Chapter 1: Katsumi and Ochako

Life can take turns at unexpected times. One guy could walk down the road and come upon a lottery ticket. Another guy could be walking down that same road literally a minute later and get struck down by lightning. Just about anything could happen to anyone, no matter how much one could try to prepare for such instances. Probability was insane like that.

And Izuku, while not a firm believer of such superstition, liked to think that his luck would be enough to keep him in the nice little circle of normalcy, his Quirklessness aside. Things had been going fine these fourteen years, after all, and that should have been the end of it.

And now, here he was staring at a woman who was proclaiming herself to be a goddess. The presence of all these animals around them was far more absurd than anything else, though, and once the shock of the entire situation died away, he just stared at her.

Izuku stared. And stared. And stared.

Until eventually, he had enough of staring at the very beautiful woman with rainbow-coloured hair (now that he was much more focused, it looked more like an aurora, as the colours shifted delicately every now and then. It was almost mesmerizing), and his voice just slipped out of him when he asked: "Through the power of… what?"

Utterly undeterred by his confusion, the woman's smile didn't even crack as she met his gaze with unshakable conviction, answering firmly. "The power of love, my dear Izuku."

Okay, she was crazy.

Without saying a word, he turned around and began walking away.

"Wait wait wait, don't go!"

The panic in her voice made him turn around once more, the supposed 'goddess' looking a little more flustered than she'd appeared mere moments ago. It ruined the illusion of her perfect image, and only cemented her humanity even further.

"Okay, I am most assuredly not a human, despite my appearance. I only chose this look because I thought it would make me more approachable."

The boy blinked. "Wait, did you just read my mind?"

"I most certainly did," she huffed with a grin, looking smug now. "Would you care to test that claim?"

"Um. Then what's the number I'm thinking of?"

She raised her brow at that, but answered nonetheless. "Sixty-five."

"Now?"

"Three point one four one five."

"So you have a mind-reading Quirk. That's fine."

"What? No, I don't."

"You're literally reading my thoughts. No one can do that without a Quirk, or unless they know each other so well like they're at the back of their hands."

"Izuku, dear, I think you're missing the very obvious thing," she sagged, pouting. "I told you, didn't I? I'm the goddess of love."

"That's… hard to believe," he winced, wanting to give her the benefit of the doubt, but still insistent on holding onto whatever shred of sanity and normalcy he could have at the moment. "I mean, all of this is unnatural, I'll admit, but like… How do I know you're not actually lying to me? For all I know, this could all be the work of a friend who has a Quirk to control animals."

"Wow. Okay. Talk about being a skeptic," Izuku shrugged back in return. She tapped her chin, humming in thought. "Hmm… Well, I suppose disbelief is a reasonable response in this case, though I was hoping for you to believe me… Look, I can assure you, there's no one else here besides you and me. It's only the two of us here. And this?" She gestured to the animals. "This is my work."

"And how could you prove that?"

"Everyone, sit."

It was a simple command, and every single creature either rested on their hind legs or on their bellies. What he noticed was that there was little resistance from the animals, and because of how calm they were to follow her orders, it meant that they weren't being controlled against their will. If anything, it sounded less like an order and more of a request, and they were simply happy to follow her words.

Was it a Quirk to plant an idea in their heads? Or was she able to speak animal with them? Quirks had too many nuances to them, after all, and he couldn't be sure which one it was unless he asked her further.

But the fact that she could command the animals at all contradicted his initial assumption on her having a mind-reading Quirk, because if that was the case, it'd be impossible for her to command the animals without that being her Quirk. And if she was capable of both, then surely…

"I can see in your eyes that you still hold some doubt. Alright then. What say we have a little chat?"

"A chat?"

"Mmhm. We can have some tea, and you can ask me any questions you'd like," she stepped aside, smiling kindly as she gestured to the inside of the shrine. "If you're willing."

