Chapter 9: A Much More Comfortable Day at School

"Good morning, Midoriya-kun! And you as well, Bakugo-san, Uraraka-san!"

"Good morning, Iida-kun!"

"You're too loud, Four Eyes. Shut up."

Iida vibrated in place at the nickname that Katsumi attached onto him, mouth going ajar in shock. The others snickered in amusement. Izuku shook his head, though he couldn't help the smile on his face as he moved to his seat, putting his bag down on the table while Iida stammered through his words.

"F-Four Eyes?! I assure you, I don't have quadruple eyes whatsoever! I have only a pair of them—"

The girl facepalmed. "I meant your glasses, idiot! Get with the program!"

"Ah!" He shouted. "I see! But I don't see why I've been given such a name!"

"Don't worry, Iida-kun. Katsumi here gives every person she meets a nickname at first," Ochako said, smiling. "Mine was Round Face."

"I see. Then I am honoured by the name, Bakugou-san! I will strive to live up to the name you've given me!"

"Wha… You're an actual dumbass!"

While Iida crashed through that insult, apparently not doing a very good job of dealing with the explosive individual known as Katsumi Bakugou, Ashido hopped over to his table with energy. "Morning, Midori! Feeling ready for the day?"

"Good morning, Ashido-san," he smiled back at her, finding her cheer refreshing. "Yes, you could say that, I suppose."

"You suppose? Dude, it's only the second day! No need to act so drained already."

"Haha, sorry! Sorry. It's just… well, so much happened yesterday that my mind's still not in the right place at the moment," he let out a sigh, caught between mirth and exasperation. "Yesterday's events already feel so distant… That's so weird."

Kaminari nodded. "No kidding. It's like, we expected yesterday's craziness to just bleed into today. Good thing that it won't, though! I'd love some peace and quiet for a little longer."

"Ribbit. You are right about that. Too much excitement would just take our attention away from our studies," Asui said. "Being able to actually experience average school days would be a blessing in itself."

"Too true."

"And you'll be having it," everyone perked up, watching as their homeroom teacher walked into the room. His dead-tired gaze scanned them, and he winced at the disapproving looks. Drier than a desert, one could say. "Jeez. First day of classes, and a guy's already getting the death looks?"

"You tried to expel Midori yesterday," Ashido huffed, crossing her arms. "One day still ain't enough for us to forget that, ya' know!"

"Urgh. All it takes is the one mistake…" He sighed. "Look, I get it. It was my bad. Is that not enough?"

The collective No from literally everyone had even Izuku wincing. Even though the entire ordeal had been a matter of consensus, it didn't seem like his friends and many of the school body were entirely pleased that Aizawa had the balls to try such a thing. He had to wonder just how much flak he'd gotten from his coworkers for that stunt. He honestly felt kind of bad.

But more than that, he wondered why it was such a big deal. Would people have reacted differently if it was merely Mineta? A part of him doubted it, and that just made him wonder why the uproar was so strong when it came to him.

And he had every desire to blame Ai's power. That, or because all the logic in his life had really gone down the toilet bowl. It was either one of those things. And Ai was probably laughing herself hoarse if she'd watched yesterday's events.

"…Well, nothing I can do about that, then," and Aizawa truly was a man to somehow just grit his teeth through it all, perhaps far too used to things much worse than this. "Let's just talk about your curriculum. Pull out your handbooks that you received in class yesterday."

Izuku welcomed the change in topic. He pulled out his handbook and listened to their teacher walk them through their schedule. For being a hero school, he'd expected a curriculum more in line with something one might expect from the army. Drills after drills after drills, with nonstop training and workouts that would have made a lesser man cry from the exertion, and ask themself if such a life was truly the one they'd wanted

Such horrific catastrophizing on his part were thankfully unfounded. English, modern literature, hero art history, mathematics—it was almost hilarious thinking that he'd still be crunching numbers in a hero school, though he could imagine them being taught newer subjects as they went on. Plus, they also had heroics class with the one and only All Might, something that apparently they'd be having today, which had him and many of his classmates excited.

"Unfortunately, All Might has been called for a job, so for this one week, he won't be available to teach you," Izuku and his classmates Aww!-ed in dismay at that. "Snipe, too, is not available. There's been some family troubles back home, so he's left for Kansai for a bit. However, you'll still have your heroics class, of which we called in some heroes from outside to help as substitute."

Oooh, heroes as substitute teachers? Izuku's mind buzzed at the thought. Who would likely come in to help teach them heroics? It'd be so cool to be taught by such awesome people!

Err, except maybe Endeavour. Sure, he's the second top hero of Japan, but that guy's a little scary.

"In any case, your first class will be at eight-forty. Should be English first, with—"

The door was slide wide open, smashing against the wall, and a head of yellow hair the shade of a macaw's feathers popped into view. A voice boomed out so loud that there was no need for him to even use a microphone. "Wazzup, little listeners!"

