Author's Pre-Comment Chapter:

I initially did not have any plans to write this chapter but Debug000 gave me some ideas. After conversing with him, I decided to write this chapter.

Special thanks to Debug000 on AO3 for beta-reading this chapter.

Chapter 16

Bonus Chapter

A Glimpse into Izuku's New Life

[A month after Izuku enrolled into Somei]

The clock read 7 PM. Nemuri sprawled comfortably on her living room couch, leisurely brushing the soft fur of her beloved cat, Rainbow. Her attire was casual, a loose, oversized shirt paired with cotton shorts, perfect for the increasingly warm weather as summer began to roll into the country. A drama series played on the television, the sound a mere backdrop to Nemuri's thoughts, as her mind was elsewhere. She kept it more for the noise, for the presence of it rather than actually taking interest.

Suddenly, a thunderous "FUCK" exploded from Izuku's room, shattering the peaceful quiet. It was followed by the sharp, violent slam of a door. Nemuri glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening slightly as she watched Izuku storm through the living room and into their conjoined kitchen. His movements were jerky and filled with pent-up rage as he yanked the refrigerator door open, pulled out a cold water bottle, and then slammed the door shut with a resounding thud.

"Uh…" Nemuri began, her voice laced with cautious curiosity. She studied Izuku's stiff posture, the way his jaw was tight. "Everything all right, sweetie?" It was a rare sight, indeed, to see him so visibly agitated.

Izuku ignored her question. He twisted the cap off the bottle and took several large gulps of water, his throat working as he swallowed. He then stalked towards the couch, his movements still stiff with anger, and perched on the backrest. His eyebrows were furrowed, pulled together in a deep, annoyed frown.

"Have you ever disliked someone so intensely that you wished you could just make them disappear?" Izuku finally asked, the words thick with frustration.

"Okay, let's calm down a bit," Nemuri said, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. She shifted, sitting up straighter on the couch, her posture becoming more alert. A look of mingled curiosity and concern crossed her face. "What brought this on?"

"There's this teacher at school," Izuku began, his voice tight with barely suppressed rage, "He teaches mathematics. About a week ago, he was teaching us integrals and differentiation. He made a minor mistake, and I corrected him. And do you know what he told me?" Each word dripped with such potent annoyance that amplified Nemuri's worry.

"What did he say, sweetie?" Nemuri asked, her voice carefully softened.

"He says," Izuku, then, with surprising accuracy, mimicked the teacher's pompous tone, "'Mr. Midoriya! If you know so much, then why don't you come up here and teach the class?'"

"Oh…" Nemuri murmured, a small, knowing sound. That was a pretty standard, almost clichéd, response from middle school teachers. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"So," Izuku continued, a spark of defiance in his eyes, "I went to the front of the class and started teaching."

A snicker escaped Nemuri's throat before she could stop it. The image of Izuku, actually taking the teacher up on his sarcastic offer, was too perfect. She should have known he would end up doing something like that. No doubt, this was where the teacher's animosity had taken root.

"What?" Izuku asked, his frown deepening, confusion etched across his face.

"Nothing," Nemuri replied quickly, offering him a small, reassuring smile. She scooted closer, her body almost touching his, and gently patted his back. "It's alright. Things like this happen. Everyone has that one teacher they genuinely dislike. I had a few of them, too."

"Argh!" Izuku groaned, a sound of pure frustration, before dramatically flopping down onto the couch. He ended up in an upside-down position, his head resting on the plush cushion while his legs dangled over the backrest. "I know that, but it's still infuriating! He keeps targeting me, but he quickly realized that was pointless because I can answer all of his questions. So now, he's started grading me lower on exams. I confronted him, and he had the nerve, the sheer audacity, to tell me that he was 'unsatisfied' with my answers, even though I explained everything perfectly. Just now we received the results for the class test from two days ago and he graded me a fucking 'C'. Fuck that guy! I can't wait for the next session to start so I can finally be free of him."

Nemuri's eyebrows drew together, a mixture of exasperation and understanding clouding her expression. Sure, Izuku would be free of this particular teacher next year, but if he didn't start grasping social cues, he'd just land himself in more hot water. Perhaps that was something she could help him with. A project for another time. For now, she needed to lift his spirits, and the most reliable way to achieve that was to ask him about any new quirks he had discovered.

A frown creased Nemuri's forehead as a sudden realization struck her. She had never actually inquired Izuku about his quirks. Between Izuku's enrollment in a new school and her own hectic schedule at U.A., the topic had completely slipped her mind.

"Say," Nemuri started, her voice taking on a drawn-out, thoughtful quality. She propped her left elbow on the backrest and rested her cheek against her knuckles, her gaze fixed on Izuku. "You've never actually told me what your quirks are."

