Chapter 6: All's Well that Ends Well

"Seriously? Damn, I barely managed to get ten points…"
"That's rough. B-But maybe you'll be let in regardless! I'm sure…"

Katsumi tuned out the rest of the conversation to her right, scoffing. Try as he might to console his buddy, but if he'd only managed to earn ten piddly points, then there was nothing else he could do. U.A. High wasn't going to go out of its way to find him an easy way in when there were more qualified individuals like her.

And Izuku, too, and Ochako. Her Quirk may not be the best for combat, but the girl had grit, she'll give her that. There was no doubt in her mind that the two of them would be just fine, so she'll have to wait for the good news later on.

A small bump in the road had them riding upwards for just a moment, the girl grunting at the motion. They were taking the bus back to the school. There was nothing more to do, so they'd likely just be going back home and wait for the results of the tests.

Frankly, she was more than happy to just walk back. She wasn't winded in the slightest, even after taking on so many bots. Yeah, all those piles of metal outside? Most were probably her work, and it never got sore to look at.

She snickered. The other losers would have complained about her hoarding the kills, but if that was the issue, then they should have worked harder to beat her! In that case, they would have definitely deserved her respect.

'Bah, whatever. I'm no Izuku; ain't gonna' start worrying about these extras. Now to just kick back and think about what I wanna' eat for din—'

One moment, everything was quiet save for the wheels of the bus and the chatter all around her.

The next, sound consumed the entire world, like a single powerful beat of the drum in a way that overwhelmed everyone's screams. Katsumi almost fell off her seat because of how much the bus was shaking, her eyes tracking outside of the window and almost popping out of her sockets.

Off in the distance in a different battle centre, dust climbed towards the sky like hands breaking out of the ground, blown in one direction that completely swallowed the skyscrapers. A flash of light from deep in the smoke had her squinting her eyes, trying to discern what it was. The faint outline came into existence moments later, as the dust settled and its vessel came to light.

Where a proud titan of iron once stood, its entire upper half was now blown clean off. That wasn't even an exaggeration; something had practically torn the top off, like an eraser rubbing out a drawing in some digital painting app. Free wires sparked away as fires burnt upon its metal plating, jet black smoke wafting into the air.

The others around her pushed themselves against the windows, muttering in shock to one another, pointing at the zero pointer.

"Holy shit… Who did that?"

"Whoever managed to break it just like that has to be a beast…"

"T-This is the kind of power we're contending with, dude?"

Damn… Whoever had managed to break the entire thing just like that has got to be a monster. 'Well, whoever that is, they'll have their work cut out for them if they think the three of us will settle for second place. I'll definitely beat them.'

She'd later freak out once she found out who it was.

For fourteen years, the young Quirkless boy had been nothing but a law-abiding citizen who frequently went out of his way to help people—perhaps not to the extent that a hero can, though maybe that dream might come realized someday too.

In any case, there'd never been a point in his life where a crime could have ever been attached to his name. He never littered, he never picked fights with people, he never went around spraying graffiti… Quite frankly, he'd never done anything bad.

But that status had abruptly changed today, because he was now quite likely going to have the crime of city annihilation attached to his name for the rest of his life.

The only silver lining here was the fact that this city wasn't even populated. It was all just a simulated battleground used solely for the entrance exam. Good that he hadn't completely wiped away people's homes! But, uh, not so good that he'd managed it at all.

And it was especially worse when he realized that, by the end of it all, he might just lose his arm. Like, actually.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. Sure, you just about almost broke your bones, but I'd say you did a fairly good job of not making it even worse. Your arm will recover eventually, but I'd really like it if you could avoid using it until the curricular year begins. Well, that is, if you manage to get in, though it would be close to impossible to imagine you somehow failing to get in with all of that power…"

There were so many things. His want of autograph from Recovery Girl. His arm that looked more engorged meat than an actual limb, now in a cast. His heart yearning for Katsumi and Uraraka's presence. And also…

His head drifted to his right, and he couldn't help the wince. This place used to look like a city. A typical city with the typical streets and typical streetlights and all that jazz. It felt like an actual residential area that he would have totally believed to be an actual city someplace if it hadn't already been established that this whole place was fake.

But now, there was no better word to describe what he was seeing besides wasteland. No buildings remained, everything having been cleared out in his one attack. The power behind his single punch was unlike anything he'd ever seen before, cutting off at some point as the trajectory shifted upwards to blast the robot.

And blast it did. He had done that. He had carved that hole in the massive robot's body, the clouds split apart. And with its core destroyed, it simply stood in place, its massive legs supporting its lack of torso and upper parts, throwing a massive shadow across the street they were on.

He gulped. All Might had called «One For All» a devastating power, but he didn't think it was this powerful. Then again, the great hero had pulled off all sorts of stunts with his strength that anyone would have thought it out of this world.

And that power was now his to wield.

'No wonder All Might really stressed the importance of being careful with this power. Misusing it could cause a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people. And I'm to use this power to protect people.'

