 'it doesn't do my nerves any good.'

"Midoriya-san!" A feminine, heavily-accented voice called out.

Turning, Izuku smiled slightly. More out of politeness, than anything else; he still wasn't sure what to think of the vine-haired person in front of him. "It's good to see you, Shiozaki-san."

"Likewise." She responded as she walked closer. "What class are you assigned to, pray tell?"

"1-A. You?"

"1-B. A pity."

"Um... yeah."

She softly sighed, her long, slim fingers holding her cheek. Ibara appeared disappointed. "I'd much rather begin my first day with someone I know." He found her saying.

"What about Bakugo?" Izuku quickly asked. "Is he in your class?"

"Nay. Or at least, as far as I'm aware." She shrugged. "I sent him a text yesterday but he hasn't responded. A classic.

"Anyway," She smiled pleasantly. "I'll be heading over to class. What are you awaiting out here, if I may intrude?"

"Just waiting for some friends."

The vine-haired girl nodded. Not long after she departed, Iida and Uraraka walked into view. As the sight of them tugged up his lips, the trio made their way to class.

It was quite a bit difficult—largely due to the maze-like structure of the school—but they eventually found their class. A huge door loomed in front of them, the red words of '1-A' attached to their surface. Sliding open the door with surprising ease, they stepped inside. Almost instantly, green eyes were greeted by a pair of red. Bakugo glared at Izuku for a short, intense moment before looking away with a scoff. For Izuku, he simply pursed his lips, cursing at his own fate; why was his seat assignment right behind Bakugo?

"What's that guy's business?" Ochako huffed, her eyes narrowed.

Hearing her words spurred a small smile to his features. Izuku shook his head. "He's... an acquaintance of mine from way back. We're not on friendly terms."

"Will you be fine? We can ask the teacher for a seating change, perhaps." Iida offered.

"I a-appreciate it but I'll be fine." Izuku shook his head. As the pair nodded and went to their own seats on the other side of the room—which were close together, Izuku thought with mild jealousy—, likewise, he did the same.

As his steps carried him closer and closer to the blond, the boy's voice, callous as ever, drifted into his ears. "Meet me after school, Deku."

Izuku went still. He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes flickering downwards to Bakugo. The boy stared forward, hands in pockets, not even bothered to confirm whether or not Izuku would accept his words. As if that was already an assured thing.

"Deku." That nickname repeated itself in his mind, screeching like nails on a blackboard.

Maintaining his silence, Izuku pulled back his chair and plopped down. His jaw tightened. Now that he was sitting here—up close and personal—did Izuku realize just how terrible the location of his seat was. Whenever he paid attention to class, whether or not he liked it, Bakugo's mop of ashen-yellow hair would always persist in his periphery.

"Deku." Once again, the nickname repeated itself. He thought it was just another figment of his imagination. "Which... roughly translates to useless."

Izuku jolted. The voice wasn't just in his thoughts, after all. Turning to face the source, he was more than a bit surprised to see another familiar face. Fortunately, it wasn't one he was displeased to see.

"I wonder why he called you that?" Asked the raven-haired girl.

He frowned. "It's just... a nickname." His eyes went wide as he forced out a cough. Soon, it was replaced by a smile. "You're Momo Yaoyorozu, right? The same one who supervised my Quirk assessment?"

"Indeed." A book was splayed open on her desk, displaying what seemed like atomic configurations, while a capless green marker was held in her left hand. She glanced up at him. "I have to applaud you. I didn't think you'd be able to get into U.A... much less achieve the ranking that you did."

A warm red tinted his cheeks. Smilingly, he said, "T-Thanks a lot. Um," He smacked his lips. "what rank did you get? If it's not too offensive. I mean, I just wanna know, since I didn't see your name in the list."

"I'm a recommendation student." Was her curt answer.

"O-Oh, I see." He nodded. "Uh, what test did you get?"

"Something borish." She shot, her gaze flickering over the pages in front of her. A small pause went by as her fingers danced, adorning the top of the paper with a vibrant green check, before flipping to the next set of pages. "Merely an examination of our Quirks. Not much different than when I tested your Quirk, as a matter of fact."

Izuku nodded, his lips forming an 'O'. "Oh, w-were you tested together? Alongside the other recommendation students?" She simply nodded, her dark eyes swaying from the various texts and formations.