Izuku's eyes flickered towards her, a brief flash of doubt crossing his face. "I didn't?" He visibly searched his memory, trying to recall any instance where he might have mentioned them, but came up empty. "Huh, weird…" He twisted his body, repositioning himself to sit straighter and face Nemuri directly. "Anyway, how did you know I have more than one quirk?"

"Remember that blood test Recovery Girl did on you?" Nemuri reminded him, earning a slow nod from Izuku.

A thoughtful expression settled on Izuku's face. "Come to think about it, I completely forgot about the blood test."

"Yeah, well. Apparently, she discovered that you have three quirks."

Izuku nodded again, his tone utterly neutral. "She would be right," he confirmed. "I do have three quirks."

"Can you tell me about them?" Nemuri asked, flashing him a brilliant, encouraging smile.

"Sure, why not," he replied with a casual shrug. "One of them is my eyes," he said, pointing to his striking, emerald green pupils with his right index finger. "The doctor who examined me named them 'Six Eyes.' They allow me to perceive things on a much deeper level than normal. They also give me enhanced perception, an eidetic memory, and drastically improved brain function. They even let me analyze someone's quirk and pinpoint its origin within their body."

"Damn," Nemuri muttered, genuine awe coloring her voice as Izuku detailed his ocular prowess.

"My second quirk is a kind of energy produced by my body," Izuku continued, raising his right hand and clenching it into a fist. He did not have to focus as he almost unconsciously channeled the energy through it. "You can't see it, but my Six Eyes show me a purplish energy swirling around my fist right now. The doctors said it's unlike any energy they've ever encountered."

"Did they give it a name or something?" Nemuri inquired, curiosity palpable in her voice.

Izuku shrugged again. "I think they ran out of creative names and just called it 'Negative Energy'."

"Guess they did," Nemuri giggled, covering her mouth with the back of her right wrist, amused by the anticlimactic name.

"But I have decided to call it 'Cursed Energy.' Seems cooler to me," Izuku stated with a shrug getting another giggle from Nemuri. "But the most impressive one is my third quirk," Izuku said, a distant, almost glazed look overtaking his eyes.

"Oh? And what does that do?" Nemuri probed, her voice saturated with genuine curiosity.

"Have you ever heard about Achilles Paradox?" Izuku asked, his gaze locking onto Nemuri's.

Nemuri searched her memory, trying to recall if she had ever encountered such a concept, but drew a blank. She shook her head, her long, dark purple hair swaying. "No, can't say that I have."

Izuku nodded in acknowledgment before launching into an explanation. "Suppose Achilles has to race a slow tortoise. But there's a twist, the tortoise is given a head start. The question is—can Achilles ever catch up to the tortoise? Common sense would say, of course, he can, but mathematically, it becomes impossible. Because every time Achilles reaches the spot where the tortoise was previously, the tortoise would have already moved some distance ahead, no matter how infinitesimally small."

Nemuri felt her head spin slightly from the explanation. Academics had never been her strong suit. "And what does that have to do with your quirk?" she asked, clearly lost.

Izuku nodded again, picking up the thread of his explanation. "My quirk functions similar to this paradox where the objects are Achilles and I am the tortoise. This is actually a mathematical paradox where if you keep dividing a number by a finite number, it will keep getting smaller and smaller but never actually reach zero. When you continue dividing a number endlessly, you eventually encounter a concept called infinity. My third quirk brings this abstract concept into reality. My quirk divides the space between my body and a considerable distance, a distance I can control, into so many divisions that any approaching object eventually hits infinity. They effectively become incapable of moving, because, for them, space has been compressed to such an infinitesimally small quantity that no matter what actions they take, their body's position remains virtually unchanged."

Nemuri stared at Izuku, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and astonishment. "That…that feels…"

"Impossible?" Izuku finished for her, a smirk playing on his lips. "I was really born with a wonderful quirk, huh? Want to see it in action?"

Nemuri could only nod dumbly, silently agreeing with his self-assessment and also requesting for a small demonstration.

Izuku raised his left hand and held it out, palm facing outward, towards Nemuri who stared at the hand dumbly. "Touch it, go on," he urged, waving his outstretched hand playfully at her.

Nemuri raised her right hand and approached his outstretched hand, their palms touching each other without difficulty. "Was that supposed to be it?"

"Hardly," Izuku replied, giggling within himself. "But right now, you can touch my palm, right? Now, try to pull your hand away."

With a small nod, Nemuri tried to remove her hand from touching Izuku's but to her utter surprise, she could not move her hand away. She tried to pry her hand away forcefully, putting all her power in it but her hand did not budge. "W…What?"