It was a sobering thought, and one that reinforced his drive to better control his power and use it for good. After all, any invention or power could be used to harm people, but could easily bring about benefits for them on the flipside. It was just a matter of intention and knowing how to properly control it.

Well, he supposed that was what U.A. will be able to help him with. A high school for a bunch of teenagers with all sorts of Quirks was bound to get messy, and he had a feeling that they'll be more than up to the challenge of reigning them in and teach them how to maximise their Quirks' potential. Izuku looked forward to that.

But more importantly, as he looked to his left—not to where the other teenagers he'd saved were being treated by Recovery Girl—it was the sight of Ai's phantom that drew his attention. The goddess smiled his way, approaching him with a graceful gait before sitting nearby his head, where he was currently lying on the ground with a makeshift pillow underneath his head.

'So, how does it feel?'

'Terrifying. And numbing,' he looked to his exhausted limb, wincing. No arm was supposed to look as blue as his. 'I literally can't feel my arm right now. Which is concerning, since mere moments ago, it just felt like I'd broken every bone in my arm.'

'Ahaha… Yeah, that's certainly a bit of a concern,' she chuckled weakly, only to find a new sense of determination. 'But hey! This is just proof that my power can complement «One For All», right?'

'Apparently so,' and he didn't want to consider how a power fuelled by romance was somehow working in tandem with a superpower Quirk.

'Just so you know, that's not the full extent of my power. There are more intricacies that goes into its power, so—What? You thought that was it?' She asked that as his shocked gaze, smiling smugly. 'Heh. I told you how I'd been playing plenty of games prior to making this power, so there's plenty of fun surprises in store!'

'But that's… I don't get it. How is this,' he looked to the destruction. 'Not the full extent of your power?'

'Hmm. I suppose it's a bit difficult to explain, but I'll try regardless,' she tapped his uninjured hand. She was there, and yet she wasn't, so it felt like a faint tickle. 'What you just witnessed was «One For All»'s full potential, catalysed by my blessing. That is simply just one effect of my power, which technically affects all kinds of things.'

'That's… Man, this really does feel like a videogame.'

'I take full blame for that. I've also been playing way too many RPGs recently,' first dating games, and now RPGs. She really will never cease surprising him. 'In any case, you've completed your exam, so that's pretty good, I'd say! Now focus on getting some rest and wait for your results to be announced.'

'Right, of course.'

With one final smile his way, her phantom disappeared, the sound of bells fading with time. The boy sighed, looking back up towards the sky. Maybe he could catch a few minutes of shut eye, for whatever it would do for him…

"Midoriya-kun," and there were already footsteps moving towards him, a shadow blocking the sun. The person carefully sat near him, and the smile on the orange-haired girl's face ended up being more refreshing than he expected.

And not just her. "Yo, man!" That was Kirishima's voice. The redhead, that is. He struggled a little to adjust his gaze, finding Ashido, whose arm was wrapped in bandages, walking with him. "How is it? What did Recovery Girl say?"

"A-Ah, hey guys. I'm fine, I guess?" He gestured to his ruined arm. "Barring this, I suppose, though Recovery Girl said that it should heal nicely with time. So long as I don't use it for a bit. Also, she told me to just lie down. Let my body rest for a bit."

"That definitely looks like it hurts a lot," winced Ashido.

"Definitely. But on the other hand, Midoriya, my bro!" He blinked at the redhead's energetic words, quickly scooting when he deposited himself right by his side. Ashido sat beside him. "We never knew you had this kind of power! Colour us surprised!"

"Hah. Me neither," he chuckled, then paused at their quizzical look. "It's because I'm a late bloomer. I only had my Quirk a month ago."

"Wha—A month ago?!"

"Y-Yeah. I was Quirkless up until then, so it took a while for me to actually use my Quirk properly."

"T-That's… Wow," Kendo breathed out. "I never even knew Quirkless people still existed. Urk! I-I didn't mean—"

"It's okay, I know what you meant," he laughed easily, watching the tension leave her. "I wouldn't be surprised if I'm considered a fairy tale at this point. Even I have never met another Quirkless person before this. Though, now I have a Quirk of my own now…" He let out a breath. "It's pretty insane. Going from something I've accepted my whole life to becoming something else. My whole world's been turned upside-down. This'll take some time getting used to."

"Umm. Well, maybe it's because you deserve it?" Ashido's words made him look back at her. She grinned. "Well, from everything you've shown so far, you've been nothing but a cool guy. Plus, you went out of your way to help a bunch of strangers when it wasn't necessary in the slightest. That's cool!"

"Ah," he flushed, caught off-guard by the compliment. He averted his gaze. "T-That's…"

"Mina's got the right of it!" Kirishima flashed him a bright, toothy grin. "You're freaking manly, bro!"

"And even outside of today, you've apparently helped a lot in community work. Takoba was especially crazy."

