— My Hero Academia: 180 degrees —
44. Where Izuku chooses his hero name
"Hi, everyone! My name is Mirio Togata, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" he introduced himself enthusiastically, flashing a big smile as he raised his hand in greeting. His voice rang with energy in the gymnasium, where the students of Classes 1-A and 1-B sat on the floor, watching him attentively. "I'm a third-year student at this academy, just like my friends Tamaki and Nejire, who are here with me today."
Izuku blinked in surprise. His mind immediately went back to the article he had read on his phone last year—"The Future Symbol of Peace," accompanied by a photo of Togata striking a pose similar to All Might's, with his fist raised toward the sky. Now that he had him right in front of him, Izuku couldn't help but analyze him more closely.
Beside him, Bakugo scowled in clear displeasure. He didn't bother hiding his expression, clenching his jaw so tightly that his teeth showed. Meanwhile, Mirio continued speaking with the same carefree attitude.
"As you all know, we're here to give you the talk on sexuality and contraception for new students. I hope you're ready."
Silence fell over the gym like a heavy blanket. Everyone went pale and stiff from the shock.
In a corner, Tamaki buried his head even deeper into his arms, as if trying to disappear. Nejire, on the other hand, observed everyone with genuine curiosity, tilting her head from side to side as she took in their frozen expressions.
Mirio let out a hearty laugh before quickly clarifying, "Of course, that was just an icebreaker! Though… it seems like it wasn't a very good one."
The students barely reacted, still processing the initial statement.
"Of course, that talk isn't up to us. Principal Aizawa will be giving it next Wednesday, individually."
Once again, no one reacted.
"Another joke." Mirio sighed, running a hand through his hair with a relaxed air. "And even though it seems I'm having a bad streak with jokes today, I won't give up on making you laugh!"
"Some of you are so tiny!" Nejire suddenly exclaimed, leaning toward them with a curious expression. "I don't remember us being this small in our first year. Do you, Tamaki?"
"I want to go home," he muttered without lifting his gaze. "I don't like crowds."
"Alright, alright," Mirio stepped in with a smile. "Let's set the jokes aside and move on to the real reason we're here."
Some students tensed slightly, expecting yet another bad joke.
"Rejoice! Today, you'll be choosing your hero names and receiving your hero suits!" he announced, crossing his arms excitedly. "As you know, there were some delays in the delivery due to the attacks at the bullet train intersections two weeks ago. That affected the Support Department's work, but everything is finally ready."
Before he could continue, a rough voice interrupted him abruptly.
"And why the hell are you here instead of the cat girls?!" Bakugo demanded. "Aren't they supposed to be in charge of the new students' classes?!"
Iida, who had remained stoic until that moment, clenched his fists tightly, as if frustrated that he hadn't been the one to ask first.
Mirio, unfazed by Bakugo's blunt tone, scratched his head nonchalantly.
"Well, the Wild Wild Pussy Cats got an urgent request from another agency this morning that they couldn't ignore. So they asked us to help out for this first session."
"They always gave me the impression of being irresponsible cats from the start," Bakugo grumbled under his breath, though loud enough to be heard.
Mirio chuckled softly.
"Come on, don't say that. You'll understand once you start working with agencies next year. Cooperation between heroes is essential for everything to run smoothly."
Bakugo looked away but didn't argue back.
Mirio took the opportunity to steer the conversation back with his usual enthusiasm.
"Alright! I think it'd be a good idea if the three of us shared a little about how we chose our hero names. Maybe that'll help inspire you to pick yours!"
The students began paying closer attention as they passed around the whiteboards where they would write their names. Choosing their hero names was a major milestone in their journey, and almost everyone seemed excited.
"I'll go first," Mirio announced, glancing at his two friends, who didn't seem eager to take the initiative for different reasons. "My hero name is Lemillion."
He straightened up proudly, placing both hands on his hips as if posing for a picture.
"At first, I wanted to be the number one hero and protect as many people as possible. But I soon realized that no matter how strong you are, there are always limits. So I asked myself—what do I really want to accomplish? And the answer was simple: I want to save at least a million people." He grinned brightly. "It may not be an exact number, but if I give it my all, I know I can get close to that goal. That's why I chose Lemillion."
A murmur of admiration spread through the students.
"My turn!" Nejire exclaimed, raising her hand excitedly. "My hero name is Nejire Chan~!"
"Wait… isn't that just your name with 'Chan' at the end?" Mina asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Exactly!" Nejire responded without hesitation. "I figured it could be something simple, as long as it had a special meaning to me. Ever since I was little, I've loved asking questions and getting to know people. And my Quirk is all about waves that spread and flow in every direction. So I wanted my name to reflect that energy and warmth—something that would make people feel comfortable around me." She smiled sweetly. "And besides, it sounds cute!"
Some of the female students exchanged glances. They couldn't deny that Nejire had an undeniable charm, and while her logic was simple, she seemed completely happy with it.
"Tamaki, your turn," Mirio said with an encouraging smile.
Tamaki seemed to shrink in place, clearly uncomfortable with so many eyes on him. For a moment, he looked like he might throw up, hiding his mouth behind his hand.
"Come on, nothing bad is going to happen," Mirio reassured him, giving him a few pats on the back.
Tamaki let out a resigned sigh before speaking in a barely audible tone.