Izuku's ears perked upon hearing a boisterous laugh. Glancing to the side, his notice taken away from Yaoyorozu and given to one Hagakure who had just arrived, and was now chatting animatedly with Uraraka. As for Iida... he was already preparing his pencil case and a notebook, contrasting him to all his other classmates. As expected as a student from a private school.

In fact, he noted that the class had grown more crowded than earlier. A group of students seemed to be trying to get on friendly terms with Bakugo, but to none of his surprise, they were quickly warded off by his silent glare. The only one who persisted was a boy with red, spiky hair—all the luck to him, Izuku thought.

Instead, the rest gathered around a girl with long lobes, the end of which was capped by earphone jacks. A yellow-haired boy with a dash of black strands patted her shoulder. "On the phone, can ya' explain whatcha' mean, Kyoka-chan? I don't believe it one bit, for one."

'Kyoka... Ah. Kyoka Jiro.' Izuku thought, recalling her as the student ranked third. But more than that, she was Bakugo's teammate.

"It's the truth, ya' dunderhead." She said with a low tone. If her seat wasn't right beside him, Izuku wouldn't have heard her. "They only roped me in since my Quirk's especially useful in finding those bots, what with them being underground and all. And my team... both of them were really darn strong, but even more so for Bakugo. I don't understand how he's our age."

The so-called 'dunderhead' blinked. "Really?"

Jiro just scoffed smilingly. "Really."

To the side, a pink-skinned girl stared at their conversation with wide, rapt eyes. After a while, a toothy smile took over her face. "What's with the accent being so samsies?" The pair went still. "It's totes cute!"

As their talk drifted into something he wasn't exactly interested in, Izuku's eyes flickered back to Bakugo. Unsurprisingly, the red-haired boy had left and joined Jiro's group. The soil there was much more fertile for a conversation. Not much of a surprise, he thought–

Izuku went still.

His train of thought quickly went derailed as his mana sense picked up someone making their way—almost at a snail's pace—towards the classroom door. So when what seemed like a vibrant yellow caterpillar peeked from outside, he already had his gaze trained there, and was greeted by the weary yet surprised face attached to the large body. Izuku felt a cold chill when the creature grinned.

A moment later, the bell rang, and the students slowly shuffled back into their seats. As for Izuku, his gaze didn't move an inch.

The worm-like human shifted to the side, the long, ridged silver line underneath revealing that it was actually a sleeping bag. The zipper was pulled down from within, and like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, the man crawled out as he sipped a military ration pack. At least, if the butterfly was a man of ragged looks with a messy bundle of a scarf wrapped around his neck.

It was only then that the rest of the students picked up on his presence, as well. In no time at all, hushed whispers were already passing through the class.

"Why's a damn hobo here?" Katsuki bluntly said.

"I'm your teacher, you brat. The name's Aizawa." The man sighed as he walked in. An audible gasp was heard from a few others. "It took 19 seconds before most of you noticed me. And it took 7 for all of you to sit down after the ring. You're the Hero Course at U.A.; make sure to not repeat this tomorrow." Was his curt message.

He reached down into his bag, not bothering to glance at the shell-shocked students, and plopped down a thick bundle of plastic onto the wooden podium. He gave it a good smack on top. "It's a bit sudden but I need you all to wear these gym uniforms and then we'll head over to the P.E. Grounds. The changing room is right beside us." He gestured listlessly.

"Um... w-what about orientation?" Uraraka asked. When the man looked up, she glanced away.

"First rule you need to learn at U.A. is that the teachers here have a lot more authority than in other schools. That includes ignoring the orientation."

He shrugged. "Besides. Do any of you even want to join that?"

Of course, there was no answer.

Expect for Momo. "Indeed. It does sound borish."

After changing, all of the 20 students were brought outside of their classroom. Led down the long, winding halls, they eventually saw a large doorway with the word 'Cafeteria' plated above in glistening gold. Just before they arrived, Aizawa took a left, turning into a branching hall that soon sloped down. Finally, they arrived in the P.E. Grounds. Located outside of the main structure, it was a wide field of dried brown that was emblazoned by white chalks. Standing amidst his students, the teacher gazed at the horizon with a sigh. He could already see a tide of festering darkness in the distant sky. Arcs of thunder illuminated the undulating clouds, slowly growing by the minute.

"Let's make this quick," He said as he turned to his class. "Which one of you is Katsuki Bakugo?"