Izuku gawked at Kendo. "Wait, you know about that?!"

"Yeah! They wrote a newspaper article about you—" They wrote about him in a newspaper article? How did he not know about this?! "Got published a few days ago, though. Apparently, they were trying to get the story out of a couple people. So yeah, that's that."

"Heeey, now that you mentioned it, you're right! Can't mistake your green hair for anyone else's!"

"That's… Wow. I-I don't know what to say."

Now he was wondering if that article had ever reached his mom or Katsumi's parents. Takoba was something he'd completed a long time ago, and the fact that there was someone who actually recognized him for that was kind of crazy.

Still… he supposed the recognition wasn't that bad.

But he'd be having a heart attack if he was suddenly called in front of a stage to receive an award. Nope! Nothing would get him on that stage, no matter what! Stage fright was a very real problem, and he was sticking with that diagnosis!

"Maaan… I'm hoping we all end up in the same class," sighed Ashido, smiling. "But even if we don't, we're all buds from this point onwards! No being a stranger, got it?"

Buds… Friends. He looked at Ashido when she said that, then to Kirishima, who flashed him a jovial smile. Then to Kendo, who offered him a hand. He took it, slowly rising to his feet with a heart full of excitement.

He's lived almost ten years without a friend to call his own, Katsumi being the only pillar of support he had beyond her parents and his own. And then Ochako came into his life, and now he's met more people who wanted to call him their friend?

Now, more than ever, as they took the bus ride back to the school, chatting animatedly as they let today turn into a crazy memory to look back on with fondness another day, Izuku couldn't wait to enter U.A. High. He really wanted to pass.

Of course, nothing was perfectly fine and dandy when he got back. Sure, he'd gotten checked over by Recovery Girl, but she wasn't a miracle work that could unwind injuries. All she'd done was accelerate his healing factor and ensure that his wounds would get better with time.

Funny how he didn't even consider the implications of that; of having to go home with his arm obviously busted, wrapped in a cast for all to see. And he was paying the price for that folly now.

"And how the fuck did this happen?!"
"D-Does it hurt too badly? Do you need any help with anything?"

Katsumi had always been a worrywart when it came to his safety, knowing just how squishy he was compared to her. Oh, he could lift a fridge if he put his back into it (well, his legs into it, because it was obviously safer to lift with the knees and not the back), but she definitely had the superpower advantage.

But here and now, as she and Ochako fussed over him and began checking his face and body for wounds, he couldn't help but both appreciate it and feel a little embarrassed.

"Oh, right," Danny—whose foot was fortunately not so bad, though he was using crutches now—said casually from where he stood a few ways away. "That's 'cuz he broke his arm when he punched the zero-pointer."

"He what?!" Katsumi balked, her gaze snapping towards him. "Oi, what's that extra saying? You punched the zero-pointer?"

"A-Ahh… Guess there's no point hiding it," they quirked their brows. He smiled weakly. "I was sort of planning to make this a surprise, but…"

Though he'd expended «One For All»'s power, it seemed as if it was limitless, as proven when he easily tapped into its power once more. One second, his hair seemed to be blown back by wind, and the next, red thorns bit across his skin as electricity danced around him.

Suffice it to say, both Katsumi and Ochako were rightfully shocked when they saw that happen.

"W-Wha—I thought you were Quirkless!"

"I-I was!" He cried out, severing the connection. His arm twinged uncomfortably when he did that. "It showed up a month ago."

"And we're only founding out now?!"

"I-It was going to be a surprise!"

They were pouting now. Welp. In hindsight, maybe he could have just brought it up to them prior to the exams, just to save them the heart attack of seeing him walking to the gate with his arm, black and blue, in a cast.

Danny slowly manoeuvred himself towards his side. "Really gave us a shock as well. One moment, a robot was about to step on us like we were ants, and the next thing we knew?" He vocally mimed an explosion. "Poof. Whole thing broken apart. It was intense!"

"I saw that from the bus, yeah. Talk about insane… Also, who the hell are you?"

"Ah," Izuku blinked. Right, they'd been so worried about his arm that they'd foregone basic human interactions. "Um, let me introduce you. Girls, this is Danny Hiko, a friend I met during the exam."

"Burden, more like," the lizard boy winced, running a hand through his grey hair. "I was lying on the floor when he found me. Rescued me and a couple of others. I owe him for that."

Before he could console him, Katsumi let out a loud, "Hah! Obviously! Izuku's a real hero unlike all the losers! But still!" She crossed her arms, looking miffed. "You didn't need to waste your time helping out all those extras! How many points did you get?"

"Thirty. But," he quickly added at her and Ochako's shocked expressions. "There's still the written exam. That'll help supplement the points from today, so it's not like I don't have a chance."

"But still…"

"I would have been more upset knowing that I did nothing to help when I could have," he hummed. "What's the point of having my Quirk awakening now, if I don't use it for that purpose?"