"You can't move your hand can you?" Izuku gave her a knowing look. "That is because, due to my infinity, the space around me has been divided into very minuscule space, so small that even if you try to move your hand, it only travels infinitesimally small distances. This distance is so small that it feels like you are not even moving your hand even one bit, thus giving this feeling that your hand has completely stopped. In reality, your hand is moving but by very, very small distances."

"W–What? I-I…" Nemuri felt herself get tongue-tied. She did not understand much of it but whatever it was, it felt something out of this world. "Is this like automatic?"

Izuku dropped the infinity allowing Nemuri to move her hand again. He lowered his outstretched hand. "Unfortunately, not. I have to activate my infinity consciously. But once I activate it, it creates a barrier between something I consciously deem as a threat and myself. And because it takes too much out of me to consciously filter through everything in my surroundings, I just treat everything except for oxygen as a threat to myself. But it also ends up hampering me. I can't touch another person if I don't consciously drop the infinity. At first, it was very difficult, but now I can at least drop the infinity around my hands with a lot of concentration. I am trying to master this method to a level that I can do it subconsciously."

"But it doesn't end there," Izuku continued, his smirk widening, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "You see, when we fought that gang leader, I discovered that my negative energy interacts with my infinity in a… peculiar way. At first, I couldn't quite grasp it, but after some thorough research, I figured out that their combination creates these… blue balls."

"Blue balls?" Nemuri muttered under her breath, instantly snorting at the unintended innuendo. Her ample bosom jiggled with suppressed laughter.

"What?" Izuku blinked, staring at her with a bewildered expression. "What's so funny?"

Nemuri snickered into her fist, then coughed, trying to regain her composure. "Nothing," she said, taking a deep, steadying breath. A few stray snickers still escaped her lips, betraying her amusement.

"Anyway," Izuku resumed, still slightly puzzled by Nemuri's outburst, "these blue spheres are actually pockets of negative space. And since, in reality, negative space shouldn't exist, everything rushes towards it to try and neutralize it. This creates a powerful phenomenon where anything and everything is pulled towards the sphere. But I believe that with enough control, I can dictate what gets pulled, where it gets pulled to, and the intensity of the pull."

Nemuri massaged her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "That… I don't know what to say," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. She had witnessed countless impressive quirks during her career as a Pro Hero, but Izuku's abilities dwarfed them all. It was almost incomprehensible that a quirk this potent even existed.

"I have doubts, though," Izuku said, leaning back against the couch cushions, his eyes gazing upwards in deep thought. "I have a strong feeling that there are many other aspects of my quirks that I haven't uncovered yet. There's this persistent, nagging feeling in the back of my mind."

"Let's be honest," Nemuri said, placing a comforting hand on Izuku's shoulder and gently kneading the tense muscles, "if anyone can figure it out, it's you."

And just like that, the built-up frustration and annoyance melted away from Izuku, replaced by a genuine, beaming smile. "Thanks, Nem," he said, using the affectionate nickname he'd adopted for her. He stood up, stretching slightly. "I should get back to my homework. Don't want to give that teacher any more ammunition to use against me."

Nemuri watched as Izuku disappeared back into his room, then returned to the soothing task of brushing her cat's fur. Five minutes later, another, even more ear-splitting scream erupted from Izuku's room, making the startled cat leap from her lap.

"WHAT THE FUCK, NEM!"

Nemuri couldn't contain herself any longer. She burst into hearty peals of laughter, her mischievous chortles echoing throughout the apartment. It seemed Izuku had added a new, colorful phrase to his vocabulary.

[Two Years Later…]

The stadium throbbed with a feverish energy.

Below, on the rectangular pitch, the final match of the football tournament between Somei Middle School and their age-old rivals, Kaiyo Middle School, was reaching a crescendo of intensity.

Somei and Kaiyo, two schools renowned for their sporting achievements, were locked in a fierce battle. Kaiyo boasted the most interschool football titles, a formidable sixteen, while Somei held a respectable ten. Of their eighteen previous encounters in the Finals, Kaiyo had emerged victorious ten times to Somei's eight. The previous year, Somei had suffered an early defeat in the Round of 16, while Kaiyo had gone on to claim the championship.

This year, fortune appeared to be frowning upon Somei once more. They were currently trailing by two goals, the score a daunting 2-0 in Kaiyo's favour. Tension crackled in the air, thick and palpable. The players, fueled by adrenaline and desperation, were frequently clashing, their challenges growing increasingly reckless. The referee had already brandished a total of eleven yellow cards, with the majority – seven – shown to Somei, and four to Kaiyo.

In the stands, the Kaiyo supporters were a roaring, vibrant sea of sound. Their cheers, punctuated by the rhythmic beat of drums and the shrill blasts of whistles, created a cacophony of unwavering support. It was the 74th minute, and victory seemed tantalisingly close, a mere matter of time.