The blond boy stepped forward, his chin held aloft. Aizawa regarded him with blank eyes. "What's your previous record in ball throwing?"

"...My school didn't have a test like that."

"Ah." The teacher nodded. He threw him a baseball which Bakugo swiped off the air. He tossed it up and down, testing the ball's weight. "Well, throw one real quick. Over that way."

He did as was told. Aizawa showed them a device, the shape akin to a calculator. On the dull green screen was a number. "97 meters. Now, do the same, but use your Quirk to boost it."

Finally, there was a shift in Bakugo's expression. With lips spread wide, he lifted up one leg, and then slammed it down on the ground as his arm shot forward. "DIE!" Was his distinct war cry as a huge explosion billowed outwards, sending the ball flying far into the distance.

Aizawa glanced down then showed them the number that popped up on the device. The crowd gave a sharp gasps at what they saw: 1017 meters or a little over 1 kilometer. "This is what you will be doing today. I'll give you a series of tests, and if your Quirk could help you perform well, then do as you please. A Quirk Apprehension Test, so to speak." They were already murmuring excitedly but his words were akin to adding fuel to the fire.

"That's insane! How did he get that?"

"What did I tell ya', ya' dunce? He's no joke."

"This seems like it'll be fun!" The last part was echoed by Uraraka, a Cheshire grin adorning her. Just like that, several others echoed the same sentiment.

At least, until their austere teacher let out a sharp click of his tongue. "'Fun', you say? You think 'fun' is anything to foam about as a Hero?"

"B-But... isn't this just our first day?" One of the other students—a midget of a boy with grape-like hair—spoke, fidgeting, not daring to meet Aizasa's stare.

"And it's not like we can't enjoy being Heroes." Expressed the pink-skinned girl from before with furrowed brows.

The ragged man tilted his head, his lips dragged up. "No. You can't."

"But–"

"Heroes should have enthusiasm, that's a must. But that, and fun, are two different things. Having fun is letting your emotions take centre stage; in Hero work, that could get you injured or worse.

"And just because today is your first day," At that, the midget flinched. "doesn't mean you get to slack off. In some ways, first impressions matter the most." The man gave a sly smile.

"Since I want you to make sure all your first impressions are lasting, how about this: whoever performs the worst on this test will be kicked out of the Hero Course. No remedials. You'll be immediately thrown away."

A huge clamor arose due to his words, distinctly laced with apprehension. Several students were already up and arms, their unwillingness to be kicked from merely the first step to their dreams momentarily dashing away their fear of one Shota Aizawa. The man simply scoffed at their reactions. Expulsion would be the least of their worries in the Hero Course, he thought somberly.

Bakugo, however, just chuckled. "Hardcore. Weeding out the extras."

"It won't be the case." Somewhere else, Momo whispered. "It's terribly inefficient, not to mention illogical, for a school of all places to kick out their students who have already filled the entrance requirements."

"But didn't Aizawa-sensei say that he's given free reign over us?" Hagakure, who had overheard the Yaoyorozu, murmured under her breath.

"An overexaggeration. I can understand him being allowed to drag us away from the orientation—it truly is useless most of the time—but surely not something this drastic." She huffed. "A company can't function if every single employee holds absolute sway over their vital resources."

Despite her invisibility, the gesture of Hagakure's clothes made it clear that Momo's words had alleviated much of her worry. A couple other students nearby—who similarly overheard—acted much in the same way.

An imperceptible smile formed on Momo as she noted their reactions.

Aizawa first gave a quick explanation of their activities. His words were somewhat hurried—often, his eyes would flicker over to the encroaching storm—, but most of them could keep us easily enough. The occasional student or two that didn't hear him would have their questions answered by an attentive Yaoyorozu.

The test to start things off wasn't, in fact, the ball throw that many had expected. Instead, it was a 50-meter dash.

Like Izuku already anticipated, Iida was the fastest, managing to get through the test in only 2.49 seconds. Then, Uraraka and Hagakure got 7.15 seconds and 6.48 seconds respectively. As for Izuku, he made due with the rough track—making it harder for him ni to slide through—even if he felt discontent with the 5.33 he got.

There was also another boy, one with heterochromic hair—red on one side, white on the other—who used a similar method to Izuku to complete the test, earning him a time of 4.49. Though, since he could just coat the entire track with a plane of ice, he had it remarkably smoother than Izuku did.