Accepting the invitation of some stranger in the woods to go into someplace previously abandoned sounded like the start to a murder mystery plot. Izuku gulped, looking to the shrine, then back at her. The goddess quirked a brow, then looked to the shrine.

"Ah, yes. I suppose it does look rather shabby, doesn't it? Leave it to me."

He watched her lay one hand on the wall of the shrine, sweeping her fingers gently across the faded paint. What happened next was nothing short of magic, as he watched the colours begin to return to the pale and bland. It was like time being rewound, the structure growing strong once more and the scent of damp wood whisked away into thin air.

By the end of it, the goddess was moving into the brand new shrine, leaving him staring at it in surprise. That, in itself, could be a Quirk that rewinds the state of an object, or repairs something—two different things that, once again, is yet another contradiction on the possibility of her having different Quirks. Was she a real goddess, then?

Following after her, a table is erected in the centre of the space, and cushions are whisked into existence right in front of his eyes. Even a tray with a teapot and cups came into being, and she took the pot to fill two cups, offering one to him as he sat opposite of her.

"Chamomile? Lavender? Or any other preferences?"

"Err. I'm okay with anything."

"And going by your memories, you've never tried peppermint, so we'll try that," she smiled. The liquid in his cup suddenly changed colours; an almost unnoticeable shift that came accompanied with a different scent. "Don't worry, I won't look too deeply into your memories or anything. Even I'm not very fond of breaching another person's privacy."

"Thanks… I guess," he took a sip of his drink, mildly surprised by the aftertaste of mint that faded into the back of his throat. He set down the cup before he could then begin pondering the ramifications of drinking water that might have just been created out of emptiness.

"So you're starting to believe me?"

"I'm starting to think that there might not be anything else I could believe," he said in turn, smiling weakly. "Honestly, the idea that you might just be a goddess is pretty insane, I have to admit. Even now, I'm still trying to make sense of all of this."

"Then I hope you can come to terms with the reality of the situation soon enough, for that is the ultimate truth," her hand touched her chest. "My name is Ai, and I oversee the relationships of the people of this Earth. I also handle any wishes and blessings made in relation to one's romance, henceforth my title."

"I see… And all of this stuff you're doing is somehow related to love?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, of course not," she snorted, very unladylike. "It's just divine power at play. Nothing to be too bothered by," that sounded like something to be absolutely bothered by! "So, what would you like to ask me?"

Questions. Right. That was the whole point of her inviting him to sit down with her. Also, Ai was a little on the nose, but he felt bad thinking that, so he quickly apologized to her for the thought. She waved him off, and Izuku took a moment to consider the question before speaking up once more.

"You've been calling yourself a goddess this whole time. Does that mean this shrine is yours?"

"Yup! This shrine was built approximately one hundred and twenty-seven years ago by the people who once lived here. Yes, there used to be people who resided in this forest, and if you investigate carefully, you'll find remnants of homes buried underneath the land."

"Really? What happened?"

"There was a plague, if I'm not mistaken. And their homes were razed down by a man consumed by his Quirk going out of control, so the people had to vacant these lands," a hint of longing bled into her voice, and he could only imagine how devastating it must have been for the people she'd been watching over to have left her behind so long ago. No amount of time could have possibly erased the pain; only dulled it. "Only the shrine was left unscathed, and as the moon waxed and waned, it became a visiting place for the next generations to come visit to ask for blessings."

"Sakasuke-san—he's the one who sent me here to clean up the shrine area—said that his parents met here before. Is that true?"

She smiled, happier now. "They did, yes. They were both so cute together, and knowing that they'd settled down in the end makes it all the more worth it."

"You're really happy about that, huh?"

"Of course! Seeing humans come together despite their differences, falling in love, finding a family of their own… Each journey is special in its own way, and it's an impossibly wonderful feeling to be a part of that—though, of course, it's trivial in comparison to their own efforts! They, after all, must be the ones to reach out to one another and begin the small steps of acquaintanceship, then friendship, before ultimately discovering their love for one another. In fact, one could say that…"

Izuku couldn't be sure what else was said in that moment, but hearing the passion in her voice made it all the more clearer that she truly did treasure her work and humans. It pleased him to hear that, and he sent a silent word of thanks her way, knowing that she'd made countless of people happy in their lifetimes…

"…but now, it has come time for me to serve a greater purpose in life, and that is to help you save the world!"