He held Katsumi's gaze, up until she broke it first, sighing. "Jeez… Fine, I can tell nothing I'll say can make you change your mind. But this just means you need to be careful!" She poked him in the chest, scowling. "Your Quirk showed up out of nowhere, which means you need to be smart in using it! Once you're better, you and me are gonna' run that Quirk through all sorts of test drives! We'll stop at nothing until your control over it's perfect!"

Not like he would have wanted otherwise. He smiled, nodding. "Of course."

"Great! And you," Danny blinked back as Katsumi referred to him next. "You got yourself in trouble, and Izuku had to bail you out. Knowing him, if you want to repay him, then you'd better work your ass off and be a proper hero. Or whatever you're gunning for."

"Ah… Yeah, of course!" He grinned back. "Seriously, I owe him. And not just me. I can't imagine how it would have been like for everyone else too if he hadn't been there for us," he extended a fist towards him. "Let's meet each other again when the school year starts, Midoriya, everyone!"

"Yeah!" Izuku nodded, beaming, fist bumping him with his good hand. "We look forward to it!"

With nothing to keep them in U.A., the group of three left the school vicinity, their beds calling out to them from their homes. And exhausted as the three of them were, they opted to take the train instead for the day, riding from one's home to the next. They traded stories of their exam experiences—from Katsumi's utter dominance of the scene, to Ochako's team-up with a foreigner in tackling the bots, to his own insanity due to the robots malfunctioning—all the way until they parted ways.

His return to his own home was predictably not peaceful. "Izukuuu!" Not when his mom saw his arm and started crying rivers, asking him what had happened to make him end up like this and almost getting a second heart attack when he revealed his own Quirk to her. She was so close to throwing her back out in disbelief.

It took much longer than it did with his girlfriends to console the older Midoriya. By the end of it, having showered and changed into sleeping wear, he was lying on his bed feeling more drained than he'd ever been.

'If things are going to be this crazy in class…' He sighed deeply. 'Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.'

And quite frankly, he didn't think it was that bad. If anything, there'd been plenty of reason to consider today a striking success. Certainly, it was the fact that he'd stuck true to his ideals, not jeopardizing other people's safeties to accrue some points. But also, that he'd made a couple of friends.

And that thought put a big smile on his face. First Danny, and then Kendo, Kirishima and Ashido… He definitely hoped that all of them were able to collect a lot of points, and that they'd be able to meet in the same class. Wouldn't that be cool?

His thoughts were put on halt as his phone vibrated. He carefully reached for it with his good hand, plucking it off his desk and giving it a quick read. The message had him grinning.

ALLMIGHT: Good evening, Midoriya! Just wanted to congratulate you for your efforts in today's exams!

ALLMIGHT: The results should come in a week. Look forward to it!

The absolute faith in him almost made him tear up. He had to wonder if All Might would think differently if he knew how today had gone, but he pushed aside those thoughts and typed back his response.

Izu: yeah. Thnx, All Might!

The man finished off the exchange with a bicep emoji, making him chuckle. Truly, the man was as friendly as he was incredible. No surprise that he's consistently the number one hero. He's beloved by all, and his prestige goes even beyond Japan, he bet. That was something not many others could possibly replicate.

And Izuku was his heir apparent.

Izuku—socially awkward, gangly, stutterish—Midoriya. Now All Might's successor.

That will be pretty difficult to pull off.

He sighed. In for a penny…

One week had never felt both too long and too short, in his opinion. Under any normal circumstances, he would have counted down the days, but this one had him feeling more than a little intimidated, so he simply focused all his attention on simply recuperating.

Call it magic or whatever, but Recovery Girl's Quirk had really worked wonders. A broken arm definitely shouldn't take four days to be fully healed, and he was all too glad for it. He'd made sure to message Katsumi and Ochako about it, and though the blonde was excited at first to have him give his Quirk a run, she decided otherwise in the end because she wanted to be completely sure that he'd be in good condition for their school days.

So, in the few days that remained, he'd merely busied himself with light housework with his mom. He'd honestly wondered if he could end up being a house husband in some other world, since he'd picked up so much skills from his mom.

But, eh, he was in this to become a hero. It'd be awkward to make that sudden shift in career choice now.

'But a hero who doubles as a house husband… Heh. That would be funny.'

But all good things would have to come to an end, because by the end of the seven days' wait, it was to the sight of his mother running into the house. "Izuku!" She screamed, waving a fancy-looking envelope in her hand. "U.A.! It's reached out!"

"Oh, shhhoot," a close call from swearing like Katsumi. His mom would have thrown a fit if she ever knew.

"W-What do we do? You're going to read it, right?"

"That's the plan, yeah," he quickly hopped off the couch, jogging over to her and carefully grasping it. He gulped at the official wax on it, with the letters 'U.A.' stamped over it. If the fancy paper they used wasn't official enough, the sigil definitely was. "I-I should probably message Kacchan first. She'd want to know."