However, they were blissfully unaware of the impending storm. Somei's coach, the legendary Jansi Slick, was about to unleash his secret weapon, a force of nature capable of dismantling teams with effortless ease, a player Kaiyo was utterly unprepared for.

Kaiyo's coach, Tallibanelloti, observed from the substitution bench, a smug expression playing on his lips. He was supremely confident. His team held a two-goal advantage and possessed one of the tournament's most formidable defences, anchored by the central defenders Wrestlinger and Fraudaba, with Mdiddy and Absentquez flanking them as fullbacks. Even if Somei managed to breach their lines, he trusted his attackers, Mbeepboop and Divenicious, to restore the advantage. Defeat seemed an impossibility, a notion as far-fetched as divine intervention on behalf of their opponents.

Alas, the unfortunate coach had no inkling of the impending doom about to befall his, as some might say, Satanic club.

Jansi Slick remained a figure of stoic calm on the sidelines, observing his team's desperate, if somewhat clumsy, attempts to find the net. His face was an impassive mask, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. An unsuspecting observer would never have guessed that his team was on the brink of defeat.

Then, with a subtle shift, he turned his gaze towards the bench. His left hand emerged, his index finger singling out a player, followed by a sharp jab of his thumb towards the field. It was a silent, yet unmistakable command to prepare.

The chosen substitute sprang into action, shedding his jacket with practiced efficiency and swiftly donning Somei's bright, sky-blue jersey. The moment had arrived to unleash the tempest upon the pitch.

A hush fell over the Kaiyo supporters, their boisterous chants dying in their throats, while a surge of sound erupted from the Somei stands. Somei's players, acutely aware of the significance of the impending substitution, retrieved the ball and deliberately kicked it out of play, conceding a throw-in. Kaiyo's players stood frozen, a sense of unease settling over them as they watched the Somei side, an intuitive understanding that the balance of the match was about to shift. A premonition of heartbreak, rather than triumph, began to grip their hearts.

For Somei's ace, their ultimate weapon, the tournament's most formidable player, had emerged from the bench and was now poised near the sidelines.

Izuku Midoriya was ready to enter the fray.

Coach Jansi Slick offered no words of instruction. He never needed to. Izuku Midoriya possessed an innate understanding of his role: where he had to be and what he had to do.

The current left-winger jogged towards the substitution area, offering Izuku an encouraging embrace as the green-haired boy stepped onto the field.

From the stands, two voices soared above the general din.

"GO, IZUKU! GO, GO, GO!" a distinctly familiar feminine voice called out, the sound carrying clearly to Izuku's ears.

"YEAH! WOOHOO! Go, Izuku! Bring home the victory for Somei!" a man's voice chimed in, equally enthusiastic.

Izuku glanced towards the stands, a soft chuckle escaping his lips at the sight that greeted him.

Nemuri was dressed in her usual casual attire, a black tube top paired with tight, ripped jeans. The sliver of space between the top and jeans offered a glimpse of her toned midriff. Even in such simple clothes, her beauty was striking. Beside her stood Hizashi Yamada. His typically gravity-defying blond hair was, on this occasion, styled into sleek, golden strands that neatly framed his expressive face. His clothing was comparatively understated, consisting of a simple pair of jeans and a dark green t-shirt.

Both Nemuri and Hizashi brandished oversized flags with enthusiastic vigour. Nemuri's flag was a vibrant green, mirroring Izuku's hair, and bore a large, stitched portrait of his face. Hizashi, meanwhile, waved the official Somei banner.

"GO, GO, IZUKU! GO, GO, IZUKU!" Nemuri chanted, her voice ringing with passion, her flag dancing in the air.

"GO, GO, SOMEI! GO, GO, SOMEI!" Hizashi roared, his enthusiasm matching Nemuri's.

Near them sat two other figures, observing the match with a considerably more restrained demeanour. These were Nezu and Aizawa. Nezu, impeccably dressed in his customary suit and trousers, complete with a crisp white shirt and a red tie, watched the unfolding events with a broad, delighted smile, clearly relishing the spectacle. Aizawa, oh the other hand, appeared profoundly disinterested, his posture slumped, his eyes barely tracking the action on the field.

"This is rather enjoyable, wouldn't you agree, Shota?" Nezu inquired, his voice brimming with his characteristic cheerfulness.

"I could have been sleeping," Aizawa mumbled in response, his words barely audible amidst the fervent roar of the Somei supporters.

Izuku assumed his designated position on the left wing. While his preferred role was in the center or attacking midfield, where he could orchestrate the flow of the game, today he would operate from the left flank. For many players, being deployed out of their favored position could significantly hinder their effectiveness.