"Yeah, that sounds nice…" Izuku mentally backtracked, then physically lurched in his seat. "Hang on, what did you say?"

"Hmm? Save the world?"

"Uhh. Yeah, I guess you did say that earlier. Is that a metaphor, or…"

"Of course not! I would never make light of something so serious," she nodded sharply, eyes determined. "You are destined to become a hero, Izuku, and you will save the world through the power of love!"

The words she'd spoken to him at the beginning echoed in the back of his mind, and for a second, he'd thought that maybe his ears had stopped working. Just to make sure, he asked her to repeat that.

"That's right, Izuku! The power of love!"

Okay, he was right the first time. She's insane.

"W-Wait a second! Hold on! That doesn't make sense!" He cried out, waving his arms about. "You're telling me that I'll save the world using love? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Hmm? Why not?"

"I mean, it's a very bold assumption that I could even fall in love to begin with!"

"Izuku, as a goddess, divination of one's future is an easy job. And you, my dear, are…" Something akin to confusion crossed her features, her colourful eyebrows furrowing as she focused on his face. It was enough to make him lean back in surprise, and she practically chased him, looking into his eyes.

"Umm… I-Is everything okay?"

"That's… No way, you… I can't believe it..!"

"W-What? Is it something bad?" He couldn't help but ask, the tone in her voice making him panic even harder. Had she seen something so terrible that it had left her at a loss for words?

Crud, crud, crud! He knew he was the nervous sort with poor social relationships, but that couldn't possibly mean that it'd last all the way into his adulthood! He was only fourteen; there had to be time for him to get better!

While he was busy losing himself to his rampant delusions, it was to the strong hold over his shoulders that snapped him out of it, a loud Eep! from his lips that was at complete odds with the suddenly massive smile on her face. "No, Izuku, it's… It's incredible! It's unlike anything I've seen before!"

"E-Eh? Really?"

"Really, really! I had a feeling when you first stepped foot on these grounds, but now that I've looked at you properly… yes, I think this might just be it!"

"I… don't understand what you're talking about."

"Izuku… You will fall in love."

"That's good..?"

"And what's more, you'll be falling in love with more than one girl! And what's more—"

"Huh? More than one girl?"

"Exactly as it says on the tin!"

Yeah, no, she was beginning to lose it. "That's ridiculous."

"It is verily much not. I can see the future of one's relationships. And you, Izuku, will someday possess a harem—"

"That's ridiculous!" He repeated, already feeling the blood rushing to his face. "There's no way something like that could happen! I-I mean, I'm like, the most unpopular guy there is! A-And I've never gotten into a relationship, or had any interest in anyone before, so there's no way someone like me could possibly even get a girlfriend to begin with! No. Nuh-uh! That's just impossible!"

"But that's how it is, though," Ai pouted, wagging her finger at him. "I can look into the future of one's relationships, Izuku, and you are guaranteed to fall in love with a multitude of girls."

"I… well, okay. Discounting the scenario where maybe I do fall in love with a girl somewhere down the line, let alone with more than one, maybe in my thirties or forties, in what way could that possibly help me save the world? I'm pretty sure romance and world-saving are entirely exclusive matters."

"That's..! Okay, I actually can't tell you that. Yet."

"What? Why not?"

"Because this next matter constitutes a greater part of your destiny, that being your future as a hero," the words gave him pause, noting the serious edge in her voice now. "Were I to say anything now, it might alter your future, and could potentially erase this route. For now, trust in me when I say that it is better that I keep mum on this."

Guh… He was deathly curious on what she could possibly mean, but her genuine fear had him second guessing himself. In the end, he shook his head. "Alright," he said, letting go of the matter. Ai smiled back, relieved.