His mom nodded, opting to just sit in the living room while he retreated to his bed, texting the girls that he'd received his letter. No sooner that he did, they responded back.

Katsumi: yeah, I got mine too!

Ochako: here we go guys!

Here they go, indeed. Izuku stared down at his envelope once more, and knowing that he couldn't run away from this forever, carefully ripped off one end before pulling out a… weird metallic disc, akin to a air hockey puck.

"Huh? What is this?" He looked in the envelope once more, but found no written letter. "Weird. Is this some gimmick, or—"

[HELLO THERE!]
"Waaah!"

Leaping away from the table like a frightened cat, it was to his stupor that All Might suddenly came into vision. Or, as his mind soon acknowledged, a projected hologram of the man himself, dressed in his hero's uniform and with a massive, beaming smile that bore down on him with confidence.

[This is All Might, delivering the results to one Izuku Midoriya!] The hologram announced. Izuku blinked, slowly approaching the hologram and waving a hand over his body, half-expecting the man to chastise him for trying to disrupt his message. Thankfully, he didn't react whatsoever, making him sigh in relief. [And you must be wondering, why am I giving you your results? And that is because..!]

In typical All Might fashion, the hologram did a super pose, involving all the muscle flexes and beaming smiles that only he could throw out.

[I will be teaching in U.A. this year!] Oh, cool… Wait, what? [And we've got quite a lot to talk about, so let's get to it, yes? First off, your written test!]

While Izuku was still caught on the fact that he'd just admitted to becoming a teacher at U.A. (holy crap, did that mean he was going to teach them?! Oh, that would be so cool!), holographic All Might began ranting off about the numbers behind his tests. His written test was higher than the average, which was a good sign. His trait as a bookworm had really carried him hard in this one.

The bigger problem came in the next section, which All Might helpfully reminded him. [But in your practical test, you only managed to collect thirty points, which is unfortunately not enough!]

"Yeah, I figured," he sighed.

[But!] Izuku perked up, looking back at holographic All Might. [There was a reason for this, was there not? And that is because of… this!]

His body disappeared, and in his place was a holographic window showcasing a recording of him running around the battleground, searching for injured people. In fact, this one caught him rescuing the unconscious girl with silver hair, pulling her up into a piggyback ride before dashing away for safety.

[Such selflessness! Such heroism!] The words made him blush. He didn't think it was that impressive… [It's nothing short of impressive!] Wait, what? [To sacrifice your opportunity at claiming points because you were focused instead on rescuing injured examinees is truly the definition of PLUS ULTRA! Going above and beyond to help others in need because it's the right thing to do—]

[—AND SO! To dismiss your practical test simply because you couldn't earn enough villain points is the height of asininity! Asininity. Hmm. Big word. But yes, in your selfless endeavours, we will henceforth reward you with… hero points!]

And therein came the big fat number of eighty hero points which, when totalled with the rest of all his points from both tests…

[Congratulations, Young Midoriya! You have passed!] Holographic All Might flexed his arms. [Let your story begin anew, in U.A. High! We look forward to having you with us! HAHAHA!]

And then the hologram shut off, leaving him in a room devoid of sound and movement.

It didn't stay that long, however, as his door slowly creaked open. "Izuku?" His mother's voice called out for him gently, laced with concern. "How was it? Did you—"

One would have considered it bad manners to not answer his mother's question in that moment. And she would have definitely wondered if something wrong had happened with her son for him to do what he did.

And that was to take a deep breath, pump his arms in the air, bowl over—

"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!"
"E-Eh?! I-Izuku?! What's wrong?! What happened!"

Being as excitable as he was did not excuse him his sudden moment of mania, which he had been quick to apologize profusely for to his mom. Bless her heart, she didn't blame him whatsoever, though she was quick to cry tears of joy for him when he told her the good news.

Then came the part of telling everyone else about his success. First was his dad, of whom he sent a quick text and a picture of himself with the letter in his hand. Left on read, which probably meant that he was still busy with his work. Fair enough. He'll just wait for his reply when he gets his break.

The next was All Might, who sent him a bunch of laughing emojis for the fact that he was the one who had to give the news, and congratulated him, stating that his hard work had truly paid off.

Ochako and Katsumi also passed, and were just as pleased to hear that he did as well. The blonde had just given him a bunch of 'I told you so!', which he accepted without much argument. And he'd even told Sakasuke, just because he felt like the man deserved to know.

That night, he and his mom had a little celebration of their own, with her making him a homely katsudon meal and more in stupor when he demonstrated his Quirk. It really must be a shocker for her to know that her only son had suddenly developed a Quirk out of the blue, much less so when it was completely different from hers and her husband's.

And that, obviously, had her falling into a spiral over whether or not she'd accidentally been impregnated by some other man, which he had to reassure through a bunch of research data and evidence of kids developing Quirks that were completely unrelated to their parents'. That hadn't helped completely, but it assuaged her of any possibility of disloyalty to her husband.