"Present Mic!" Everyone cheered.

"In the flesh!" He laughed, walking over to give a strong clap on Aizawa's shoulder. He grunted, a little annoyed, but he also had the look of a man too used to this treatment. "Good to see y'all looking so refreshed! Especially after all that hullabaloo from yesterday, eh?"

"Oh, not you too," groaned the ravenette. "I've literally done this before! How is this any different?"

"Aizawa, you literally tried expelling a mini-celebrity. 'course you'd get flamed for that," snorted the yellow-haired man. "Kid's pretty cool, ya' know! In fact, I should be thanking ya, Lil' Midoriya! Takoba's been a part of our high school days, so you can't imagine how good it feels to see it looking just as great as all those years ago!"

A warm smile bloomed upon his face. "I-Is that so? I'm happy to hear that."

"Mmhm! Say, why don't you thank him too, Shota? Pretty sure you're just as grateful as I am for that, eh?"

The man looked like he wanted to die. "That's…" Between fighting against his energetic companion or just bowing his head, he opted for the latter, nodding at him while his words came through gritted teeth, practically grinding on sandpaper. "Thank you, Midoriya."

"See? Not so hard! Now then, enough reminiscing! It's time to get into English, with your one and only, Mister England, baby!"

Classes in U.A. always start at eight-forty in the morning, each period lasting around fifty minutes. Back-to-back, they got four lessons in total before they reached twelve-thirty, which marked the halfway point of the day. And when the bell rang, a collective sigh of relief broke out amongst his classmates, happy to finally get some food in them after four separate classes.

"Finally..!" Whined Ashido, her head knocking the table. "I can't believe I have to do Math again in a hero school, of all places..! My brain's totally fried!"

"Same here," Kaminari moaned. "I need food in me, or else I'll actually implode..!"

"Be it as heroes, doctors or just the average joe, mathematics is too integral of a skill to pass up on, hence it being taught even now," rather than feel upset about it, Ectoplasm, their Mathematics teacher, simply took the situation with amusement. He'd probably heard enough students moan and groan about that for a lifetime. "Now then, since you kids may not be familiar with the location of the cafeteria, allow me to show you the way."

"That would be much appreciated, sensei!"

Izuku packed his stuff just in time for Ochako to hop over to his side. "Izuku! Wanna' sit together for lunch?"

"Obviously!" He smiled back. "It's our first lunch together in school. I wouldn't want to miss out on that."

"Hehe! I'm happy to know you feel the same!"

"Then I'm coming too!" Katsumi hastily joined them. "N-Not like I want to be left out or anything! I just don't want to stick with strangers or whatev!"

"Mmhm! It's the three of us together, Kacchan."

While the blonde muttered something about him being an idiot, Mineta called out to him. "You guys were friends before coming here, eh?" He whistled. "You're a pretty lucky dude, Midoriya. Uraraka-san and Bakugou-san are both totally hot!"

"They are!" Izuku nodded swiftly, ignoring the way they went aflame—literally, in the face.

"And I can only imagine just how stressful it must be for the two of you to have to watch him almost be expelled on the first day," Iida commented, fixing his glasses. "Personally, I can understand where Aizawa-sensei was coming from, but in hearing your wholehearted argument… Guh..! You are indeed right!" He suddenly shouted. "Everyone deserves a second chance to achieve your dreams! You have nothing but my respect, Midoriya-kun!"

"H-Hey now, that's all in the past—"

"It was literally just yesterday."

"—so we can just, um, let it be. I'm sure anyone else would have done the same."

"Nah, dude. You had actual guts to go against sensei like you did yesterday," Sato patted him on the shoulder. "For that, you're just about the bravest guy there is in this class. And we'll just have to pick up the slack to be just as good as you are!"

A wave of agreement went around. It wasn't doing his heart any favours, ready to just give out from a burst of embarrassment. And it didn't help when both of his girlfriends were just busy preening from hearing him being complimented out loud!

Iida took to ensuring that they were all lined up, acting every bit like a class president. Once they were ready, Ectoplasm guided them down the corridors, telling them that U.A. High was pretty massive. He recommended them to get a map of the school, at least until they felt comfortable enough to navigate the grounds on their own. And he could certainly see why.

Plenty of classrooms, plenty of departments, no less than three gym buildings—he could only imagine just how many people would have gotten lost in this place if they were left to wander. He wouldn't be surprised if he'd end up in that same position at some point down the line.

Fortunately, they had Ectoplasm to lead the way, and they eventually came upon what looked more like a food court than a typical school cafeteria. Rows upon rows of long tables were arranged in a symmetric fashion, with five chairs on each side, and each table were partitioned from one another by a tiny wall with plant decoration. Nary a speck of dirt nor cobweb could be seen, and it was only made better by the scent of food that wafted in the air.