"Todoroki is Endeavor-san's son, right?"

"I heard that. I don't know if it's true, though." Hearing that tidbit from a nearby pair of students, Izuku pursed his lips in surprise.

Upon Momo's turn, she rode on an electric scooter she made that got her 4.03 seconds. So far, she was the second fastest amongst the students.

Then came Bakugo and he completely blew her record out of the water with his own—3.02 seconds. His position as the second best remained unbroken as the rest of the students did their parts.

The other tests turned out to be a largely dull affair with only a few standouts here and there.

Around the point of the distance run test, Izuku started to feel unsettled. His mana sense picked up someone observing them from the trees, however, he chalked it up to a staff member. That was a lot more comforting than the other possibilities he thought of.

As for the other two tests, the seated toe-touch and sit ups, the ones who performed well were largely those with Mutant Quirks. For the former, Ashido did the best; she was a dancer, Izuku heard, so he wasn't much surprised.

Then the Ball Throw came around as the last test they had to do. Since Bakugo already commited his part, he didn't need to participate. A steady stream of students were brought forward. Iida went first, placing the ball on a small mound, before kicking it—amidst a cloud of dirt and unfortunate worms—with all the momentum of his engine. It took flight along a distance of 608 meters.

Momo went next with a comical impression; she was pushing forward an entire cannon. She wrapped the ball in a shell of lusterless black steel before dumping it into the hollow tunnel. Adding a pillar to support its aim, she pressed a button, a bellow fulminated throughout the area, and something too fast for them to see bounded past the forest. Everyone immediately turned to Aizawa who soon showed them the results—1200 meters exactly. Awed cheers erupted from the crowd; Izuku felt pleased to see Bakugo look away, his jaw tight.

Momo's spot as first-place, ultimately, only served as a bench warmer for one Uraraka who came right after with a record of literal infinity.

"Turn off your Quirk." Aizawa told the still-ecstatic brunette. "Ectoplasm's already picking up your scraps."

Before he realized it, it was Izuku's turn.

Taking the ball out a steel container, Izuku walked to the circle drawn on the field with trepid steps. 'Just shoot a stream forward? Would that go far, though? Or do I use the ice like a whip, then turn it back to water at the last second?' Were just a few of the thoughts that filled his mind.

In the end, he took a page out of Momo's book and made a cannon of ice from a bit of the water in his gallon. It wouldn't go as far as the raven-haired girl, he knew, but that wasn't its purpose; owing to its noticeably smaller form, it was only meant to better direct his blast. He gathered the remaining water behind the ball before—with a deep breath—all of it exploded forward, their force barely contained by the frozen tunnel. Like Momo's, it bounded past the forest.

Aizawa looked down on the measurement device. "990 meters."

'Lower than Yaoyorozu, that's expected. But I wanted to at least beat Katsuki.' He rued.

Izuku turned on his heel to return to the crowd when his eyes met a pair of stark crimson, belonging to the subject of his thoughts. A toothy grin was the starting provocation. His flexing fingers, adorned with hot spraks, was the next.

BOOM!

He fliched as a cloud of heat and ash barreled towards him. Instantly, the ruined form of the cannon melted into droplets, ready to lash forward at any second. Then they suddenly fell onto the floor, refusing to cooperate in spite of his command.

'What's going on?' At that moment, a sharp intake of fear—greater than even what he felt when he stood in front of the Messiah—blasted into his heart. He can't feel his magic. His mana. His... everything.

"I removed your Quirks." Told Aizawa, spurring him to look up at his teacher. Izuku then glanced at Katsuki. His eyes were wide as well, his breath rapid. "Outside of simulated spars, there will be no infighting among my students. If anything happens, I'll make sure you don't just get kicked out of the Hero Course; I'll make sure you won't step another foot in U.A. Got it?"

Izuku was barely paying attention. He still had his gaze directed to Katsuki, 'Where did his explosion go to?' then to the dirt and air, fresh as ever, with not a hint of smoke. That was when he realized. 'I... I hallucinated it.'

"Got it?" Aizawa's voice returned, even sharper than before.

"U-Understood, sensei!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Bakugo looked away, calming his beating heart.

With that, the pair felt their Quirks returning. The blond brought up his hand, his red eyes flickering between Aizawa and the small sparks that lit up the air clutched by his fingers. Izuku tilted down his gaze, towards the stream that once again obeyed his command, and closed his eyes.

