Izuku was starting to get used to not being beat up.

It was a decidedly nice change of pace, even if he was still constantly on the lookout for potential assailants. A few people looked like they would love nothing more than to pick him up by the neck and throw him into a locker, but every day after school Nejire would be there to remind the entire school populace exactly why that would be a bad idea.

Also, Tsubasa was still gone. Two days after Nejire had brought him and the rest of his classmates to tears (for very different reasons, of course), his homeroom teacher had announced that the boy had dropped out of Musutafu General High - and all of a sudden, it was like Tsubasa had never even existed. His 'friends' found a new leader, didn't question his sudden departure or inability to contact them, and soon enough his only legacy was that he had brought the name 'Deku' to high school for Izuku.

There weren't many fond memories to be had. But it was jarring nonetheless.

As the final bell rang out for the day and the hallways were flooded with people trying to make it home, Izuku was one of the last people out the door. He didn't care to be swallowed up by the swathes of students vying for the front doors, doubly so when most of those same kids hated his guts.

Izuku frowned slightly as he looked out from the top of the steps in front of the school, shifting on his feet as he realized he couldn't pick out Nejire's attention-grabbing periwinkle hair from the crowd.

Odd. Usually, she'd text him in advance about something like that. But surely one day of absence wasn't enough to–

A hand clamped down on Izuku's shoulder, causing him to tense up on reflex. "Well, well, well." One of his classmates (and one of Tsubasa's old cronies) sneered down at him. "It looks like your little girlfriend isn't here to protect you anymore, Deku."

His eyes hardened. Not because he was upset at the fact that he was called Deku - that was, like, his fourth largest concern at the moment. "S-she's not my g-girlfriend."

The image was ruined slightly by the fact that he was doing his best impression of a strawberry, but that was neither here nor there.

The boy's laugh was just as pleasant as one would expect - i.e., not at all. Combined with his greasy black hair and crooked teeth, one would think he was trying out as a gangster in some crappy B-list movie. "Oh, don't worry," he chuckled, grip on Izuku's shoulder tightening, "I know no girl would ever be caught dead dating your freakazoid ass. But why is a babe like that wasting her time defending you? You bribe her or something? Hire a bodyguard and then lie about being Quirkless to her?"

He raised his head in defiance, ignoring the way his body was trembling as well as the punk's question. "I-if you b-beat me up again," Izuku warned, "She'll get m-mad. Remember what happened last t-time, Kanta?"

Kanta grimaced. He had been one of the people Nejire had mopped the floor with that day, after all. "You know what they say," he spat viciously, an evil smile on his face as Izuku prepared to make a break for it, "Dead men tell no tales! Now, be a–"

A hand clamped down on Kanta's own shoulder, making him stiffen in surprise at the interruption.

"Now, now," a familiar voice said warningly, "I'd appreciate it if you removed your hand from my friend here. Otherwise, I might have to do something you'd regret! And then I'd haul you down to the station for assault, and none of us want that!"

Kanta snarled, not bothering to turn his head around and greet the new face (though Izuku could already tell who it was). "Who the fuck are you?!"

Togata grinned from his position behind the two boys, standing a step below them both but still towering over their shorter forms. "I'm–"

Kanta spun on his heel as he let go of Izuku's shoulder, attempting to sucker punch Togata as he spoke, but his fist was caught as easily as Togata breathed.

"You shouldn't try that again!" Togata said cheerily, squeezing the fist that sat snugly in his palm, "It isn't very nice to attack others unprovoked!"

Izuku's would-be attacker grimaced, but tried to keep up a proud facade in the face of unrelenting power. "Oh, yeah?" He hissed, "Maybe you should go and–"

Togata squeezed his hand tighter around the fist, not once losing his smile. "Maybe you should get lost before you get hurt doing something you shouldn't be," he advised friendlily, "Otherwise, who knows what could happen?"

He released Kanta's fist. The boy groaned as he stumbled backwards, shooting both of them a dirty look as he staggered away. "W-whatever!" Kanta shouted, "T-this isn't over!"

They all knew it was.

Izuku let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he turned towards his saviour. "U-um… thanks?"