"Thank you. I admit, this whole situation is so outrageous that it might have just come straight out of a storybook. But I assure you, my words ring true. Someday, great change will come, and it will be up to you to face these challenges and rise above them…"

Her hand reached across the table, taking his in a gentle hold. She was so smooth to the touch, and Izuku couldn't fight back the blush at being touched by such a beautiful deity.

"Heehee! Thank you for the compliment, Izuku," he faltered at her mind read, all as Ai laughed teasingly at him. "Truly, when the day comes, know that I shall be by your side, aiding you in your battle for human's salvation. In fact, allow me to bestow you my power now, that it will activate when the time is right."

So saying, she let her eyes fall shut. No sooner did she do so that he feel warmth seep into his hand, and he watched with awe as their hands connected went alight, as if they'd caught the sun in their hands, and it was spewing light between the gaps of their clasp. Izuku couldn't look away even if he wanted to.

Eventually, the light faded, and the goddess looked to him with confidence. "It is done. No matter what comes next, just believe in yourself and the bonds you shall forge, and I have no doubt that you'll become one of the greatest heroes this land will ever see."

Was Ai busy laughing her butt off right now? He had a feeling that she was if she was watching them at the moment, dumping popcorns into her mouth while she wagged her eyebrows, practically screaming I told you so at him. It didn't help that along the way, he'd just had what felt like a heart attack, and he was now questioning himself whether or not he's become psychotic.

Why? Because he was seeing things that he was pretty sure no one else could, as words came into existence the moment he looked above the girls' heads…

[Katsumi Bakugou: Explosive Tsundere]
[Mood: Disbelief 89/100]

[Ochako Uraraka: Affectionate Best Friend]
[Mood: Shocked 90/100]

Yeah, there was actual text floating above their heads now. And whenever he tried averting his gaze in a different direction, they would fade away. He would need to concentrate above their heads once more to see it properly, and he wasn't sure what to make of all this.

Really, Ai? Did she really have to make her power in the form of a videogame?

But beyond the fear and exasperation was a rush of relief, his heart much lighter now. Mere moments ago, he'd just confessed his love to Katsumi and Ochako. The words had felt so heavy on his tongue at first, but now, he was smiling so brightly. He had never felt this happy…

Before the girls could even respond to him, someone stomped over to them, prompting them to look at the source. It was a big, beefy guy with braces around his wrists, jutting out his lower jaw at them with an expression of chagrin.

"Oi, kid! What the hell were you thinking, just rushing headlong into danger like that?" He yelled in a very curt, gravelly voice. "Not only did you almost get yourself killed, but you were also about to risk those two girls' lives as well!"

Ah… Well, in hindsight, he'd definitely been an idiot. Katsumi had done enough of the shouting in the hero's stead (now that he got a better look at him, this was probably Death Arms), but it hadn't bothered him back then.

Now though, with the danger over and the villain's scattered sludge parts being collected, his adrenaline flushing away with time, he was caught smackdab in the very problematic zone of being chewed out by adults. Fun.

Still, he'd been through this song and dance enough times to know that the right thing to do was bow his head and apologize. Grovel at their feet if necessary. No amount of pride was worth arguing with the heroes, especially when he did endanger himself and all his friends with his reckless stunt. There was no denying that.

Someone else beat him to it, however, standing up and snarling in a non-appreciative manner at the adult. "Fuck off! You think you're any better? At least he tried to help! All you did was stand off to the side, twiddling your thumbs like apes! You were useless!"

Her aggression caught everyone off-guard. Izuku's head snapped towards her, gawking, while Death Arms winced as he raised his hands in defense. "H-Hey! That's not true! We were securing the perimeter!"

"And you needed four heroes to do just that?" She hissed back, stepping in front of Izuku defensively. "At the very least, you could have sent one or two guys to help us out! But no! You instead chose to do nothing and let us suffocate in that son of a bitch!"