And if there was one thing he knew, those two had been crazy for each other in their time. How would he know? Because his dad would never stop telling him stories of their youth, to the point that he had every little detail burnt into his brain at this point.

The next day was to be their last day before they were officially U.A. students, and the girls messaged him about wanting to spend it with him. He agreed almost immediately, though he was also stuck on the fence of spending it with his mom instead. They hadn't done anything special besides dinner yesterday, so maybe he could—

"Oh, Mitsuki's already invited us to come over! And she told me that she's invited a friend of hers too, so we'll be spending our day there for today."

Ah, shoot. That meant he couldn't hang out with Ochako, then. He winced, but thanked his mom regardless, sending the message to the girls.

Ochako: yeah, apparently mom's been invited by a friend, so I'll be coming with.

Ochako: so unfair, tho! I wanna hang out with you 2 too! :(

Katsumi: It'll be for next time then. Nothing to it.

Izuku: yeah. Let's meet again when school starts. Hopefully we'll be in the same class!

Ochako: that would be nice!

A bunch of heart emojis, some sobbing, and he was off to be prepared to meet up with Katsumi. The thought of seeing her again put butterflies in his gut, and he let that push him through the motions with renewed vigour.

Granted, it was definitely a shame that Ochako wouldn't be there with them, but he supposed there was nothing they could do about it. Her family had their own plans, and who was he to ask them to cancel for their own?

He'll just have to make it up to her when next they meet. Maybe a gift to congratulate her on passing? She has a bit of a sweet tooth, so perhaps she'd like a slice of cake…

The drive over to the Bakugou's place didn't take long, and it was always a sight for the eyes. It was large, the sandy beige paint of the walls somewhat clouded in several areas, with a green roof and lovely hedge plants outside. He'd helped plant those when he was a kid, and it was always a source of pride to see them so big and healthy now.

They parked outside of the house and walked on over to the entrance, not even needing to press the doorbell before Auntie Mitsuki opened it first, a wide smile on her face. "Inko, Izuku!" She greeted, pulling her best friend into a hug, who returned it, giggling. "Good to have you! Come in, come in! The other friend is running a little late, so you're the first ones here."

"Huh? Are they already—Izuku, Auntie Inko," Katsumi blinked from where she was seated at the couch. He found her eyes almost immediately, and a smile flitted onto his face. "Talk about fast. What's up with that?"

"Don't be rude to 'em, brat," Mitsuki chided, making the younger blonde scoff back.

"I wasn't! Just surprised, is all."

"Uh-huh. So hey, come on in, you two! Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. We're just prepping some food in the meantime."

"Oh, then let me—"

"Nope!" Auntie tutted at him. "You, sweetie, just passed your exam! Heck, you supposedly broke your arm, didn't you? So you just go and sit with Katsumi. Shoo!"

Knowing what battles he could win and those he couldn't, he opted to just accept it and deposited himself on the couch by Katsumi, who immediately bumped her shoulder against his with an excited grin. "Who would'a thought they'd have some secret points in there, huh?"

"That was definitely my saving grace in all of this," he agreed with easy laughter, shaking his head. "Had that not been a part of their grading system, I'm pretty sure that would have been it for me. At best, I'd be put into the general course which, to be fair, isn't that bad…"

"Nah, don't say shit like that. You're a hero now—"

"Hero-in-training," he corrected.

"—and that means you need to start accepting the facts as they are! Stop thinking about what-ifs and all that shit," she nodded. "You got in by your own merit. Be proud of that."

It was technically All Might's Quirk. All the crazy body powerups and final one-hit KO that he'd used on that robot were most definitely nothing that the average body could dish out no matter how much willpower one person put into their punches. At best, trying to strain their heads too much might just pop an artery in the brain.

Still, knowing that his own attempts to bolster his body strength had made him worthy of All Might's power, and the small amount of mastery he'd managed of it so far had gotten him that far in the test was… well, it was honestly incredible.

He hummed, watching as Katsumi suddenly leapt off the couch to go help his mom, who failed to reassure her when even Auntie Mitsuki was just nagging at her daughter to 'actually be helpful', successfully irking the blonde into action.

He wasn't left to his devices for long, as Uncle Masaru showed up a moment later. "Hey, Izuku."

"Ah, Uncle," he greeted with a smile. "Thanks for having us over."

"Hah, there's no need to thank us. We're always happy to have you over," he chuckled, sitting opposite of him. "So, how's it feel? Getting a step closer to making that dream a reality, eh?"

"Unreal," he answered honestly. "Still feels that way, sometimes. Fourteen years, Uncle. I grew up for fourteen years having no Quirk," he looked down to his hand, channelling electricity to the tip of his fingers. "And then it shows up out of the blue, and now I've qualified to go to U.A. High," he smiled. "It's nothing short of crazy."