That could have been bad. Izuku was by no means slow, but he would have been hard-pressed to get away from Kanta once the boy had already gotten a hold of him - especially when he likely had people in the crowd to make sure Izuku couldn't escape. He owed it to Nejire's friend that he wasn't currently getting his face rearranged. It was really sad that was enough to firmly cement Togata in the running for 'the nicest people Izuku had ever met' competition.

It was only good enough for third place currently, but that was still pretty bad.

Togata gave him a bright smile - one that seemed far more genuine than the semi-sadistic one he had shown to Kanta. "No problem, Midoriya-kun!" He said, "How are you? Haven't seen you in a bit!"

"I-I'm, uh, alright," he replied slowly, "W-what are you doing here, T-Togata-san? How did you, um, find where I go to school?"

The second question had a pretty obvious answer. But Izuku wanted to be sure that his assumption was correct, and that the blonde was not stalking him again. Call him paranoid, but it was definitely still a possibility.

Togata's grin was unwavering as he replied. "Nejire told me!"

Ah. That checked out, but Izuku still had plenty of questions.

Fortunately, the older boy seemed to know what he'd be asking before he even had to open his mouth. "She told me that she had been, uh, 'picking you up from school', for lack of a better word," he began, using air quotes to emphasize his point, "But she had some extenuating circumstances today and asked me to cover for her!"

He patted his forearm, where Izuku suddenly realized Nejire's green 'Izuku Protection Squad' armband sat snugly. "And she asked me to wear this. I didn't really get why, but now…" Togata's face hardened. "I kinda get it. You sure you're okay, Midoriya-kun? I can't stand bullies."

Izuku nodded slowly. "Y-yeah," he mumbled, "I'm f-fine. This isn't anything new…"

He trailed off awkwardly, unsure of how to continue. "I-I, uh, appreciate you coming, but it's okay. You d-didn't have to do this…"

Togata frowned. "By the looks of things, it's a pretty good thing I did. That guy sure didn't seem very friendly, especially not when he tried to punch me."

"T-this is normal," Izuku stressed, "P-people are just, ah, upset that, um, that–"

"That Nejire isn't letting them beat you up?" Togata finished for him.

Izuku's eyes widened in horror. "S-she told you t-that?!"

He shrunk back in shock, recoiling at the implications, but before he could spiral into despair it was Togata's turn to look shocked.

"Of course not!" He said quickly, putting his hands up placatingly in an attempt to calm Izuku down, "It just wasn't very hard to figure out, you know! Nejire didn't tell me anything else, other than to come here and make sure you didn't need any help. Promise."

As easy as it would have been for Izuku to give into his fears and accuse Togata of lying, losing any and all trust he held for his friend in the process, he knew Nejire wouldn't do that. His breathing calmed as his heart rate returned to normal levels, reason flooding his senses.

Izuku sighed. "O-okay," he muttered, feeling about as humiliated as humanly possible, "Thanks. I'm f-fine now, though, so you can leave, I guess."

He wasn't trying to be, but Izuku thought his words felt rather cold, which was unfair to Togata. The third-year had gone out of his way to help him, and he responded by acting like a petulant child. Real nice. Maybe Izuku was just an antisocial asshole all along, and he deserved the dirty looks and poor treatment he'd received over the years.

Togata put an end to those thoughts as soon as they had appeared by slinging an arm around Izuku's shoulders. "You have any plans today, Midoriya-kun?"

Why was he touching him? What was in the water at U.A. that made people cling to him like glue?

He went still at the contact, though that was mostly because he was now uncomfortable instead of embarrassed (which was the case whenever Nejire got up close and personal with him). "U-uh, n-n-no?" Izuku squeaked out, trying his best to wriggle out of Togata's hold.

"Great!" Togata grinned down at him, "Wanna hang out with me and Tamaki?"

Izuku blinked. Where had that come from?

"What?" He breathed out, briefly pausing in his attempts to get Togata's arm off his back, "Why would you want m-me to hang out with you guys?"