"Here at U.A. High, we're proud to say that all of our students will be dining on fine cuisine, thanks to Lunch Rush. And let me tell you something, you won't find a better chef than Lunch Rush."

Oh, he could believe that. Izuku could feel his stomach grumbling already. He wiped away the small trail of drool from the corner of his lips, hungry after all the studying.

"Well then, I'll leave you kids to it. There's no strict rule that you can only sit with your classmates, so go ahead and mingle with the others if you'd like," their teacher nodded. "And with that, I'll take my leave. Have a good lunch."

Everyone thanked their teacher, who then left the cafeteria, perhaps to find the teacher's lounge and get some lunch for himself as well. Izuku hummed at that, looking back at the tables. Already, plenty of them were filled out, though there were some open seats…

"Huh? Midoriya-kun, is that you?"

He recognized that voice. He turned to the source, spotting familiar orange hair, tied in a side ponytail. "Kendo-san!" He grinned at the orange-haired girl. Behind her, he could make out the rest of Class 1-B. "Just got done with your classes too?"

"Yep! We had history with Midnight, and it was pretty good. You would think that you'd know a hero completely, but man, were we wrong."

"Plenty of homework right off the bat, though. That kinda' stinks, but eh! Just another card dealt to us!" Snickered Tetsutetsu. "Hey, since we're all here, let's sit together! We didn't get much of a chance to chat yesterday, so what's to hanging out now?"

"Taking initiative on forging camaraderie with our sister class? Such behaviour deserves praise, my good, metal friend!" The voice came from a guy with short blond hair, whose smile was equally sly and friendly. "But just as well, we are rivals, so be sure to not let your guards down too much!"

"Of course! A healthy sense of rivalry between our classes will only serve to propel us forwards in our endeavours to become better heroes!" Iida marched forwards, offering a hand and a friendly smile. "It would be a pleasure to be friends with all of you! Let us make our school years to come ones to enjoy!"

The blond boy blinked, perhaps a little taken aback by the forwardness, but eventually he took the hand with a more pleasant expression. "Right, of course."

As expected, with twenty students in one single class, that meant there were forty of them in total, so they had to split up across four different tables. Izuku had thought it would be a little difficult for everyone to do so, since everyone was still new to their classmates and would have preferred to sticking with their own classmates. He could expect the awkwardness.

As it was, though, it seemed like everyone were happy to mingle with one another, chatting away as some took up the noble duty of guarding their seats while others left to order food from Lunch Rush. Izuku ended up taking a seat between Ochako and Katsumi, the girls having been very quick to snatch the chairs on either of his sides. Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu and a girl with vines for hair took the other seats.

"How about everyone here go order their own food first? I'll take first watch."

"Aw, that'd be swell. Thanks, Midoriya-kun."

"Then what would you like, Izuku?" Ochako asked. "We'd be happy to take your order for you!"

"Ah. I'll take chicken katsu curry rice."

"One chicken katsu curry rice, coming right up!" She cheered, skipping away. Katsumi rolled her eyes, joining her afterwards. Opposite of him, Kendo took a seat.

"You're not going to grab your food first?" He asked, to which she shrugged back, grinning.

"I'm not exactly sure what to ask. Lunch Rush can probably make anything, but now that I know that, I'm kind of clueless as to what I want to eat."

"Heh, I know how that feels like. It can get a little overwhelming. But I'm sure it'd be a good idea to get your food now, or else you'll have to wait long."

"I suppose," she was in thought for a moment, but then she stood back up, smiling at him. "Alright, then. We'll be back soon."

"Take your time. The table's not going anywhere."

It would have been a very funny but worrying experience if the table did somehow start running away. In a world of Quirks, there was just no knowing what could happen.

Thankfully, when all his friends got back, the table was still there. He thanked Ochako as she handed him his food, and he relished the scent of spices wafting off his freshly-cooked meal.

"Thank you for the meal!"

"Ah, Izuku, wait!" His spoon paused mid-air. He looked to his right, watching red slowly bleed into Ochako's face, the girl's hands fidgeting on her lap. "Um, I… That is…"

"Yes, Ochako? Is something wrong?"

"I… Um, I want to feed you!" She cried out. "Please!"

Izuku promptly fell off his seat, cracking the floor. Everyone stared at him in shock.

"Izuku?!" His girlfriend shouted.

"I would be honoured..!" He wept, pushing himself back onto his seat, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. "S-Sorry, I just got so overwhelmed..!"

"Urgh… Get a grip on yourself, Izuku… A-And I'll feed you next, so don't think you'll be able to get away from that!"

"I wouldn't dream of it! I'd be happy if you fed me too, Kacchan!" He declared, turning her face atomic.

Off to the side, Kaminari blinked at the display. "Uhh, what's going on here? Something going on between the three of y'all?"

"Hmm?" The question came just in time as Ochako spoon-fed him a serving of her beef stew, making him moan appreciatively. "Mm~! So good!"