"Her terrible language aside, she's right. If Midoriya-kun hadn't tried to save us, then we might have just died because no one tried to help us," Uraraka added, slowly pulling him to his feet and taking hold of his arm—he froze up in an instant, stiff as a board—while she glared at them. "That doesn't really help your case much, does it? And here we thought we could rely on you heroes…"

"You don't get it! None of us had a Quirk that was suitable for rescue. Had we tried something, we would have made things worse for you and—"

"Oh, piss off! Since when did a Quirk decide whether you can do something or not? It's not about the result, it's about trying in the first place. You just went ahead and gave up on us the moment you realized that none of you could do anything. And Izuku, a Quirkless, tried and save us when you didn't! Incompetent assholes!"

Ouch. Izuku wasn't on their side or anything, and even he felt bad. The way both girls were defending him and grilling Death Arms was so harsh, he swore any lesser person would have run off in tears. Even the other heroes in the back looked positively intimidated by the girls' fire.

Still, they weren't wrong. A hero's duty was to go above and beyond to help those in need, and the fact that neither Death Arms nor the other heroes had even made an attempt to help Uraraka and Katsumi did not do them any favours. Frankly, it was disappointing.

"Now, if you're done whining like bitches, we'll be taking our leave," she said, tugging on his arm. "Come on, you two. The longer we stay here, the more my brain's gonna' rot from their stupidity."

With those final words said, the group of three departed the scene, pushing their way through the stunned heroes, the curious crowd and onto a lonelier street. On the one hand, Izuku actually did feel bad for the heroes, who tried their best and ensured the safety of all the bystanders in the area.

On the other, though, he decided to take a page out of Katsumi's book and say screw them. He was not gonna' forget their failure to keep his friends safe anytime soon.

Their walk passed by in relative silence, only the sounds of their footsteps and their breathing their companions. The setting sun cast long shadows over the street, and streetlights began to glow, providing soft yellow colouring over the walls and the road. The spring air was growing colder now, and from the far distance, and it almost felt like they were the only ones left in the world.

Left to his thoughts, he couldn't help but realize just how fast everything had happened today. Mere moments ago, they'd been eating ice-cream together and just talking about their lives and aspirations. The next thing he knew, they'd been involved in a villain attack, and any second later would have resulted in both of his friends' untimely demise.

The thought was a depressing one. It was a testament to how a single life could be snuffed out so quickly, no matter how strong any of them was. That there was always going to be danger around every corner, waiting to get the jump on them.

And he'd stopped that.

A smile threatened to break out on his face. He, Izuku Midoriya, a coward who had no Quirk, had actually saved both of his friends. Not fully, though, as it had technically been Katsumi who'd used her Quirk to blast him to bits.

But he'd tried. In that moment, he'd dug up from his internal well of willpower to push through such fear and reach out for his friend. And that he'd succeeded brought forth a sense of pride in himself that he rarely felt.

But feeling proud of himself wasn't what mattered right now. It was the two girls who did. And he'd only just realized that they were both hugging his arms to themselves while they'd been walking.

…Wait up. What?

"A-Ah, Uraraka-s-san, K-Kacchan," the two girls paused, looking at him. "You two are, um, holding me a little tightly…"

The girls looked at him in confusion at first, then looked to what they were doing. It was probably a whole minute of actually interpreting their situation, before their faces went flushed.

"Ah, s-sorry Midoriya-kun!"
"D-Don't make a big deal out of it!"

He would have assumed that that would have embarrassed them enough to pull away. But they didn't. Instead, they were oddly determined to remain in place, staring everywhere but him.

The boy gulped. "O-Okay. Um, it's fine. So uhh…"

Shit. What was he supposed to do now? They'd just gone through a villain attack, and what he'd said earlier was still fresh on his mind. And man, what an idiot. Was that really the time to have said such a thing? They'd almost died, and he had to say such a thing.

…No. He had to. Had he not, he felt that he would have carried that regret to the grave. And that scared him more than he liked.