The boy only offered him an easy shrug. "Why not?" He shot back coolly, "Nejire's our friend, you're Nejire's friend, the next logical step is for us to become friends! Besides…"

Togata trailed off as his eyes landed on the scant few students that remained hanging around the school's entrance. Most of them were shooting Izuku dirty looks, but a few of the girls were staring dreamily at Togata. "It looks like you could use a few more friends, yeah?"

Damn. He went for the killing blow right away, huh?

Izuku stared down at the ground. How was he supposed to say no to that? It was like Togata knew just what to say to get Izuku to agree with him.

"...Okay," Izuku relented, "Um, w-what did you have in m-mind?"

Plus, if he became friends with them he'd have more opportunities to hang out with Nejire without feeling like a fifth wheel like he had during the Sports Festival. He definitely didn't want to be invited places just because Nejire felt bad for him.

Togata whooped. "Great!" He cheered, finally releasing Izuku from his grasp as he pumped his fists in the air, "Come on, Midoriya-kun, we don't want to keep Tamaki waiting!"

He marched off headstrong down the street, moving so quickly Izuku could barely keep up. "W-wait!" He cried, "Y-you haven't even t-told me where we're g-going yet!"

The older boy didn't bother slowing down, instead continuing on his path like a man on a mission. "You'll know when we get there!" He laughed, voice booming down the street, "Now c'mon!"

"T-that doesn't make any s-sense!"

Still, Izuku chased after him.

As pathetic as it was… the allure of making more friends was too strong for him to resist.

–

It was probably for the best that Togata didn't tell him where their destination was.

Izuku probably wouldn't have agreed to come with him if he did.

"W-why did you take m-me to the gym?" Izuku asked, completely dumbfounded as Togata slid a thin keycard into the door, "I-I mean… w-what?"

The muscular boy shrugged as he opened the door. "This is where me and Tamaki were going to be today, so if you want to hang out with us today, then this is where we'll be!"

He sputtered in indignation. "Y-you were the one who offered!"

Togata blinked. "I guess I did!"

Izuku groaned, sinking his head into his hands. "You don't make any sense," he complained, "I m-mean, I don't even have a membership to this place!"

"They let us bring one friend along whenever we want!" Togata pointed out, "It's one of the perks of being a member."

"T-that doesn't matter!" Izuku shouted, "I d-don't know how to use any of the m-machines here, either!"

"There are instructions on each of them," he replied, much calmer than Izuku, "And if you don't understand then me and Tamaki can help you out."

Izuku was grasping at straws at this point, exasperation taking its town on his tiny frame. "I don't even work out!"

He gestured to himself incredulously. There wasn't a lot to work with, clearly.

"So?" Togata shrugged. "No time like the present! Besides, you followed me in here!"

His face flushed as Togata called him out, but that didn't change the fact that Izuku felt like a fish out of water. "T-this is embarrassing," he muttered shamefully, "I-I'm still in my uniform, for crying out loud…"

His companion clapped him on the shoulder once he'd placed his backpack down. "Relax, Midoriya-kun!" He encouraged, "No one cares about what you wear to the gym! Besides, the only person here aside from us is Tamaki."

Izuku blinked as he finally peeled his eyes away from the hero student, realizing that he was right - the gym was completely deserted.

Aside from a lone purple-haired individual currently squatting more weight than Izuku could even conceive of carrying. He had clearly ditched the U.A. uniform, instead opting to sport a plain white t-shirt and loose black shorts. Now that he was out of his uniform, Izuku could tell that despite the fact that he wasn't as muscular as Togata, he was still plenty strong.

Amajiki caught his glance awkwardly, freezing up mid-squat (though he didn't seem bothered by the weight bearing down on his knees and back). "H-hi."

He waved back slowly. "H-hi."

Izuku felt a strange sense of kinship with the boy, for reasons he couldn't quite pin down.

"This place is a special one," Togata explained, "It's reserved for Hero students and actual pros, but most of the time it's pretty empty. Doesn't make the business a lot of money, but it's subsidized by the government, so I guess that makes up for it. Anyways, I'm going to change! Be right back!"

Before he disappeared, he gave Izuku a once-over. "You might want to lose the jacket," he advised, "And since you're in jeans it's probably better that you don't do any leg workouts today. Might rip them if you tried!"