At that moment, the same line of thought coursed through their minds: to never again attract Aizawa's ire.

After giving the pair one final glare, Aizawa dug his hand into his pocket and took out a compact block which Izuku quickly recognized to be the very same projection device that was used to announce his acceptance into U.A. Much like it, the man pressed a button and it bloomed, accompanied by a large holographic screen that displayed a series of names.

1. Momo Yaoyorozu

2. Katsuki Bakugo

3. Shoto Todoroki

4. Tenya Iida

5. Izuku Midoriya

6. Fumikage Tokoyami

...

10. Ochako Uraraka

11. Toru Hagakure

...

20. Minoru Mineta

"And that's that." He said, looking around. "Now, where's Mineta? Come here, you."

The midget huddled near the back of the crowd. Forcibly nudged to the side by whom else but Bakugo, where he could not hide behind those taller than him, the boy shuffled forward to stand in front of the teacher. He stood on feeble legs, his fingers clutching at the blue hem of his shirt.

Aizawa sighed. "Calm down. You're not getting kicked out."

"Huh?" Mineta blinked. "What about...?"

"Just a ruse. One to make sure you all perform your best." His class groaned in unison, feeling an equal mix of relief and irritation.

Momo, however, simply smiled with her chin held up. "See? My prediction proved correct." She said to the students near her, emphasizing every letter of the last word. They nodded, a newfound admiration lighting up their eyes.

As for Mineta, his knees crashed onto the ground while rivers swam down his cheeks. He punched his fists high into the air, gaining a bout of laughter from the others.

Then he just had to open his big mouth. "Thank goodness! My dream of a Heroine harem is not over!"

Just like that, the laughter died down, replaced by cold, chilling glares. It was so intense that Mineta was able to feel each and every one, like long needles prickling his skin.

Aizawa stared down on him with thinly-veiled exasperation. "...Fix your lack of control. Effective immediately." He imparted unto the hurriedly nodding boy. Aizawa looked up at the rest. "You all go and head back to class. I trust you already know the way."

"I did, sensei." Momo stepped up with a calm smile. "Let me lead them back." She said, to which he gave a careless nod.

"What will you be doing, sensei?" Izuku asked. He noticed a slight glance to the forest—around where he felt that presence—from the mysterious presence.

"Some business of mine. Certainly not yours." His hand brushed them away. "Go on now. You wouldn't want to miss lunch, do you?"

With the field largely nice and empty, Aizawa directed all of his gaze towards the forest. The bushes rustled as a thin man draped in what was meant to be a sharp, formal yellow suit; due to how comically oversized it was, though, it completely shattered any possibility of that impression. His hair was a brighter shade than his suit, two huge tufts limping down his forehead.

"Toshinori." He said with a grunt. 'All-Might.'

"I'm surprised you didn't," The newcomer coughed. "uh, actually kick them out this time? Were they that good?"

"Unlike the last batch, they didn't shy away when given an ultimatum. They instead excelled. But..." His eyes glanced at somewhere far away, as if peering through the walls. "I won't deny that they're of a much higher skill level, at least."

The yellow-haired man smiled placidly. He brought his right leg forward—grimacing as he did—to then lean on his other leg. Aizawa leaned down, offering a shoulder that Toshinori gratuitously took.

"Spit it out. Why were you watching us?"

He ducked his head shyly. "Was I that obvious?"

"I'm sure a few students noticed, even if they didn't know it was you. Stealth was never your strongsuit." He leaned back against the wall. "Now answer my question."

Toshinori nodded. "It was one of your students. Izuku Midoriya, I believe his name was." Spurred by Aizawa's silent stare, he continued. "I met him before, once. He was Quirkless then."

After a short moment, with Toshinori's turn ending, only then did the ragged man speak. "You suspect him of being given a Quirk by All For One?"

"Yes." Aizawa nodded understandably. After all, late-bloomers usually gain the weakest of Quirks—a side-effect of them not having the extra joint that others have—and it was clear as day that Izuku was anything but. Something he was unfamiliar with, if he truly has thought himself Quirkless all this time. A subtle frown took over Toshinori's features. "I... I sympathize with him. He wanted to be a Hero, just like I did. He is– was," he corrected, "Quirkless too, just like I. So I want to trust him.