He fell silent, thinking on the events of today and realizing that he couldn't just let it end here. He shook his head, then turned to look at both girls with a patient smile. "Hey Kacchan, Uraraka-san. Do you two have anything coming up after this?"

"Nah. The hag knows I'm hanging out with you today, so I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Same here. I texted my parents that I would be hanging out with my friends. And I'd like to text them back, but…"

When she drew out her phone, it was already busted, slime having oozed into its casing and likely ruining the internal components. Katsumi's was the same, and his had been shattered from some impact or another.

Urgh. Talk about massive inconvenience. The three of them winced at the idea that their parents were going to be in an outroar at what happened to the three of them, not getting any news back. That was something they would need to settle as soon as possible.

Shaking his head, Izuku nodded his head down the street. "If you two don't mind, can I take you somewhere real quick? I think we need to talk."

The park they'd eventually found themselves at was a lovely little thing. It reminded him of the park that he and Katsumi used to play at when they were kids, and from what he last heard, the space had been used to set up food stalls and the like. A shame, but nothing could last forever. All that they have now are memories.

Sappy memories aside, the three of them were sat together at a bench, sighing in unison as they took in the sunset sky. It was a beautiful sight, as reds and yellows bled between parting clouds; a synergy of fierce shades that paradoxically gave away a calming sense. A flock of birds could be seen taking off in one direction as a collective, a movement of black little masses.

He took in a deep whiff of the fresh air. Far from the smoke and ash, it was a relief for his lungs, and he revelled in the cold breeze against his face. The girls were calming now as well, the tensions in their body slowly unravelling.

Well, it was now or never. Ai, give him luck.

"I wasn't lying about what I said back then," he said quietly, knowing that they were listening to him. The attention was almost too much, but he forced himself to continue. "Back then, when I saw the two of you dying right in front of my eyes… I could feel myself dying slowly as well. It was a terrible feeling. I wanted to save you two no matter what."

Realistically, he knew he could have done nothing. If professional heroes couldn't have achieved anything, then what was the likelihood that someone like him would have succeeded where they did not?

But he would have genuinely hated himself if he'd just done the same as Death Arms; to just stand there like an idiot and wait for them to lose air. It would have been slow, excruciating, and they would have died in agony.

He pushed away from the bench, turned around and got on one knee. He took Katsumi's hand in his right, feeling the rough calluses over her skin, yet recognizing how gentle her hold over his was. Then he took Uraraka's in his left, marvelling at how silky smooth her hand was, feeling the little protruding beans at the tip of her fingers.

He took in a deep breath. "I… I love you. The both of you," he said, blushing despite how hard he was trying to keep his calm, and watching embarrassment and disbelief bleed into their expressions. "And I know it's presumptuous of me to even ask for such a thing, but I want to go out with the two of you."

"You… You must actually be insane!" Katsumi shouted, outraged.

"I know that!" He stared at her. "No normal person would even dare to even think of such a thing! And yet, I… I just can't deny it. I love you two," his face burned hotter, the words that had felt so heavy coming easily now. "And I've loved you for such a long time, Kacchan."

There was a momentary pause, followed swiftly by a loud 'Huhhh?!' from the blushing blonde.

"I've been denying my heart for almost ten years. I was too afraid, thinking that I could never be good enough for someone so amazing like you," he laughed weakly. "Imagine. A boy without a Quirk, thinking about asking out the coolest girl to be his girlfriend," he shook his head. "It's a joke, isn't it? Aiming so high like that… No loftier dreams could've possibly existed. Aside from wanting to be a Quirkless hero, that is."

Her hands tightened around his. "Don't say that!" She roared, the intensity of her words leaving him shellshocked. "What right do you have to make these sorts of decisions on your own? You… idiot..!" She shook her head. "I never knew… All these years of us being friends, and you've been hiding it all this time..? You… You have no idea how much that means to me…"

"Kacchan? What do you—"

"You don't get it? Idiot!" She screamed again, her face burning even more intensely. "It means I've loved you for just as long, you prick!"