"Suneater…"
Some students leaned forward slightly, waiting for more details. When Tamaki remained silent, Nejire excitedly raised her hand.
"Suneater is an amazing name! Tamaki chose it because he believes that when he eats something, he can absorb its power—like he's devouring the energy of the sun itself!"
"Don't say it like that…" Tamaki muttered, looking away with clear discomfort. "It's just… Mirio used to tell me that I could shine brighter than I thought, like the sun… but I don't feel like the sun. So instead… I figured I'd be someone who consumes its power to keep moving forward."
A brief silence followed his explanation. Not many knew how to respond, but his words carried a deep, personal meaning.
"That sounds incredibly powerful," Kirishima said with admiration. "A really strong name!"
Tamaki shifted uncomfortably, murmuring a quiet thank you as he covered his face with his hands.
Mirio chuckled warmly and stepped forward.
"So, as you can see, choosing a hero name isn't just about sounding cool. It's about picking something that represents you—who you are, how you feel, and what you want to accomplish. So think carefully, and choose with enthusiasm!"
The energy among the students grew as they began debating ideas for their hero names. Some scribbled quickly on their whiteboards, only to erase and rewrite, while others sat in silent contemplation.
"Do we have any volunteers to go first?" Mirio asked after a while, scanning both groups with his gaze.
An awkward silence filled the room. No one seemed eager to step forward—until, after a brief hesitation, a single hand rose into the air. At first, it was uncertain, but then it steadied with quiet determination.
"Oh, wow, what a surprise!" Mirio exclaimed with a genuine smile. "You're the karaoke guy from last night!"
His recognition carried a warmth that caught Izuku off guard, but he could only nod with a timid smile as he took slow, tense steps toward the center of the gym. He clutched his whiteboard tightly against his chest, as if he were guarding a precious secret.
Before speaking, his gaze drifted across the room. He instinctively sought out three particular people—Bakugo, who looked frustrated as he scribbled and erased on his board, Todoroki, watching him with unreadable calm, and finally, Uraraka. She was almost directly in his line of sight, looking at him intently. When their eyes met, he felt his face heat up instantly.
"Well… I…" he started, but his voice faltered, his throat tightening with nerves.
Before the silence could stretch too long, Mirio gave him a friendly pat on the back, snapping him out of his trance.
"Come on, don't be shy. It's normal to be a little nervous speaking in front of everyone, but nothing bad will happen."
"T-Thanks…" Izuku murmured, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
He knew what he wanted to say—he just needed the courage to say it.
"Maybe not everyone who knows me is aware of this, but I already have a nickname," Izuku continued, his fingers gripping his whiteboard even tighter. "Before, I never would've considered accepting it. In fact, it used to bother me… I thought that if I ever had a hero name, it needed to be something great, something like the hero I admire most. But… now I feel like that doesn't fit anymore. Maybe because… some things change when you grow up."
He paused briefly, his eyes finding Uraraka's again. In that moment, he was reminded of the exact instant they first met—upside down.
"Well? What's your hero name, then?" Mirio asked, noticing that Izuku had gotten lost in thought.
"Ah… Right, I… My hero name is…"
Izuku blinked, then, with a quiet sigh, finally turned his whiteboard around.
"Deku."
While Bakugo reacted with irritation and others with surprise at his choice, Izuku smiled confidently.
"Someone made me realize that this name could mean something good," he said, his voice steady and clear. "And it completely changed my life."
Memories started surfacing in his mind.
Uraraka, with that sincere smile, telling him she liked the name Deku because it sounded like 'You can do it.'
Him shouting at Bakugo during their fight at the construction site, declaring that Deku would no longer mean useless.
Izuku looked at Uraraka, then at everyone else.
"When that person said it, it stopped feeling like an insult… and started feeling like a name that gave me strength. So I decided to make it my own!" He clenched his fists, determination burning in his chest. "From now on, I'll be the hero Deku!"
Mirio grinned widely and nodded in approval. Uraraka smiled too.
"I get what you're saying, Midoriya, but are you sure?" Kirishima asked, his tone kind yet concerned. "They could call you that for the rest of your life."
Izuku took a deep breath. Then, with a calm smile, he replied,
"Yeah. I'm sure. And I wouldn't mind being called that for the rest of my life, from now on…"
His green eyes landed on Uraraka once again.
"Especially by the person who gave that name a new meaning."
Uraraka looked like that last sentence had hit her heart directly. Her face turned bright red in an instant, and she curled up, hiding her face between her knees.
"Hey, is it just me, or did that sound like a proposal?" Nejire asked, leaning toward the group with clear excitement.
"Come on, say something, or everyone's gonna think it's true," Mirio said playfully, watching as Izuku returned to his spot next to Bakugo—his cheeks burning, but an unmistakable look of satisfaction on his face.
Shoto had the amusing thought of a little green bunny with a soft yet determined look in its eyes as he glanced at his friend.
"He's not denying it," Tamaki murmured from his corner, his back turned to everyone. No one noticed the small smile that formed on his face as he, too, remembered a much younger Mirio from years ago.
"Alright, alright. Let's keep going! Who's next?" Mirio continued enthusiastically.
As someone else stepped forward, Izuku stole another glance at Uraraka, who was still sitting with her knees up while Mina seemed to be whispering something to her. Suddenly, he couldn't help but worry—had he gone too far? Had he crossed some kind of line?
...
Author's Notes:
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