This, however, did not apply to Izuku. He possessed the versatility to excel in virtually any position on the field, and the only reason he wasn't deployed as a defender or goalkeeper was because of his disadvantage in height.

Kaiyo's player took the throw-in, directing the ball to a teammate. After a brief, intense struggle for possession, one of Somei's central midfielders emerged triumphant, swiftly launching the ball towards the opposite end of the field. The ball soared high above the players' heads. Izuku, with preternatural anticipation, raised his foot and received the pass with a grace and control that would not have been out of place in a professional match.

And then, the first spark of magic ignited.

Izuku deftly evaded the first opponent, a midfielder who lunged to dispossess him, with a subtle, deceptive body feint. Then, with a breathtaking burst of speed, he surged down the sideline, a blur of motion, the ball seemingly tethered to his right foot. Kaiyo's defenders scrambled to intercept him, some resorting to desperate tackles, but Izuku, with his nimble frame and agility, weaved through their challenges with effortless grace.

Reaching the edge of the penalty area, Izuku delivered a truly exquisite cross, the ball curling wickedly between the defenders' feet and landing perfectly at Iida's feet.

Iida, without hesitation, unleashed a powerful shot, striking the ball with every ounce of his remaining strength. The ball rocketed forward, a blur of white against the green, and despite the Kaiyo goalkeeper's valiant effort, it found the back of the net.

A wave of jubilant celebration erupted from the Somei stands as their team finally registered their first goal. The scoreboard flickered, displaying the updated score:

Kaiyo | 2 - 1 | Somei

Time: 79:56

It was the 80th minute.

The match was on.

The momentum of the match had undeniably shifted. Possession, once firmly in Kaiyo's grasp, now flowed almost exclusively to Somei, or, more accurately, to their feet. A mesmerizing passing sequence unfolded between Izuku, Iida, and their teammate, Pedriniesta.

Tallibanelloti, visibly agitated, was now on his feet, pacing the technical area, barking instructions at his players, urging them to tighten their defence. Jansi Slick, in contrast, remained seated in the substitution area, his arms folded across his chest, a quiet confidence radiating from him, the outcome of the match already a foregone conclusion in his mind.

Eight more minutes ticked by, a relentless onslaught of Somei attacks met by Kaiyo's increasingly desperate defence. Kaiyo's players were literally flinging themselves in the path of the ball, a frantic attempt to protect their slender lead. Little did they know, the true masterstroke was about to be revealed.

A Kaiyo defender, under immense pressure, executed a powerful clearance from the penalty box, sending the ball soaring high. Unfortunately for them, it travelled directly towards Izuku, who had dropped deeper into midfield to support his teammates. He collected the ball with a touch of sublime control.

And then, he embarked on the run that had become his signature.

From ten yards inside his own half, Izuku went on a blistering run, slicing through the opposition's defence. He effortlessly outmanoeuvred the forwards who attempted to halt his progress with subtle shifts of his body. As a midfielder approached, Izuku veered to the right, advancing diagonally for a few metres. When a defender moved to intercept, he executed another deft body feint, cutting sharply to the left and leaving the defender floundering.

In a mere twenty-three seconds, Izuku Midoriya had traversed half the field, the ball seemingly an extension of his own body, and arrived at Kaiyo's penalty area. The goalkeeper charged forward, attempting to close down the space, but Izuku, with impeccable timing, chipped the ball delicately over the advancing keeper. The ball, now a helpless projectile, hurtled towards the goalpost. The remaining defenders launched themselves desperately in the ball's path, a last-ditch effort to prevent the inevitable.

But their efforts were in vain.

The Somei stands erupted in a frenzy of joyous celebration as Izuku levelled the score in the 89th minute. The scoreboard flickered once more, updating the tally:

Kaiyo | 2 - 2 | Somei

Time: 89:06

Tallibanelloti collapsed to the ground, his hands clasped to his head, his disbelief evident on his face. A mere fifteen minutes earlier, his team had been in complete control, dictating the tempo of the match. Now, Somei had clawed their way back to parity.

Four minutes of injury time were added, and in the 93rd minute, Kaiyo, in a moment of desperation, committed a reckless foul on Iida just outside their penalty area, as Iida attempted to cut inside and pass to Izuku.

Izuku inhaled deeply, placing the ball carefully on the ground. His focused gaze was locked onto the goalpost, acutely aware that this represented their final chance to secure victory before the looming threat of extra time.

Kaiyo assembled a five-man wall in front of the goal, a human barricade intended to thwart the free-kick. One player lay prone behind the wall, a further obstacle designed to prevent Izuku from driving the ball low along the ground. The entire stadium held its collective breath, every eye fixed on the impending set-piece.