The words threw him for a loop. Katsumi… loved him? And she'd apparently been in love with him for a very long time?

Denial was his first instinct. He'd been so used to the idea that there was no way a girl could remotely like him in that sort of fashion. He was Izuku, the Quirkless kid that everyone would choose to bully or avoid. The girls opted for the latter, thinking that they'd catch his Quirklessness if they hung around him for too long, and so he'd gone through his life with almost zero positive interactions with girls his age.

And yet, as he peeled back the layers of uncertainty, memories coming to the fore—of their days spent together, be it in laugher of quieter moments of intimacy—Izuku was beginning to tremble, shocked. His eyes momentarily wandered upwards, and the reality of the situation hit him back in the face.

[Katsumi Bakugou: Explosive Tsundere]
[Mood: Relieved, Bewildered 99/100]

His gaze focused on his childhood friend once more, and the beating of his heart grew in rate. "Oh my god…" He whispered. "I-I never knew."

"I-I was afraid, alright? If I told you and you didn't like me, it would have ruined everything. Y-You're the only friend I have," her eyes grew misty, yet she gritted her teeth to keep herself from crying. "B-But you… you actually like me?

"I-I do. I love you, Kacchan."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah. I always have."

A hoarse laugh slipped from her, and she quickly rubbed her arm against her eyes. "God damn it… I can't believe it…"

[Your feelings for Katsumi are requited after ten years of dancing around the matter! You gain +1 in Charisma!]

There was no text, yet the meaning behind the message was imprinted straight into his mind with absolute certainty. It truly broke down any possible impossibilities that they were in love with one another, something he'd dreamt of for so long.

Izuku smiled wobbly at her, then turned to look at Uraraka, who'd been silent this whole time, deep in thought. It was only when they made eye contact did she finally break into a tiny smile. "That's… Wow. I'm at a lost for words," she giggled. "And somehow, that's even crazier than you being Quirkless. Is that true?"

"Yeah… Been that way for ten years."

"Seriously? Wow… I never knew there were still people without a Quirk. That's pretty rare, isn't it?"

"Twenty percent of the entire population is Quirkless, which isn't that tiny of a proportion, but you're not wrong in that assessment," he paused for a while, hesitant. "Do you… hate me?"

The words wiped the smile off her face faster than he had expected. "What? No, I don't!" She sounded offended. "Why would you think that?"

"I… I've had bad experiences. Not all people like Quirkless folks like me, and we're more likely to be bullied than others. It wasn't so bad for me though!" He quickly added at the panicked look on her face. "Kacchan's always been by my side. She's been protecting me, and if it weren't for her, I've a feeling my life growing up would have been much worse than it is now. Plus, there were still a fair number of people that I've worked with that genuinely never cared about my Quirklessness. It was mostly just the kids in my school and some other people in public that gave me a hard time."

A growl to his right drew their gaze to an irate Katsumi, who was wiping her eyes with her arm. "Dickwads… He'd done nothing but be a good person. They're all the worst!"

"A-Aahaha… Yeah, they're not the nicest. But I was never upset for a single day," he smiled. "Because I had you in my life."

"W-W-Wha..!"

He nodded, then turned back to Uraraka, steadfastly ignoring his stammering childhood friend. "Because of that, when we met that day, I was genuinely shocked. You were the first person my age that I'd met in a long time who actually treated me so nicely. But it wasn't fair to you because you didn't know me. The real me. Now that you do, I… well, I'm afraid," he let out a shuddering breath. "Afraid that this will change your perception of me, and you'd much rather distance yourself from me."

"Don't be ridiculous! Why would I do that?" Uraraka pouted, looking adorable despite her intended anger. "So what if you don't have a Quirk? You're such a nice person, Midoriya-kun. And you saved me. How could I possibly hate you?"