"Heh, crazy definitely sounds right. But if there was ever a person who deserves a chance, it's you," when the words were spoken, there was nothing but utter sincerity in them that Izuku couldn't help but pause, staring the older man in the eyes. They were crinkled, aging apparent in his face, yet gentle in a fatherly way that reminded him of his own. "Now it's your job to make use of that Quirk and be the hero you've always wanted to be. The hero you deserve to be."

"Uncle…"

"Mitsuki! We're here!"

"Oh, come on in!"

"H-Hello, thank you for having—Eh? Katsumi?!"

"Ochako?!"

Ochako? Izuku's body moved before his brain even caught up to it, jerking upwards and head spinning on a swivel. His eyes tracked the entrance, and his jaw fell to the backrest of the couch when he saw the girl in the flesh, wide-eyed, and equally wide-mouthed.

"K-Katsumi?" She repeated once more, as if she had to double confirm that she wasn't hallucinating. Then she looked to him, even more surprised. "A-And Izuku!"

"Wfarghum," he garbled back.

"Wait, you know each other?" Mitsuki came over, sounding surprised. "Hell, I didn't expect you managed to remember another person's name, kiddo. You've only ever had Izuku's name in your head all this time."

The accusation (well, truth more like) had the younger Bakugo going red in the face, hissing back. "N-No I don't!"

"W-We just met each other outside of school!" Ochako hastily jumped in.

"And we sort of, just, hang out together," he quickly added, moving to the girls with a shaky grin. "I didn't know you were inviting Och—Uraraka-san's family, Auntie."

"Yeah, we've known each other since high school. And when I heard that her kid also passed U.A.'s test like you and Katsumi did, I thought to invite her just so that you could get to know each other. Who knows? Maybe the three of you would end up in the same class," she snickered. "But looks like you three were way ahead of us! Talk about quick!"

"So you must be the Izuku-san that our Ochako has been talking about almost all the time," the man he assumed to be Ochako's father spoke at him, smiling kindly even as his daughter suddenly blushed up a storm. "You know, it's been quite some time since she's ever talked about someone so passionately. Much less a boy, in fact!"

"P-Pa!"

"U-Uhh. I-I mean, um," he looked to the girl, then back at her dad before shrugging. "It's an honour to have met her?"

"Hah, you're certainly as polite as she described you! And Katsumi-san, right? I'm so glad that my daughter's found two good friends in the both of you. Please continue looking after her in school, alright?"

"Erk… S-Sure thing."

"Well, since we're all here, what say we get this celebration underway?" Auntie threw her arms around his and Katsumi's shoulders, pulling them close to her. "To our future heroes! Haha!"

Even as everyone cheered and whooped, Izuku could only share embarrassed grins with his girlfriends. That was a can of worms that he'd have to open up at some point, and he had to wonder who was going to be the first to have a heart attack at the reality that he was apparently dating two girls at the same time. Unorthodox was too great of an understatement.

That and the almost dying part. Although, maybe keeping that bit locked away forever wouldn't be so bad.

As their families headed over to the dining tables, Ochako came over to his side, sighing. "Jeez… I never knew my mom knew Katsumi's. Talk about a small world, huh?"

"Tell me about it. Would have saved us a lot of trouble," scoffed the blonde. "But eh, we planned to hang out to begin with. Guess this ain't so bad, huh?"

"You got that right," grinned Izuku. "Well, let's get to it, then. The food won't be eating itself!"

"Well, it seems like everyone inside is having a lot of fun, huh?"
"At our expense! Gawd, the hag didn't need to bring out the baby photos…"
"Ehehe..! That's just part of being a parent, huh?"

As her friend grumbled expletives, Ochako simply relished in the comfort of their presence, leaning her head against her boyfriend's shoulder (and feeling the way his entire body shuddered, much to her amusement) as she just stared at the night sky, counting every dot and wondering if they'd be lucky enough to catch a shooting star.

As Katsumi had mentioned, they'd temporarily escaped the house when their parents brought out the baby photos, the blonde being most vocal about not wanting to be present for any of that. Even Ochako was a little embarrassed, but there was only one regret even bigger than anything else.

'I want to see pictures of Izuku and Katsumi too! I bet they were so cute!'

Haaah… Another time, then.

"So," she breathed out into the cold air. They were sitting by the stairs near the door. "We'll be U.A. students tomorrow. Thoughts on that?"

"Excited to kick ass and put my name on top," Katsumi declared.

"Looking forward to making a pipe dream a reality," Izuku chirped, clasping both her hand and Katsumi's. "And learning all I can about my Quirk. No one in my family tree's ever had anything like this, so it'll be a fresh undertaking."

"Be sure not to go overboard, though. We'd really hate it if you broke a limb again. Literally."

"Right, of course. That's a lesson I won't be forgetting anytime soon."

He was taking it seriously. Good. Though he'd played the incident down, and he appeared to be in fairly good shape, both she and Katsumi had still been worried. At least now, with his cast off, he looked perfectly fine. A blessing all in all.