"But if All For One's related, I cannot simply let this go. Never again." At that moment, for a split second, his azure eyes burned with swirling intensity, as if they took centre-stage and the hollow cheeks, the thin, dry lips, all faded into obscurity. At that moment, he truly seemed synonymous with All-Might.

Aizawa wasn't impressed. He dragged his gaze to the side, noticing a little bird sprawled on the grassy earth. Above, perched on a branch, was a nest, where a mother fed her four big children.

"That's why you shouldn't have done all those ads, those sappy ones where you said everyone had an equal chance in life or some other nonsense."

Toshinori was visibly taken aback; just like that, the spell was broken. "I wanted to give everyone hope."

"Everything is rooted in reality. You cannot become something impossible just because you believe in it." The little bird squeaked, similarly little legs scratching uselessly up the tree. It tried to flap its wings, attempting to soar like its mother and eventually its siblings could. Yet it only had one wing. "What you give is hope to many, a delusion to some, when the solution is quite simple." The bird eventually plopped back down, tired from its own efforts. "Just make sure they don't lose sight of the world they're living in."

"...I agree. That was my mistake." Toshinori murmured, eyes downcast. "I should have–"

"Now," Aizawa interrupted, "no use thinking of the things already set in stone. Think about the thing you can still do."

Within the gaunt slopes underneath his brows, with determined eyes, Toshinori nodded firmly. For now, he just needs to think about what he should say to a certain green-haired boy... and when he should say it.

Izuku sneezed.

"Bless you." Uraraka spoke.

He and her, as well as Iida and Hagakure, now found themselves walking down U.A.'s halls. After the sudden twist early in the day, the rest of the lessons comparatively turned out to be—as Yaoyorozu would say—borish. Though, since every mundane lesson was taught by Heroes he knew of, Izuku was hard-pressed to not feel at least a little ecstatic.

They trudged alongside a small stream of students, those with two, three, and four stars atop their shoulders, signifying their positions as students in the Engineering Course, the Business Course, and the General Education Course respectively. A wide ravine formed between the Hero students and everyone else, like a barrier that etched itself into their minds. It felt uncomfortable.

The same couldn't be said for Bakugo, who was strutting ahead of them, an arrogant smirk permanently residing across his features.

Uraraka blew out a breath, her eyes reduced to slits that glared forward.

Near the entrance of the Cafeteria, its golden sheen momentarily causing some students to gawk at the sight of it, Bakugo turned on his heels to the left. They passed by the branching hall, instead pushing into U.A.'s Cafeteria. Huge windows lined the walls, supposedly to let swaths of natural sun light up the room. Since the heavy drum of rain pattered against them and fat, dark clouds blotted the sky, however, a litany of lamps took that role. Plant-adorned couches formed rows upon rows, most of which were still empty. The occupied few mainly consisted of their classmates and other Hero students; perhaps 1-B, he took an educated guess.

Izuku blinked, noticing a familiar figure sitting in her lonesome. It was Haruki, her head pointed down while drowsy fingers dug her fork listlessly into her food. Her bushy hair stuck out like a sore thumb. So it wasn't a surprise that his friends spotted her soon after.

"Haruki! It's been so long since we saw each other!" Uraraka chirped.

The girl flinched, her eyes growing wide. At first fear when they looked up, then relief when they spotted them, then a greater fear when a moment went by. That much Izuku recognized even as his friends made strides towards her. An awkward smile took over her features as she responded back. "Oh... it's good to see you all again."

"That sweater looks cute on you." Hagakure praised. It was a deep brown, drawn all the more haphazard by the multi-coloured patches occasionally running across the fabric. Haruki clutched the hem of it tightly.

Uraraka was already sliding next to her with a toothy grin, their curves practically vibrating as words streamed easily out of them. Hagakure followed to sit beside her but, noticeably, was having a hard time keeping up; even more so than Haruki, at least. Izuku felt a soft push to his shoulder.

"Let's go and sit down." Iida remarked, a small blush sporting his cheeks. He coughed into his hand. "I'm... rather hungry." The green-haired boy chuckled, muttering an agreement.

"Let's have a quick selfie together!" Uraraka cheered as the two boys sat down. Haruki blinked, surprised at the offer, but said nothing as the girl pulled her into a selfie. Izuku, as well as Iida and Hagakure, joined in as well.