"How… how did I end up here," Izuku whispered to himself, "What is my life…"

The gym was practically silent. Aside from the steady hum of the lights far above them and the clinking of the metal plates on Amajiki's bar, nothing was there to keep Izuku's mind from wandering. He kept sending nervous looks Izuku's way, quickly glancing back to his feet whenever the boy caught his awkward stares.

Izuku couldn't tell which of them was more uncomfortable with this.

This was all too much for him. Maybe if Nejire was here he'd be able to stomach the awkwardness of being at a gym, but there was equal chance she'd just tease him about how much of a toothpick he was - in a friendly way of course, but Izuku would still probably crack under the pressure.

He eyed the exit. Would Togata and Amajiki make a fuss if he just ran for it? They weren't that far from the station, he could hitch a ride and make it home in no time flat if he–

Togata strode out of the changing room confidently, his uniform abandoned in favor of a tight grey tank top and sweatpants. "All right!" He shouted to the nearly-empty building, "Who's ready to get some power!"

"Me," Amajiki said stoically.

"All right!" Togata clapped at the response, before turning back to Izuku. "What about you, Midoriya-kun? Are you ready to get powerful?!"

Izuku sweatdropped at the boy's attitude. "I t-think I'll just watch…"

"Suit yourself!"

Togata was quick to make himself busy setting up a weight bench and barbell, stacking on plate after plate as he hummed a happy tune. At first it seemed normal, since he was only adding a single plate at a time, but eventually it got to the point where Izuku had to assume he was playing a prank on him, thinking the younger boy to be too gullible to understand how strong the human body could be.

Once Togata got to the sixth twenty-kilogram plate, Izuku realized he must just be insane.

Especially because he then added the same amount of weight on the other side of the bar.

Even as it sat racked on the railing above the bench, the bar looked like it was starting to bend due to the sheer amount of weight forced on it. He looked towards Amajiki, to see if he had anything to say about what Togata was about to do, but he looked completely nonplussed by the situation. Regardless, Izuku was sure that if Togata tried to lift it, his arms would snap off and the barbell would crush his chest.

The boy clearly had other plans. He lifted it off with absolutely zero resistance, pressing it down to his chest and back into the air like he was using kiddie-weights.

Izuku had to find his jaw; he was pretty sure it had fallen to the floor somewhere several minutes ago.

This continued for several minutes. Amajiki still seemed completely unfazed by the spectacle - when he had finished his squats, he simply passed Togata without saying a word and began curling a pair of massive kettlebells. The two were in their own separate worlds.

"Forty-eight," Togata counted, barely even breaking a sweat, "Forty-nine, fifty!"

With one last push he hefted the bar into the air, reracking it with no trouble at all. "Whew!" He wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "That was one heck of a warmup!"

"W-w-warmup?!" Izuku didn't mean to speak up, but sometimes his mouth was quicker than his brain. "T-that was nearly two hundred and fifty kilograms!"

"That's nothing," Amajiki mumbled, "Mirio is super strong now."

Togata laughed, waving off Amajiki's little compliment. "I don't know about that," he chuckled, "But I do like to think I've gotten pretty tough! My Quirk kinda demands it, so I've got to keep pushing my limits! It doesn't hurt that working out is, like, super fun!"

"I thought your Quirk was P-Permeation," Izuku whispered, slightly horrified at the implications of Togata's words. If five-hundred kilos was a warmup, what was a regular workout for him?

Nearly imperceptibly, Togata tensed up. It was only for a split second, but Izuku's keen eyes were just barely able to catch it. "Well," he began, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, "Y-you see…"

Amajiki sighed. "It would be easier if you just showed him, I think," the lean boy mumbled, "It's freaky. And weird… And kind of cool."

The last part came out as a whisper, and Togata nodded at his friend's suggestion. "Yeah, that's smart. C'mere, Midoriya-kun!"

Robotically, Izuku stepped onto the gym floor, away from the shelves where people stored their personal belongings. He stayed a respectful distance away from the guys, and watched in fascination and slight fear as Togata stacked five more plates onto each side of the bar. It creaked ominously beneath the weight, but neither of them made any move to pull the weight off. If anything, Togata looked eager.