The hopes of Kaiyo's supporters rested on a single, fervent wish: that Izuku would miss.

The prayers of Somei's supporters echoed a mirrored plea: that Izuku would not.

There was a well-worn saying that the truly great players were those who consistently rose to the occasion, who delivered when the stakes were highest. And Izuku Midoriya invariably rose to the challenge when his team needed him most.

The referee's whistle pierced the air, signalling the resumption of play. Izuku took his time, his gaze unwaveringly fixed entirely on the goal. He understood the gravity of the moment. This was the pivotal juncture, the moment his school desperately needed him. He needed—no—he had to score.

Taking another deep breath, Izuku began his deliberate approach, his eyes never straying from the goalpost. Then, his right foot made contact with the ball, sending it soaring just above the wall of defenders.

Time seemed to slow.

Every eye in the stadium tracked the ball's graceful arc as it curled exquisitely towards the top-right corner of the goal.

Kaiyo's wall pivoted, their bodies contorted with a desperate hope that the ball would not find its mark. Somei's players squeezed their eyes shut, their hearts filled with a desperate prayer that it would.

Izuku watched, his own eyes filled with a mixture of hope and anticipation, willing the ball to bend just enough to find the net.

And then…

"GOOOAAAALLLL! MIDORIYA SCOOOOREEESSS!"

The commentators' voices erupted, a roar of pure elation, as if they themselves had struck the decisive blow.

Izuku sprinted towards the left corner flag to celebrate the stunning golazo, his teammates and the substitutes streaming after him. He slid to his knees, a triumphant grin spreading across his face, and was instantly engulfed by his jubilant teammates and staff, a chaotic pile of bodies fueled by the sheer adrenaline of the moment, of that unbelievable, breathtaking goal. The spectators were stunned, struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed. It was surreal. It was extraordinary. It was a performance of otherworldly brilliance from Izuku Midoriya.

Izuku Midoriya had snatched victory for Somei in the game's final moments, securing their eleventh Interschool Football title.

High in the Somei stands, Nemuri was a whirlwind of unrestrained joy, leaping and shouting with unbridled excitement. "GOOOOAAAAALLLLL! THAT'S MY BOY! GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with passion.

Beside her, Hizashi mirrored her ecstatic celebration, waving the Somei banner with even greater ferocity. "IZUUUUUKKKKUUUU! MY BOY! GOOOOAAAAALLLLL! GOOOO SOMEIII!" he bellowed.

Even Aizawa, from his vantage point beside them, silently acknowledged the sheer brilliance of the goal, and Izuku's entire performance after entering the game in the final fifteen minutes. He had often heard Nemuri praise the boy's athletic prowess, but god damn was he astonished.

"That boy is destined for great things, one way or another," Nezu remarked quietly, and Aizawa, somewhat begrudgingly, found himself in agreement.

After the initial wave of celebration, Izuku glanced towards Nemuri, Hizashi, Aizawa, and Nezu in the stands, raising his right fist in a gesture of triumph, a broad, beaming smile illuminating his face, a silent declaration that 'he had done it.'

"GOOO, IZUKU!" Nemuri shrieked from the stands, her voice raw with unrestrained elation.

Finally, the referee's whistle sounded, a long, shrill blast that signalled the end of the match. Celebrations erupted on the field as Somei claimed their eleventh title, a victory made all the sweeter by the fact that it had been achieved by defeating their long-standing rivals, Kaiyo, in the final.

Family members of the players were granted unrestricted access to the field, flooding onto the pitch to celebrate. Somei's players were quickly surrounded by their parents and guardians, embraced in heartfelt hugs.

Izuku spotted Nemuri hurrying towards him, her arms outstretched. With a playful grin, he darted away, weaving across the field in a lighthearted attempt to evade her.

"YOU BRAT! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Nemuri shouted, her voice laced with mock severity.

Izuku, laughing, finally relented, raising his hands in mock surrender and allowing Nemuri to envelop him in a tight embrace. Being four inches shorter than her, his head was nestled comfortably against her soft bosom, a detail he was far too elated and oblivious to even register.

"You did it, Izuku!" Nemuri exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion, her eyes shining with proud, unshed tears, her excitement and joy readily apparent. "You won! Somei won! That was absolutely incredible!"

Hizashi and Nezu approached at a more measured pace, Hizashi capturing the touching scene with Nemuri's camera. He reached Izuku and gave him a hearty clap on the back. "She's absolutely right, little man. That performance was truly extraordinary!"

"Thanks, unc," Izuku replied, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Well done, Mr. Midoriya," Nezu added, his voice brimming with cheerful congratulations. "I was utterly captivated by your performance. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that was easily a performance worthy of the Most Valuable Player award."