From there, the conversation had gently shifted into something else—the topic of the foods on Haruki's plates. Yes, in plural. There were slabs of thick meat, leaking out juices that glistened in the lamplight, followed by fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a wide array of sweets... a lot of them, in fact. An abnormal amount of them, much of which were partly eaten.

"I can't stress enough how good those look!" Uraraka said with an audible swallow, her mind already relishing in the imagination of how they would taste, melting in her tongue.

"The sweets look amazing, too." Parroted Hagakure. To the side, the rest of her friends were taking their order from a screen embedded into the table.

Haruki shook her head. "It's good but I've tasted better in my neighborhood."

Uraraka clicked her fingers with a lick of her lips. She was already done ordering, so it was Iida's turn now. "Drop the name now. Gimme."

Haruki chuckled, finding amusement in her enthusiasm. Some of the weight on her shoulders were already lifting. "A bit of a mouthful, the name, but it's Super Sweet Store and Everything Else. Basically a grocery store but the sweets are to die for; I'm not exaggerating when I say that it sells the best sweets in Japan. Maybe even the world!" An ecstatic squeal rang out of Uraraka.

Izuku, though, just tilted his head. 'Where have I heard that name before...?Hm... Ah, right. Mom brought some back home.' He huffed. 'Odd. Looked real delicious. Ended up being a letdown, though. I guess you truly can't judge a book by its cover.'

Their table talk drifted along steadily. It occured to him that, with time, Haruki seemed to grow more comfortable with their presence.

Until a new, vaguely familiar voice entered the fray.

"Still playing other people like a fiddle, eh?" Steel-encased fists rested on her shoulder. They shoved her, causing Haruki to cringe as she massaged her joint.

The first thing that went through Izuku's mind was a vague sense of familiarity. But that was quickly overshadowed by the sense of hotness sprouting in his chest. "Get your hands off her." Furious mutterings followed suit from the others, eliciting an owlish stare from the bushy-haired girl. The boy, with eyes narrowed in on the singular pin on their shoulders, huffed as he begrudgingly did as they told him; the scowl remained, however.

His eyes, a slanted orange, lit up with recognition. "These must be your pals from the Practical?" He snorted. "Shameless. At least I didn't try rubbing shoulders right after trying to rob them." A self-satisfied smirk decorated him. "All the good that made you. Gotta be particularly shitty if everyone but yourself made it into the Hero Course, huh?" His words made her shrink deeper into herself, and with it, his lips only widened.

"I apologize, but who are you to insult someone that way?" Iida frownfully asked. "You failed to get into the Hero Course, as well." A bitter snarl was the boy's only response. His hand unconsciously reached up to the four pins on his left shoulder.

"Besides," Uraraka spoke up next, "her Quirk didn't allow much use in that test. Unfortunate circumstances is what I'd call it."

Izuku didn't fail to see how the boy's bitterness suddenly evaporated, replaced by the same self-satisfied smirk as before. At the same time, Haruki's lids bunched together into a mess of folds, all the while she clutched the hem of her sweater.

"Aren't you Quirkless, though?" The endlessly grinning teen spat, punctuating that word with so much rancor. A soft whimper escaped Haruki but that did little to deter him. In fact—Izuku knew this better than most—that show of weakness would only spur someone like him further. "What a Grade-A liar you are! Not only did you hide your real identity from us, you even hid the fact that you're nothing but a useless–"

A Deku.

A deep throb resounded through him. Izuku gritted his teeth. He decidedly allowed his mana to leak out, oppressing what little the boy had, and following his will, the boy went still. His words choked on his throat, unable to come out no matter how much he wanted to—for he now found himself not wanting to, for some reason. As if something unseen was pressuring his very soul.

Unaware of the boy's inner turmoil, Uraraka snarled. "Leave her alone!" She yelled, readying herself for a confrontation.

However, he was much more receptive than she expected; he nodded, wide and confused eyes flickering to Izuku, before he darted away. Uraraka grumbled as she patted Haruki's shoulder. "For all his talk, he sure lacks a spine. More than that," a frowning Uraraka faced the bushy-haired teen, "why did you hide that fact from us? We wouldn't have–"

"It's enough, Uraraka." Izuku softly interrupted. Answering her confused expression, he sighed. "She doesn't want to talk about it. Let's just switch to some other topic."