"So hey, I was thinking. Do you girls want to head to school together tomorrow?" He suggested, drawing their attention once more. "We could meet up at the train station, then take it to U.A. together."

"Ooh! I like that!" She beamed. "Let's do it! It'll be so fun to go together!"

That was one thing she'd been hoping for when she'd made the decision to get into U.A. High; to find a friend and go together just so that she wouldn't be too anxious being in a new place all on her lonesome. Now that goal had been meet, and it would make her everyday school life all that more pleasant!

Plus… she'd be going with her boyfriend. What could possibly make it better?!

"They've got free commuting for students, right? Then might as well make use of the service," hummed Katsumi in thought. "Plus, we're heading for the same class. Good thing too, or else I'd just have to kick either or both of your asses in interclass competitions!"

"Kacchan, let's keep the competitive streak to a friendly limit," sweat-dropped the greenette. "No antagonizing the other class, alright? We may be in different classes, but we're all working towards the same goal. We're comrades, not enemies."

"Bah, they'll use that excuse to try and make us go easier on them. If they want to learn, then they'll have to grow a spine or two!"

Ochako and Izuku shared a synchronized sigh at her passionate words, fire literally burning in her eyes at her declaration. Well, with her around, her everyday school life was definitely going to be a lot more exciting than it could have ever looked to be…

Eventually, after much time spent sitting outside and the cold getting a bit too much for her, the group of three opted to get up and make their way inside. Ochako herself was looking forward to seeing if there was a hot drink of sorts. Some tea sounded good.

At least, that was until Izuku called out her name. "Hey, Ochako."

"Hmm?" She perked up. "What's up, Izu..."

He probably didn't intend to cut her words off, but for the way he grasped her chin with his fingers made all her syllables tumble away. And suddenly, he was up close in her face before she could even blink. Emeralds stared into her soul with a level of adoration that brought her emotions surging forth like an active volcano, the sincerity in them never once something she could have questioned.

And the cherry on top was his lips on hers, kissing her with a gentleness that she doubted many others were capable of, his free hand taking hers and holding it tightly.

'Izuku..!'

They remained that way for a while, her boyfriend pulling away first with his entire face aflame. Ochako felt as if her face was equally hot, yet all she could do in that moment was count his freckles. His lips were pulled in a shy smile, and she had to reign in her mental schoolgirl screaming.

"Sorry," he whispered, making her shake her head in turn.

"Don't be. I-I liked that."

"M-Me too," how he managed to blush even harder, she didn't know, but she didn't deny that she found this side of him so cute. "U-Um, Kacchan, can I..?"

"Erk… Y-You're seriously asking that?"

"I-I want to kiss you too! I-If you're okay with it…"

Standoffish and proud as she was, Katsumi didn't look so keen for affection as she had been, managing to look both embarrassed and agonized over his request.

"Graaah… Fine!" And yet, she was just as much his girlfriend as Ochako was, crossing her arms and staring away with a scowl on her face. She might have tried to look intimidating, but all she was managing to do right now was appear even more girlish. "I'll kiss you! O-Only because you want to! Don't think otherwise!"

Both she and Izuku totally knew the truth of the matter, but none of them said anything as he reached out for her hands first. His gentle hold was enough to draw her gaze to him, and her put-upon rage melted away as she came face-to-face with his love, his little smile cracking her as her lips wobbled a bit.

Try as she might have to act strong, she was just as much of a girl in love as any other. Perhaps even more so, as the longing in her gaze was so apparent as she slowly approached him, the two kissing one another deeply.

Deep down, she felt a flicker of a flame, gulping as she watched the two make out. There was a gap moe here, she liked to think, watching the typically brash girl be so gentle with her boyfriend. Katsumi looked so happy. So at peace. It was truly a beautiful sight.

The moment couldn't last forever, and Izuku leaned away shyly, but for the massive smile on his face, it was clear what his feelings on the matter were. "Ehehe… I-I really liked that."

"M-Me too," nodded Katsumi, averting her gaze, looking so different from her usual self. Ochako was positively swooning in her seat. "Jeez… H-How come you're such a good kisser?"

"I-I never practised, if that's what you're thinking!"

"I'm not accusing you of having flings. Jeez," she laughed, leaning against him. "A-And I'm glad for that. That me and Ochako were your first…"

Such sincerity caught both of them off-guard, Ochako almost gasping aloud and Izuku going atomic in his blush level. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears!

"M-Me too!" She added, smiling happily. "Accidentally running into a person is, like, one of the most embarrassing things ever. B-But I'm glad it's you I ran into, Izuku!"

"Y-Yeah! I'm glad too. I'll work hard to make you both happy. I promise."

Well, if he kept this up, then she could definitely say without fail that he was succeeding on that regard with absolution.

Ochako smiled, silence falling over the three lovebirds as they went back inside the house. Tomorrow, a new chapter in their life would begin, and to know that she'd be at their sides every step of the way filled her heart with renewed energy. She just couldn't wait!