"Izuku's our…" Ochako and Katsumi exchanged glances, appearing extremely flustered. "He's, uhh…"

"…Bah, we wouldn't be able to hide it forever. Might as well rip the bandage off," hissed Katsumi. "Izuku is our… We're..!" Her eye twitched, face heating up even more. Grrrhh..! H-He's our..! Our..!"

"Yoouur..?"

"He's our boyfriend!"

Silence befell them. Three tables over, a loud scream could be heard. And then, there was running in their direction, as Mineta jumped onto the table and stared at them in disbelief. "Both of you are dating Midoriya?!"

"Y-Yes! We are!" Ochako's confirmation had many going wide-eyed, some covering their mouths while a few whistled. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there, going crimson. "W-We've been dating for a month before we entered U.A.! T-That's all there is to it!"

"D-D-Dating two girls at the same time…" Mineta's gaze turned robotically towards him, equally reverent as he was astonished. "Midoriya, are you some kind of harem god..?"

That snapped him out of his rapture, sputtering and coughing, slamming his chest over and over with a closed fist. Ochako and Katsumi cried out his name in shock, one offering him water while the other slowly rubbed his back as he drank, fighting to reclaim his breath.

"N-No..!" He forced out, eyes as wide as platters. "That's not what it is!"

"Dude… I-I… I'm so jealous, but at the same time, massive respect, dude…"

"No kidding," Kaminari whispered. "You hear stories of these kinds of things, but to actually see such a miracle before my very eyes… How is this possible?"

Curiosity was at an all-time high right now, all wondering the same thing as they stared at the three of them. And being put on the spot there and then was doing a very good job of slowly opening that imaginary hole in the ground that he wished he could have just jumped into, if only to escape this moment.

Now, realistically, one could give an explanation that could have been somewhat rational—a very demanding task, for certain. How might one even attempt to explain away a three-way relationship using logic and rationality when the whole thing smacked of ridiculousness?

So, as the fool he had become since inheriting Ai's power, Izuku chose the option he repeatedly bemoaned choosing, but that he did so at the drop of a pin because it was the answer that came straight from his heart.

"Because I l-love them," he said. It came out soft, but in the attention of his classmates, it felt as if he was screaming out loud. "And we love each other so much, t-that it ended up working out," he met their gazes, smiling. "And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

To his sides, both Ochako and Katsumi fell off their seats, forming new craters on the ground.

"K-Kacchan?!" He cried out, swiftly dropping to his knees to cradle his girlfriends in his arms. "Ochako?! What's wrong—"

"I love you too!" Katsumi screamed, so loud that practically everyone in the cafeteria could hear them now. All heads turned on a swivel. "I love you so, so much, you idiot!"

"Izukuuu!" Ochako's arms were thrown around his neck, a stream of tears going down her face. "I love, love, love you more than anything in the world~!"

[Your sincerity in your love for your girlfriends has touched everyone's hearts! You gain 1 Charisma, 1 in Wisdom and 1 in Technique!]

"…He's a freaking god…" Mineta whispered.

"W-What? No I'm not!"

"Bro…" Kirishima shed a tear. "You're so manly..! To be able to love two girls equally as you do, and that they're both so happy..!" He nodded sharply. "You're amazing!"

"Sheeeesh. It really are the plain ones that're the most dangerous ones, huh?"

"No kidding. But hey, he's a cool guy. They definitely made the right choice."

"This guy is the real deal! I bet he could solo Kazuya!"

"Huh? Who are you talking about? What does this have to do with fighting someone?"

[Congratulations! You unlocked the Achievement: To Love without Fear! You gain 3 in Charisma!]

…God damn it, Ai…

As expected, that had been the only craziest thing that happened for the rest of the day, with most of his classmates all too eager to drill him and his girlfriends on their love story. Needless to say, he was running on fumes from how embarrassed he'd been.

And he'd expected the teachers to get upset with their unorthodox relationship, but to his utter shock, they were okay with it! In fact, Present Mic and Midnight were all too excited to hear more about their story, something that really made him feel like his world was being turned upside down—in fact, the somnambulistic teacher was practically swooning when he gave her a short story of how he met the girls, and how they got this point. It was like talking to a schoolgirl in her cute romance phase.

His final hope had been Aizawa, of whom he was oddly enough hoping would actually get mad at them. Why? Because he just needed to know that there were at least people who were still sane in this world!

"Meh," was what he said, making him internally explode. "Whatever you get up to, it's your own responsibility to see to things. Just don't let it get in the way of your studies. Do so, and we'll have no problems."

That was… Okay, his words were actually reasonable, but it still didn't do much for his dwindling sanity.

Nevertheless, his girlfriends were happy, and everyone were really supportive, and even the teachers didn't give a hoot about their relationship, so he just took things as they were and focused on his studies. They weren't anything too challenging, though he had a feeling that would change over the next few days.