"I'm no e-expert," Izuku warned, "But I-I don't think it should be making those n-noises."

His concerns were waved off. "It's completely safe. This isn't even my max!"

Izuku blinked slowly, almost owlishly. "Um…"

Amajiki shook his head slowly at him, almost like he was warning him to not say anything.

Togata placed himself beneath the bar, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders as he prepared to bench the nearly thousand-kilo barbell.

And then something weird happened.

Little sparks flickered off of Togata's body - or more specifically, off his arms - as he reached up and clasped his hands around the bar. Those sparks turned into arcs of lightning as his muscles bulged, and Izuku dimly realized that if he wasn't wearing a tank top whatever poor shirt he had on would've likely lost its sleeves. Togata's eyes were laser-focused on the bar as Izuku gaped like a fish, slowly going through the motions of a bench press once more.

At some point Amajiki abandoned his kettlebell curls to watch the show taking place in front of him, staring with barely-concealed awe in his eyes as the blonde benched what was probably the weight of eight Izukus.

Okay, that somehow made it seem like less weight than it actually was. The point was it was a lot of weight and there was lightning shooting out of his body like he was a faulty generator.

Whatever that lightning signified, it was certainly making the boy stronger. Green energy coated Togata's upper half, and even as he became positively drenched in sweat he didn't lose the smile on his face as he pushed the weight around. Even though he only did ten repetitions this time around as opposed to fifty, Izuku was no less gobsmacked by the time the blonde finished.

"So!" Togata clapped his hands together. "What do you think?"

"..." Izuku was at a loss for words. "...I didn't know Permeation included… t-that."

His voice was very small in that moment. Togata probably could have turned Izuku's head into paste with that arm he had swung around his shoulders earlier - not that he would.

Then again, Nejire probably could too. But even though they were friends and shared relatively similar personalities, he felt decidedly safer with the girl.

Maybe it was all the hugs she had given him finally altering his brain chemistry.

Togata awkwardly laughed. "Yeah, about that…" he started, "Um, my Quirk kind of evolved, for the lack of a better term, a few months ago, and now I have super strength."

Izuku's brow furrowed. That would explain some things, but…

"Then what's with the lightning?" Again, his mouth moved before his brain could. "If it was just super strength, it wouldn't be as nearly as flashy as, uh, that. Also, it makes, um, no sense for you to develop a new aspect to your Quirk that has so little to do with your base Quirk, unless one of your parents also has the same power. E-even then, that's kind of, uh, exceedingly uncommon…"

Togata and Amajiki shared a look as Izuku began to stutter-mutter to himself at a rapid pace, completely losing all sense of what was around him as he rambled.

"Is this what he did for Nejire?" Amajiki asked his friend. Togata could only shrug - Nejire had been pretty tight-lipped about most things regarding her relationship with Izuku, beyond that they were friends in the first place and listing all of his strengths.

Eventually Izuku caught himself muttering, cutting himself off as soon as he realized his folly. "S-s-sorry," he mumbled, almost on reflex, despite neither of the older teens saying anything about it, "U-um, s-s-sometimes I get c-carried away with m-my t-thoughts. W-won't h-h-happen again."

Togata waved him off. "You're fine!" He replied, "We all have our quirks - both literally and figuratively!"

The boy laughed at his own joke, but he was the only one of the three to do so. Amajiki didn't seem to have much in the way of a sense of humor from what he could tell, and Izuku was too busy worrying about if he somehow knew about his Quirklessness and was daring him to say something.

"R-r-right," he replied slowly, "B-but, y-yeah, it's weird that y-your Quirk evolved into… that."

The larger boy shrugged. "Yeah, I know," he agreed easily, "But it did! As for the lightning, Principal Nedzu and I have come up with a few ideas, but we're thinking Permeation just might not be the right name for my Quirk. Our best theory is that my body can just switch between energy and mass at a rapid pace. When it's 'energy', I can move through just about any surface because, well, it's kind of hard to stop pure energy, and when I'm mass, I'm normal - but I can apply the energy in my body into the mass, resulting in increased strength, speed and durability. I think. The explanation was kind of hard to wrap my head around. We also think the lightning is just, um, bits of that energy seeping out through the cracks."