"Oh. Oh, yeah, sorry." Uraraka murmured as her hand hesitantly left its spot on Haruki. "Some other topic, hm? Then let's switch to..." She shook her head. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to be alone. Please."

"Ah..." Hagakure mumbled nervously. "But our food is coming to this table."

"Then I'll leave." She abruptly stood up. Uraraka's mouth opened and closed, yet nothing was said as the girl left the Cafeteria.

Izuku just stared at her retreating back. Without realizing it, his nails dug into the skin of his palms.

When they got back to class, their moods remained sardonic. Though their meals were unquestionably a delight, it did little to lighten the air between them. And as boring classes continued to stretch for hours, Izuku in particular, soured. His seat was truly an awful place to be; with the back of his former friend's filling his vision, likewise, the thought of their impending meeting filled his mind.

Then the bell rang.

As the flickering lamps overhead shifted into a sea of grey, mottled by the sun's rays, Izuku bid his goodbye towards his friends. After they rounded a corner and were no longer in sight, he looked back over his shoulder. There he was, leaning against a pole near the building's entrance, crimson searing into green.

The walk there felt like a journey on its own.

What did Bakugo want? To gloat over Izuku? To show just how superior he is? Or something else, perhaps? Something not as selfish or spiteful as the boy he knew.

'Maybe he wants to apologize.' A stray thought instantly entered his mind. Just as quickly as it came, so did it leave. 'When Hell freezes over.'

Just like that, they were already facing each other. Bakugo pushed himself off of the pole, eyes narrowed and lips twisted in a snarl, about to say the first word–

"What do you want?" Izuku started, not wanting to give him an inch.

The corner of Bakugo's lids twitched, his snarl growing deeper. "When did you get your Quirk, Deku?"

It was the aforementioned's turn to frown. "A little around a year ago."

"Bullshit." Bakugo spat, his voice adorned with a brief chuckle. "No one gets that good–" Izuku smiled slightly. "–in only a fucking year. Without a teacher, no less. You're fucking lying to yourself."

"But I'm not, Bakugo." His eyelids narrowed into thin strips. "And it's about time you quit calling me that. I'm not useless—I never was—, now even more so. I've already stopped calling you Kaachan, so it's only right that you–"

"Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?" This time, it was Bakugo that interrupted, with a mocking laugh at that. He suddenly stepped closer and Izuku stepped back, his breath unstable. It felt as if he forgot all about his training and the only thing left was just the two of them—the strong and the weak; the bully and the bullied. "You think you got important because you got a Quirk? No, Deku, it doesn't work like that." He grinned maliciously. "You were useless then, you are useless now."

"I'd hardly call someone who got the scores that I did as–"

"But you're weaker than me. Like everyone else. The only difference is that you don't understand where your place is." His breath slowed until every word felt like it was punched right into his gut, impossible to ignore. "Beneath. Me. Deku."

He could feel his head throbbing once more. A year of training and events had muddled his memory of Bakugo; his talk with Ibara had made him doubt whether or not the image of the boy he had in his mind was still real. But just like that, like bile rising and bubbling inside his throat, his thoughts were confirmed. 'Now this is the Katsuki Bakugo I know of.'

Izuku narrowes his eyes. "I'm not useless, not anymore. No one is." He said, his mind flickering back to Haruki. "And you're not better than anyone else."

"Oh, but I am." Bakugo smiled. "I'm the strongest in this damn school. Then I'll be the strongest Hero, even more so than All-Might ever was!" His lips twisted wider. "Unless you could to prove me wrong?"

Izuku said nothing. He just stared at Bakugo through thin slits, already beset with barely held back frustration.

"That's what I thought." The blond laughed, spinning as he left U.A.

Just got Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker, as well as a couple of his books in the Stormlight Archive—mainly The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Edgedancer and Oathbreaker. When will I read them? No specific date, but I'll read them after I finish all the books so far in A Song of Ice and Fire. I'm on A Dance with Dragons right now.

So far, really enjoying the series. I haven't watched the show itself, and now that I'm reading the books, I probably will. At least, if I have nothing else on my waiting list...

Which is probably impossible. There's almost always a book I can read or a show I want to watch.

On a sidenote, I just finished—not really 'finished' since it's ongoing but you know what I mean—reading Witch Hat Atelier. I super adored the magic system in it, probably my absolute favorite in all the media I've consumed. There's an anime adaptation upcoming which I am, of course, excited for. Just hope they do the story justice.