The final bell ringing brought with it a sense of respite, able to finally drop their pencils and stretch out their numb limbs after a whole day of note jotting and diagram drawing. Even Izuku, as much of a study freak as he could be on certain days, found the break all too welcoming.

"And that concludes today's lessons. And to all of you, be sure to keep up-to-date with your homework. No slacking off whatsoever. Now have a good day."

Their teacher left shortly after. Everyone began talking loudly, excited and relieved. Katsumi swiftly turned in her seat to face him, grinning. "Now that we're out of here, what say we head out for a bit?"

"Head out? Sure. Is there someplace you have in mind?"

"Before you ask, no, it's not food-related," he honestly wouldn't have minded, though he had a feeling Katsumi was becoming self-conscious about her enjoyment of eating. "A-Anyways! That movie you talked to me about is in theatres today, so maybe we could go check it out."

Izuku gasped, stars shining in his eyes as he gushed. "No way! Is it Into the Other Side?"

"Yep."

"It's finally out! I hadn't even been keeping track!"

"What's it about?" Ochako asked, curious.

"It's an animated movie where animals all around the world started developing superpowers instead of humans. One thing lead to another, and when all the humans went extinct, animals took over the world and became the leaders of society!"

"T-That sounds scary…"

"It's actually a family comedy. More of a slice-of-life that explores a world of Quirk-bearing animals. Plus, it's actually been rated really highly by critics because of its really incredible animations and storytelling, so I'm interested in checking it out!"

"Ahh… That's much better," she let out a 'Phew…' of relief, then perked up with a grin. "But if you're going, I'd be happy to go with you, Izuku!"

"Yeah! The three of us can go! And we can go with everyone else too—"

"What are you saying?" Sero laughed at his confused expression. "This is obviously a date! Ain't no way we'll be intruding on that! You three just go ahead and have fun!"

While Katsumi didn't seem to mind, he and Ochako felt a little bad about that. "Are you sure? This is our first day together. It'd be nice to hang out after school…"

"Don't worry, bro! We've still got plenty of days ahead of us. You three go ahead and have fun."

Seeing everyone else nod and throw in their agreements eroded at his doubt. It felt even worse knowing just how nice everyone was, and he really did want to spend more time with his new classmates.

And yet, the majority's insistence won out in the end. Some of the class split up early; Jirou nodded at them as she took her leave, Kirishima talked about getting a jog in, and Iida had gotten a call from his older brother—ah! Wait, he remembered something! Judging by the engines in his calves, he might just be brothers with Ingenium! Though, he'll keep quiet about that. Iida probably doesn't want to make that public knowledge.

And so, when they left school grounds, they waited at a bus stop for their ride to arrive. It took around five minutes before they were finally aboard, and the girls suggested they take the furthest seat at the back since it could fit all three of them. Izuku carefully made his way to it before taking the centre, with his girlfriends sitting on either of his sides.

"Everyone was so nice," he said happily.

"A big step-up from all the losers in our school," and, as typical of Katsumi, she backpedalled. "But a little too nice. I swear, they don't know how to stop talking once they've started!"

"It's called being friendly, Katsumi!" Giggled the brunette, making the other girl roll her eyes. "And I'm so glad everyone's so supportive of us. It would have been rough if that wasn't the case."

"Yeah…"

"But at least it's reasonable. Imagine if Izu here got together with, like, fifty girls. Yeesh."

The words were probably a casual throwaway line, but he couldn't help his snort. "Okay, that's just silly. It's already crazy enough that I'd managed to convince you two about this, but trying to get more girlfriends?" He laughed. "You girls are kidding."

Granted, it seemed like his power had somehow told him, time and time again, that he was bound to fall in love with more girls beyond the two. Ai had practically confirmed such a fate. But he'd gone for the route of totally ignoring that idea and leaving it on the backburner for as long as possible.

And he'd expected them to join the supposed joke, laughing along at the sheer insanity of the notion. And yet, to his surprise, neither of them did. If anything, they actually looked contemplative.

"It… could happen," Ochako eventually muttered.

"What? Ochako, there's no way—"

"But it could!" Her face went flushed. "I-I mean, you're so… incredible…" She gulped. "Any girl would be lucky to have you…"

The sheer embarrassment in her voice and the way her eyes darted back and forth from him had him turning redder than a strawberry. "T-T-That's..!"

"B-But that doesn't mean you should just go around wooing girls with the intent of making some kind of harem!" Katsumi barked, making him shake his head rapidly.

"I wouldn't think about it! And the only reason this is happening because I love you two! I really do!"

"Guh..!" They jolted in place.

The ride downtown didn't take too long, and when they were outside, they held hands as they walked to the cinema. With this being Monday, it meant that there just weren't that many people lining outside. And there weren't many movies to check out either; there was a rogue cop film, a horror fantasy that had him and Ochako quaking in the knees at the terrifying poster, and a romcom. Not much to write home about.