That sounded weird - and there were a million reasons why - but Izuku said nothing. It wasn't his Quirk to criticize, after all, and it didn't seem like Togata was asking him for a second opinion. Besides, he was seemingly still trying to figure out whatever this new evolution was, so it made sense for there to be some hiccups along the way in terms of understanding.

Still…

"Also," Amajiki decided to add, "That wasn't even his limit."

Izuku's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What."

Togata gave him a cheeky smile. "Yeah, about that…" he began, "Um, so that was only around, I don't know, a fifth of my max output? I'm kind of spitballing with that number, so bear with me, but if I used all the, uh, energy that I could, I could do a lot more. Unfortunately it'd probably also shatter my arms if I tried that due to the amount of power flowing through, so I have to constantly increase my weights to build my body up to that level of strength. Kind of like upgrading the conduit's volume? I can up the amplitude and the voltage all I want, but if the battery only stores 2V and I try to force through 7V, it gets fried."

He hoped his slight jealousy wasn't showing through. It must have been nice having a Quirk as overpowered as that. Of course, Izuku was sure Togata, Nejire, Amajiki, and every other person he knew had to put in a lot of work to get to the point they were at today (even Bakugou), but damn did it sting to know people as powerful as them when he got absolutely nothing.

"T-then, um, w-why do you only use your arms when you use that part of your Quirk?" Izuku asked, "W-wouldn't it be more efficient to spread the power throughout your whole body? T-there's a lot of, um, extra storage in your lower half that you could probably use for that energy, even if you aren't explicitly using it…"

With each word Izuku said Togata's eyes widened more and more, shock and realization flooding his body by the time the verdette was finished. "Um…"

Amajiki just looked confused, but he was way too nervous to interrupt.

In a flash he activated his Quirk once again - but this time, he tried using it the way Izuku did. Green lightning flickered across his body, starting from his torso and slowly spreading across his arms, legs, and head before he was practically coated in electricity. "This feels… really good…"

"C-can you even move like that?" Amajiki questioned, eyes wide, "I mean, t-that's a lot of power."

Togata nodded, determination clear as day across his face. "I think so! But…"

He let the Quirk die down, lightning fading away to nothingness as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think this is the right place to start testing that out," he clarified, "But that was… a big breakthrough. Thanks, Midoriya-kun!"

Izuku ducked his head. "N-no problem, but I d-didn't really d-do anything."

"Sure you did!" Togata protested, shaking his head. "Neither me or Nedzu could figure out something as simple as that, and you did it after knowing about my Quirk for, like, two minutes! I can see how Nejire got so powerful all of a sudden!"

"No kidding," Amajiki added quietly.

Izuku's face flushed like a field of poppies swaying in the wind. "I-it's really nothing…"

Togata ignored the way he was currently going through the motions of waving off praise. "I think I'm going to call that technique… 'Full Cowling'."

Amajiki looked unimpressed. "That's a dumb name."

Togata stuck his tongue out at his friend. "Yeah, well it's my Quirk, my dumb name, capiche?"

He sighed as he resumed his curls. "Okay…"

The blonde grinned in victory before turning his attention back to their third wheel. "Anyways, Midoriya-kun," he continued, "You sure you don't want to join in on the fun? Weight-lifting is a great way to start getting into shape!"

Izuku looked away from his senior's expectative gaze. "I-I don't think I'm really cut out for that sort of thing… B-besides, I'd definitely just slow you two d-down."

Togata waved his concerns off. "Aw, c'mon!" He encouraged, "Everyone's gotta start somewhere! It'd be fun to have another workout buddy!"

He pointed to a rack of two-dozen or so dumbbells. "Pick those up!" Togata said, voice slowly getting louder and louder. "When you're at the bottom, the only way left to go is up, and that's the direction I want you to lift those five-kilogram weights!"

Izuku was so embarrassed. "Those numbers are paltry compared to what you were lifting earlier…"

"And what weights did you think I started with?" He retorted, "Join us! Girls love guys with a bit of meat on their bones, y'know! Tell him, Tamaki!"

Amajiki nodded slowly. "W-we have a lot of f-fangirls. They make clubs about us."