And then, her face grew crimson, reaching to the tip of her ears as her eyes averted from his, her voice growing shy as her hand over his grew tighter.

"A-And… When you said that you loved me back there, I-I just… I felt really happy!" She cried out, embarrassed. "I'd never felt anything like this before..! My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest! That someone could like someone so average like me..!"

[Ochako is overwhelmed by your honest feelings towards her! You gain +1 in Charisma!]

"Huuuh?! Average?!" Katsumi slapped the bench, surprising the other two teenagers. "Don't go calling yourself average, Round Face! You're so pretty and cute, and you have such a wonderful soul for wanting to help your family! What about you is average?"

"I-If so, then you're even more than what I am! You're so cool and amazing! You don't let anyone's words get to you!" Uraraka fired back. "A-And, even though you come off as rough around the edges, you're really beautiful! I swear, I've never met anyone like you!"

"Bah, like I'm anything impressive!"

"If you're not, then what am I?!"

"Both of you are incredible!" Izuku yelled, catching them off-guard. He frowned. "Don't talk so poorly of yourselves! Every point you brought up is absolutely true, and more! And that's a fact!"

Katsumi and Uraraka blushed once more, eventually nodding shyly at his bold words.

The boy breathed out. What was going on with him? Under normal circumstances, none of these words would have ever left his lips. He was too much of a coward to say such things. And yet, his heart revelled in its newfound freedom, unwilling to keep his true feelings hidden away. He needed them to know.

"Kacchan, Uraraka-san, I know this is too much of me to ask. I won't even blame you if you don't want any part in this. But I'm honest when I say I love you two, and want the two of you to be my g-girlfriends."

"Urgh… Seriously? That's…"

"It's too much to ask, I know that! But I swear, I'll make you two happy. I wouldn't settle for anything less."

While the blonde hesitated, it was the other girl who spoke up first. "I mean… I guess I'm okay with it?" Uraraka's words drew shocked gazes from the two. Her smile belied great embarrassment, but she pushed on. "I-I mean..! It's not bad, you know? I get that it's abnormal, but…"

Her eyes met his, and his heart went aflutter yet again. Her shy expression had him wanting to scream at the top of his lungs, and it was such a strange feeling that he had never felt in his life before.

"But… I really like you too, Midoriya-kun! A-And I know that you'll treat the both of us right! So… I'll do it," she nodded firmly. "I'll go out with you, Midoriya-kun! Even if it means I'll have to share you with Bakugou-san, I'll still be happy! I know it!"

"Uraraka-san..!"

Head snapping back and forth between the two of them fast enough to give herself whiplash, the blonde eventually growled as she pulled on him, making him almost tip over and fall. "W-Well, if you're serious about this, then I won't be left behind! Got that, Izuku?!" Red eyes burnt as they stared at him. "I-If you do anything to let either of us down, I'll beat you black and blue myself! Don't think I won't!"

The brunette snorted. "As if."

"Haaah?! You want to have a go, Round Face?!"

"It's already established that you'd beat up anyone who would try and hurt Midoriya-kun! There's no chance that you'd hurt him yourself!"

"Grk..! Y-You don't know that!"

"Aww, don't be like that! You love Midoriya-kun just as much as I do!"

"You're wrong! I love him more!" A pause, and then backpedalling. "I-I-I didn't mean it like that! I just..! Gah, s-shut up! You two are so annoying!"

"Heh… I love you too, Kacchan. And you as well, Uraraka-san," he smiled, feeling greater than he had ever felt in his life. "Together… We'll be something amazing. I just know it!"

And from there, a young boy with dreams of becoming a hero found himself in what would quickly become the stuff of tales. Truly, one could never know just what sort of life awaits him in the future. But that, too, will be for another day…

[Congratulations! You have moved both Ochako's and Katsumi's hearts with newfound suavity and convinced them to become your girlfriends! You gain +1 in Charisma and +1 in Technique!]

…And he really needs to mentally prepare himself not to go insane sometime down the line. Why did Ai think this was a good idea?