Once they purchased their tickets, some drinks and a bucket of popcorn to share, they headed to their designated seats. The pre-movie ads hadn't played just yet, and he enjoyed the gloomy darkness of the room, making it all too easy to doze off in the peaceful silence…

That plan was promptly thrown out the window when he heard a delighted sigh to his right. Ochako laid her head against his shoulder, making him shudder in joy.

"A movie date with our boyfriend… Heehee! This is a pretty cute choice, Katsumi!"

"S-Shut up! I just wanted to take Izuku to watch the movie he wanted to check out so badly!"

"Hey, I don't mind! Even after one month of dating, there's still so many things we don't know about each other," through the darkness, chocolate eyes stared at him lovingly. "So I'd want to spend as much time getting to know everything about you guys… That's fine, isn't it?"

'GAAAAH! SO CUUUTE!'
"Mmmfhhfhf..!"

How he managed to convert that into a mental scream and not a vocalized shout was beyond him, but god she was so cute! He wanted to hug her so bad!

"I-Idiot..!" And Katsumi fared no better in the face of such sincere want, her crimson cheeks visible even in the darkness. "D-Don't just say stuff like that..!"

"Hehe! You act so tough, Katsumi, but you're still adorable!"

"Am not!"

"You so are!"

"S-Shut up..!"

"Well," he managed to say after calming down. "We've got plenty of years to get to know each other," Izuku promised, smiling at the brunette. "So, um..! I'll be in your care!"

Some words thrown here and there, more lovey-dovey flirting, and it was time for the movie to start. The lights dimmed, the introduction began, and the three teenagers sat back as they watched a cat develop a fire-breathing Quirk, kickstarting an epic tale of adventure across continents…

"T-T-That was so good..!"
"It was, wasn't it? Ahh, the hero actually gave up his life to save his country..!"
"Snff..! I-It's not like I'm not sad or anything!"

And yet, there they were, sitting at a café and still recovering from the movie they'd just watched. Blowing their noses into their handkerchiefs, it was almost impossible to find any other movie that could have possibly compared to the one that they saw, and he was already hoping for sequels.

But if the sequels were going to suck ass, then better to let this be a standalone movie. Please please please, he didn't want the movie's legacy to be attached with a crippling sequel.

"That ending caught me so off-guard…" Sobbed Ochako, dabbing at her eyes. "I hope his family get to live out a good life. They deserve that at least."

"Y-Yeah, I agree," taking a little longer to recover, Izuku let out a breath, smiling. "Well, with all the crying done, I think a treat is just what we need. I'll go buy something for us."

"But Izuku, you don't need to—Mmf..!" Her words were silenced with a kiss, and she melted into her seat. "Ehehe..! Izukuuu~..!"

He grinned at her, then quickly gave a kiss to Katsumi as well, his childhood friend just as delighted. "Be right back."

He stepped away from the table—just in time to miss Katsumi squeal into her hands—and headed to the counter, taking a look at the assortment of cakes and breads on display. This was just a random café that they'd found while they'd been looking around, and from the looks of things, everything here really looked like a ten out of ten. Hmm. What should he get…

'Psst! Hey, Izuku!' He perked up, spotting a phantom in the corner of her vision.

'Lady Ai? What are you doing here?'

'You should try and check out your menu! There's some new stuff, and it would be a shame if you didn't use it.'

His menu? He wasn't sure what she was trying to reference, but he summoned it regardless.

[Heroines]

[Stats]

[Skills]

[Store]

[Achievements]

Ah, right. He forgot that he'd unlocked two new submenus. That had been last night, in celebration of him supposedly completing the quote unquote 'tutorial'. Ai came over, grinning. 'Let's do a little live experimentation. Check out the 'Store' after this. I think you'll like it quite a bit!'

'Um. Sure?'

She faded as he made his order to the cashier. He pulled out his phone in the meantime and pretended to be navigating it, all while he fiddled with his menu. He tapped on 'Store', finding three separate categories to go through; gifts, food and drinks, and events. Huh. What was this? Was this literally the part of most dating games where the player could purchase a gift for their romance partner?

He hummed, tapping on the gifts category. Out popped six rows by two columns of items, making it twelve in total, with each item having a type and an attached price. He quirked a brow at the word Amors as the supposed currency.

'Amors? That's… What country is that from—Wait. Amors. The thing I got after our first date,' his thoughts were proven true when he spotted the number of two thousand written right beside an icon of paper bills. 'Does that mean I gain Amors after every date? Or is there some kind of criteria for that? Also, even if I purchased these items, how would I even get them?'