And indeed, Izuku was subsequently awarded the MVP trophy. He was summoned to the stage where the award ceremony was to take place. The Secretary of the Youth Football Association presented Izuku with the MVP of the match trophy. That, however, was merely the beginning. Izuku proceeded to sweep the individual awards, claiming the MVP of the tournament, the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals, and the Golden Ball for providing the most assists. He was also crowned with the Golden Boy award, recognizing him as the tournament's most promising emerging talent.

Izuku had achieved this remarkable feat in his very first year of the Interschool football tournament. The teams were then called forward for the medal presentation. Kaiyo's players, their faces etched with disappointment, accepted the silver medals for their runners-up position. Somei's players, beaming with pride and joy, received the gold medals, signifying their triumph in the competition.

Finally, Somei were presented with the coveted trophy, the culmination of their relentless efforts and unwavering determination. The captain accepted the trophy from the Secretary of the Youth Football Association and immediately rejoined his team. Each player, in turn, lifted the trophy high, celebrating the momentous victory to their heart's content.

Following the trophy presentation, the players and their families gathered for photographs with the prized trophy. Iida's brother, Tensei Iida, had come to support his sibling and proudly posed for pictures with him. Nemuri and Izuku also captured their shared joy with the trophy.

"Nicely done, Midoriya," Aizawa remarked, approaching Izuku's side.

Izuku responded with a radiant smile. "Thank you, Mr. Aizawa."

"Midoriya!"

Izuku turned to see Iida and his older brother approaching.

"Iida!" Izuku exclaimed. "I've been looking for you. Where on earth have you been?"

"I've been looking for you. I should be the one asking that question," Iida retorted, before they embraced in a warm, celebratory hug.

Izuku patted Iida on the chest. "Excellent match, my friend. That goal of yours was such a banger."

Iida, his arm draped across Izuku's shoulders, returned the gesture with a thump on the chest. "Don't be so modest. We would have clearly lost without you."

"He's right, Midoriya," Tensei added. "That performance is something that will be recounted throughout the school's history."

A blush of embarrassment warmed Izuku's cheeks. "C-Come on. I think you're all underestimating the other players. It was a team effort."

"A team can sometimes be carried to victory by the sheer brilliance of a single individual."

The group turned to see the Secretary approaching them. He stopped before Izuku, tilting his head slightly down to meet the younger boy's gaze. "Izuku Midoriya. Firstly, I would like to extend my congratulations on your outstanding performance, both in this match and throughout the entire tournament."

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary," Izuku replied, offering a respectful bow.

"Secondly," the Secretary continued, "I would like to personally invite you to the U-17 National Team trials."

"Oh, no!" Nemuri interjected swiftly, looping her arm around Izuku's shoulders and pulling him closer. "My nephew intends to become a Hero."

The Secretary raised a curious eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips, before letting out a hearty chuckle. "Ah, I understand perfectly. In that case, I shall be sure to follow your Heroic journey, Mr. Midoriya. Have a pleasant day." With that, the Secretary turned and departed.

"Hey, Hizashi!" Nemuri called out, once the Secretary was out of earshot. "Take some pictures of Izuku and me for the album!"

Izuku's smile widened, becoming even more radiant. He knew precisely which album she meant. It was a thick, leather-bound photo album that Nemuri had begun compiling ever since he had come to live with her. It was steadily filling with pictures of him at home, on holidays, or at various events. Nemuri had a penchant for capturing him in all sorts of embarrassing situations, like the time he had been helping her clean her apartment and flour had fallen on him. Instead of offering assistance, she had been preoccupied with snapping pictures of his flour-dusted face.

The two of them posed together, Izuku holding the trophy between them, while Nemuri draped her arm around his shoulders, drawing him closer and inadvertently brushing his arm against her ample bosom. She shifted through a variety of poses, while Izuku maintained the one pose he knew best: the peace sign.

Just as Izuku handed the trophy to Nemuri after the photo session, he was pulled away by his teammates to celebrate their 'trophy'. They had won the competition for the first time after many years.

Nemuri watched from a distance as Izuku was immediately surrounded by a throng of well-wishers: senior students, junior students, and a particularly enthusiastic group of girls from his class. She chuckled to herself. They were all clamoring for photos with the 'Man of the Match'. Izuku, caught in the center of the swirling attention, was visibly fumbling, his usual eloquence deserting him at such a crucial moment. He stuttered and stammered as he posed for pictures, his eyes darting nervously around searching for her while his hands fidgeting with the hem of his uniform. Their eyes met and Nemuri smiled reassuringly at him, giving him some much needed confidence.