Yeh, like that tactic would be effective on him. Izuku frowned slightly. Girls wouldn't do so much as breathe in his direction (for reasons Togata and Amajiki didn't need to know at this time), and that had nothing to do with the fact that he was, for all intents and purposes, a string bean. In fact, that was probably the least of his problems when it came to his, ah, 'lack of success' with women.

A retort was forming on his lips, ready to decline their offers once again–

And then the smiling, bubbly visage of a tall girl with periwinkle hair popped into his mind.

"Wow, Izuku," The Nejire in his head gasped, "You're really strong! Hold on, see if you can pick me up!"

He blushed at the thought, something that Togata and Amajiki almost certainly picked up on, before quickly shaking his head. That was never going to happen. Definitely not. Not in a million years. She was out of his league by kilometers - no, by marathons - no, by light years.

And yet…

Izuku eyed the racked weights cautiously, an air of distrust between the two. "...You really think so?"

"For sure!" Togata said, encouraging him to the best of his ability, "And you've got two of the best trainers in Japan right here to help you out! Go on, show those dumbbells what you're made of!"

His words of wisdom weren't the most helpful. But that really wasn't what convinced Izuku.

Mainly, it was his desire to be better. Not for himself, no, that ship had sailed a long time ago.

But maybe the one friend he had would be happy if he took better care of himself.

Most girls clearly weren't interested in Izuku, and Izuku couldn't say he was interested in people who despised him either.

Nejire wasn't like most girls.

Thankfully, he was able to actually lift the five-kilo weights off the stand, and was, in fact, able to lift them up a few times. Unfortunately that was about the limit of his strength, something that left him feeling more than a little inadequate in comparison to his current peers (and any other peers he'd ever had).

Noticing his defeated expression, Togata was quick to step in. "Hey, hey," he said happily, "That's pretty good for a beginner! We all start somewhere, right?"

"It really isn't," Amajiki mumbled under his breath, probably not even realizing it.

Izuku and Togata sure heard it, though. It didn't do wonders for his confidence. Then again, what did he have to be confident about?

Absolutely nothing.

It only took a moment for Amajiki to realize his mistake, eyes shrinking to pinpricks. "C-c-crap," he mumbled, looking like a deer in headlights, "Uh… sorry, Midoriya… c-can I get taken by the darkness yet?"

"Y-yeah I think I'm g-good," Izuku mumbled, completely cratering, "T-this isn't for m-me."

Togata winced. "Look," he tried, doing his best to salvage whatever he could to save the situation, "That wasn't the most weight in the world, sure–"

"You think?" Izuku retorted, dejected.

"But do you want to stay like this?" Togata asked, "You always have the chance to better yourself, and now's a prime opportunity, no? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to lift more than, like, ten pounds?"

The answer was, of course, no. In what world would Izuku be happy with how he was now? But what difference did it make? He had no real future ahead of him. He'd be lucky to find a job flipping burgers once he graduated. The world was cruel, and Izuku had no choice but to accept that.

But at the same time… Wasn't that the kind of thinking that led to him being as pathetic as he was?
"...I guess not." He relented after what must have been an eternity to Togata, who merely beamed at him.

It wasn't as if he had anything better to do. Worst case scenario he just got crushed by one of Togata's warm-up weights.

As for the best case… Well, maybe he'd have an easier time running away from his classmates.

"Great choice, Midoriya-kun!" Togata clapped him on the back, hard enough to nearly send him stumbling. "Don't worry, your pals Mirio and Tamaki will guide you through the tumultuous and scary world of working out! I guarantee it!"

"If you say so," Izuku mumbled.

Wait, did Togata call them pals? Were they friends now? What was his life anymore? Would he be so encouraging if they weren't friends? Would Amajiki have apologized if they weren't?

Izuku had no clue.

But if they were friends now (and that was a big if), then at least something good came out of this trip.

The rest of it had been really weird.

—

A/N: This much writing probably isn't good for me, especially when I just went through three exams. Oh well, too late! On to the next one.

No Nejire unfortunately, but there'll be plenty next time. At least we get Izuku constantly thinking about her now.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think of the story so far! See you next time!