Curious, curious, curious. He hummed in thought, pocketing his phone to pay for his order. He made his way back to the table with a slice of chocolate cake for Ochako and a croissant for Katsumi. The brunette looked especially happy to dig into her sweets, while Katsumi, not exactly knowing what else to get here, settled for the simple pastry, not exactly too interested.

Now, while she wasn't the pickiest of eaters, he knew just how much she didn't enjoy eating sweet stuff. She'd agreed to come to this place at all because she knew just how much Ochako had been looking forward to getting some cake. And he was touched by how thoughtful she was, but that also meant that she deserved something just up her alley.

Was this the situation that Ai had foreseen, hence her suddenly making the suggestion to make use of the 'Store' function? Sheesh. She had scary intuition if that was the case.

Quickly, he navigated to the food section, pretending to be inspecting his phone again. He looked at the options, catching him off-guard by the full course he was offered; appetizers, breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts. Again, it was twelve items in total, but this was a lot of food.

Had Ai seriously just given him an online shopping app as a power?

He quickly looked through the options. A plate of pancakes, some ice-cream, fruit juice—and then, he saw a mapo tofu dish. It was a thousand and two hundred Amors, which would definitely eat through his measly account. Then again, what was the point of having something and not using it?

Without hesitation, he tapped on it, which played a kah-ching! sound effect in his head, similar to a cash register's chime. Okay, so he bought the food using intangible money. How was he supposed to get it, though? Was it going to appear out of thin air—

Footsteps made to the door, the jingling of bells drawing his gaze to the source. He watched the cashier from earlier talk to a cook, who probably came from a restaurant down the street. There was some exchange of words, all friendly, before the cashier bowed his head a little as he took something from the cook, who left shortly after.

That smile on his face died a little as he looked down to the bowl in his hands. And even from this distance, Izuku was struck by a wave of heat and spice that made him gulp. The man looked around before eventually noticing them, hesitating for a bit before walking towards them, a nervous grin on his face.

"Uh, hi! Sorry to bother you children, but I was wondering if any of you would like this?" He lowered the bowl to let them see the contents. There was a lot of tofu, he surmised, doused in a scary amount of sauce that looked closer to lava. Even the smell alone was making his nostrils flare. "One of the cooks in the restaurant down the road came by and gave me this, but uhh, I'm not really good with spicy food. None of my coworkers are around today either, else I would have given it to 'em. So, er, I was wondering if any of you would like it?"

If Katsumi had cat ears, they would have stood on end. "For real?!"

"Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't want to let his food go to waste. The cook's a friend of ours, so I didn't want to reject his gracious gift. And I'd much rather someone have it than simply throwing it away."

"Good choice! I'll take it!" She set her croissant aside already, looking more excited for the nuclear dish.

"Great! I'll get you a spoon and fork, then. Be back soon."

[You remembered your girlfriend's preference and made good use of your skills! You gain 1 in Wisdom!]

"Talk about a stroke of luck, huh?" Ochako tittered, the other girl nodding happily.

"If you'd like, I can eat your croissant for you, Kacchan," he offered.

"Sure. Thanks, Izu. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to eat that or not, to be honest, so this is honestly a godsend," she took a deep whiff of her food, sighing appreciatively. "Aw yeah, that's the good stuff…"

Her cutleries came soon after, and she ate with excitement, moaning appreciatively at the intense spiciness. She'd offered some of it, but he was just happy to watch her eat her favourite food, while Ochako was very determined not to burn a hole to her stomach. The blonde accepted their words as such, and he was able to just watch his girlfriends enjoy their meals in peace. Huh. Talk about convenient.

Their day was quickly approaching its conclusion. They hadn't made any other plans than to simply walk around, admiring the way the streets lit up and the night stores came to life. Some white collars looked to catch a glass of beer or two, and the occasional teenager skated about with their friend, bringing nocturnal life.

By the end of it, they were back in the bus, the girls a little drowsy. Izuku did not allow himself to take pictures, no matter how desperately he wanted to, and instead just let them rest against his shoulders.

[Respecting a girl's modesty is nothing short of knightly virtue! You gain 1 in Wisdom!]

At this point, he was merely rolling his eyes. The criteria in levelling up his stats were a little all over the place, not gonna' lie. Ai may have put thought into the system, but at times, it felt like things just happen and it's always so silly when they do.

'In one way or another, these stats should at least affect my actual performance, right? Or is it just a stat that's collected without any meaningful effect outside of my interpersonal communication?'

While not an avid gamer, he could recall a game he'd once played as a kid, whereby it utilized social stats as a means of further unlocking a relationship route or carrying out an activity. He wondered if that would ever be the case here; that he wouldn't be able to progress his relationship with his girlfriends if his stats were too low.

But that didn't feel likely. From what few dating games he'd seen, progression would have to begin with setting the relationship at a low level. For example, the initial relationship would be marked as acquaintances, which would progressively improve and change to friend, to crush, to lover, to even wife if the game so desired.