Nemuri's amusement deepened as she observed the girls getting bolder and started to ask for his contact information. "Midoriya-kun, can I get your number?" one girl asked, holding out her phone expectantly. Her cheeks were flushed from what Nemuri guessed was shyness.

Izuku's eyes widened, and he recoiled slightly at the sudden request. "Oh, um… I… I don't actually use a phone," he blurted out, the lie tripping off his tongue with surprising ease, despite owning a top-of-the-line flagship model he used.

The girls looked momentarily crestfallen, but quickly recovered, giggling amongst themselves. Nemuri raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on her lips as she witnessed the scene unfold before her. Shy around girls, huh? she thought with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She would have to remedy that. There was no way she was letting Izuku join U.A. without teaching him the ways of the girls and how to flirt with them. When she would be done with the boy, he would be a professional playboy and a charmer at heart.

"You know that kid?" Tensei asked from beside Nemuri, watching Izuku celebrate with his younger brother and their teammates.

Nemuri glanced at Tensei, slightly surprised at being addressed so suddenly. "Yeah," she said with a dazzling smile. "He's my nephew," she informed cheerfully. It was the same lie she had told Hizashi and Aizawa, a convenient way for her to explain his sudden presence in her life.

"He's a good kid," Tensei commented with a small smile. "I am particularly grateful for the way he has impacted my younger brother."

"Oh…?" Nemuri muttered. She was curious but not curious enough to probe further. But she did not have to as Tensei continued.

"Tenya has had a difficult life because of me," Tensei said, regret coloring his tone. "He somehow has acquired this idea that if he has to become a good hero, he needs to live up to my image. He was genuinely so closed off from the world. Thanks to young Midoriya, he is slowly coming out of that shell. Otherwise, he would never be participating in these competitions."

"Well…" Nemuri began, turning her eyes towards Izuku who was smiling and laughing with his friends. "At the end of the day, we can just be there for them as pillars of support and allow them to come out of our shadows, right?"

Tensei smiled in acknowledgment. "You're right..."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Izuku and Iida managed to extricate themselves from the admiring crowd, their faces still flushed and hair even more disheveled than before. They rejoined Nemuri, Hizashi, Aizawa, and Tensei, who were still chatting nearby.

"Iida, I'll meet you tomorrow," Izuku said, giving his best friend a smile.

Tenya returned the smile with a genuine one of his own. "Of course, Midoriya! Let's start preparing for the baseball tournament next."

Turning to the older Iida, Izuku bowed in respect. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Iida."

"The honor was mine, Midoriya," Tensei replied warmly. "Now. I think we should leave. It is getting late."

Izuku nodded, turning to Nemuri, Hizashi and Aizawa. "Are you guys ready to go?"

Nemuri looped her arm through Izuku's, her crimson nails flashing against the blue of his uniform. "Ready when you are, sweetie. Though," she added, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, leaning closer to Izuku, "we might need to have a little chat on the way home. About approaching the opposite gender. And maybe… a little lesson in flirting?" She winked, her purple eyes sparkling with playful innuendo.

Izuku's eyes widened again, and his face flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, if that were even possible. He stammered, "Fl-flirting? I… I don't think I need… I mean…"

Nemuri just chuckled, a low, throaty one. "Oh, sweetie, trust me. Everyone can use a little help in that department. Especially you." She squeezed his arm affectionately, then turned to Aizawa, Hizashi and Nezu, her tone shifting back to its usual cheerful brightness. "Come on, boys! Let's get this star athlete home. He's earned a celebratory ice cream, don't you think?"

Hizashi, ever the enthusiastic supporter, readily agreed. "Ice cream sounds like a plan! My treat, Izuku!" He threw an arm around Izuku's other shoulder, effectively sandwiching him between himself and Nemuri, and dragging him away.

Aizawa, with a long-suffering sigh that was more for dramatic effect than genuine complaint, simply nodded and started walking towards the stadium's exit.

"Come now, Aizawa. You should enjoy your life more," Nezu commented as he climbed on Aizawa's right shoulder.

Aizawa did not comment but he followed behind the other two, leaving Nemuri and Hizashi to guide a thoroughly flustered and utterly bewildered Izuku Midoriya out into the evening air.

Chapter End

Author's Post-Chapter Comment:

Football in this chapter is the 'real' football which the G.O.A.T Lionel Messi plays. It is NOT the American Rugby.

As I mentioned in the pre-chapter comment, this chapter wasn't originally planned. It spontaneously came together after Debug000 shared some concepts, primarily for the chapter's first section, which is set a month after Izuku starts at Somei. I fleshed out the rest myself, aiming to offer you all a brief glimpse into Izuku's life with Nemuri.

Anyway, if you've made it through this chapter, you'll be happy to know I've already published Chapter 17. Go check it out!