Here, Katsumi and Ochako were immediately identified as his girlfriends, with no such ranking of their relationship. So maybe his stats were required elsewhere…

He sighed in his head. Man. For such a wacky power, it sure was fascinating. And he hated how complex it was, because he really wanted to geek out and learn every single thing about it. Should he pick up a dating game for his PC to better learn how they work..?

Actually, no. That was a terrible idea. There were lines humanity wasn't meant to cross, and that was one he dared not step on. Not if he wanted to stay sane.

They reached their stop, which was closest to Ochako's place. He and Katsumi would walk her home first before he sent Katsumi to hers. The girls woke up after a bit of prodding, and he carefully lead them out of the bus with their hands in his, internally screaming at how cute their sleepy faces were.

Once they were on the ground, they made their way to Ochako's house, the girl yawning into her free hand. "Maaan… We stayed out for quite a bit, huh? Hope ma and pa's not mad or anything."

"If they get upset, just blame it on me."

"Like I would do that!" Her melodic laughter was music to the ears. "Honestly… I'll have to introduce you to them someday. As my boyfriend, I mean. I'm sure they'd love you."

"T-That..!" He cleared his throat, blushing. "I-I'll look forward to such a day…"

And wouldn't it be quite the meeting to tell her parents that he was dating their daughter and the other girl whose family they'd visited that day? He had to wonder on the reception he'd be met with. Hopefully, he'd be able to prove himself worthy of her.

When they came into view of her home, Ochako bade them a good night and a safe walk back home. Katsumi nodded back, and he opted to wave at her as well.

"Ah, Ochako," that was, until he thought about something else. "C'mere for a bit."

"Hmm? Yes Izu—"

Whether it was Ai's intervention or his quick learning of the skill, it was not difficult whatsoever to take her hands in his, leaning in close to kiss her on the lips. The girl tensed at the contact, only to melt into the liplock, moaning appreciatively.

When they separated, it was to the sight of her beautiful chocolate eyes and the healthy blush on her face. "Jeez…" She whispered, voice so mesmerizing that he hung off of her every word. "Somebody's gotten really bold, huh?"

"A-Ahaha. Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Well, don't be sorry," she kissed him again, beautiful smile and all. "Love you, Izuku~!"

"I love you too."

Off to the side, Katsumi facepalmed. "Jeez… You'll see each other again tomorrow. No need to be so lovey-dovey now…"

"Mouu! It's still special!" She cried back, pouting as she stomped her foot. "Besides, you'll have your lovey-dovey time with Izuku when it's your turn to go home!"

Katsumi reeled back. "W-Wha..!"

"Don't deny it! Besides, you love love love him a lot!"

"S-Shut up!" She yelled, burning up. "Argh, you're so annoying! Izuku, let's bail!"

"Ehhh?! Don't hog him all to yourself! Katsumiii!"

As they properly bade her farewell, the childhood friends began the arduous walk home. Katsumi had never minded, enjoying the silence and the opportunity to just walk with him. Izuku liked it too, especially since he got to hold her hand.

But the silence was broken when he felt her hand clench a little. "You know," Katsumi muttered. "Ochako wasn't wrong. You've gotten a whole lot braver than before. I can hardly remember the kid who used to cry at every dead bug he'd see on the road."

"What? No, that hasn't changed," he laughed. "I'm still a crybaby. It's in the genes."

"Snrk. Yeah, inherited it from Auntie, huh?" She looked amused as she said that. "But it's true, though. Saving us, fighting that zero pointer, protecting that little shithead…" The words halted. "I… I really like seeing this new you."

The words were so soft, yet they caught him off-guard. He couldn't even say anything before she continued. "I mean..! It's all improvement! Y-You've become more reliable, and braver, and c-cool! That's all it is!"

"Kacchan…"

"So… um… I'm glad," she whispered again. Her eyes met him, and the girl he'd spent his entire life with looked at him with such fondness that his heart grew in his chest, almost tearing out of his skin entirely. "T-That you're the one I fell in love with. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

"…Me too," he raised her hands, resting one against his cheek. His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Thank you for allowing me to fall in love with you."

It was no surprise then that the two childhood friends came together for a kiss, her strong arms around his while he held her waist. Moonlight beamed down upon them, and in the silence of tonight, everything was absolutely perfect.

[Congratulations! Your date has blessed you and your girlfriends with immaculate happiness! You gain 3000 Amors!]

He sent her home afterwards, and his own walk back to his house was one among the clouds, mind on cloud nine as he wandered with a goofy smile of his own. He didn't even bat an eye when a robber tried to run away, only for Izuku to stretch out a foot and trip the man, allowing two policemen chasing him to finally apprehend.

In any situation, he would have nervously tried to deflect any praise or thanks. But here, mind too stuck on euphoria, he simply waved them off with a giggle, skipping away. The cops exchanged weirded out looks. Truly, love turns all into idiots.