Chapter 30 U.S.J incident Part one
The classroom was buzzing with morning energy as students chatted amongst themselves, some still half-asleep while others were already wide awake. Melissa Shield was sitting near Ochako Uraraka, the two engaged in light conversation about upcoming hero training. Melissa, the bright-eyed genius from I-Island, was adjusting the settings on her support gauntlets while Ochako listened intently.
Across the room, however, the usual tension was brewing.
"Oi, Deku!" Katsuki Bakugo's gruff voice cut through the morning chatter like an explosion waiting to happen.
Izuku sighed before even turning to face him. "Oh, great. The angry Pomeranian is barking again."
The insult was met with a snort from Mina Ashido, who immediately tried to stifle her laughter with her hand. Denki Kaminari nearly choked on his drink.
Bakugo's eye twitched. "What did you just say, you damn nerd?"
Izuku, completely unbothered, leaned back in his chair and waved him off lazily. "I don't speak Pomeranian, so if you're gonna yell, at least make it something worth listening to."
The blond's hands sparked as his temper flared. "Say that again, and I'll—"
"You'll what?" Izuku cut him off, finally meeting his glare with a sharp smirk of his own. "Blow up the classroom? Oh yeah, that'll look great on your hero resume. 'Katsuki Bakugo, Aspiring Pro Hero and Certified Public Menace.'"
A few students laughed, including Sero, who grinned. "He's got a point, dude. You already look like you're about to explode every second of the day."
Bakugo growled, fists clenched. "Tch. You think you're all that just 'cause you got some half-assed skills now? You're still the same damn nerd from before, thinking you're hot shit!"
Izuku yawned exaggeratedly. "Pomeranian, do you ever get tired? I mean, really, you've been screaming at me since we were four. That's gotta be exhausting."
That only made Bakugo even madder. His teeth clenched, and his palms crackled with sparks, but before he could lunge, Melissa stepped in.
"Bakugo, that's enough," she said firmly, placing herself between them. "We all have training later. Maybe save your energy for actual combat instead of… whatever this is."
Ochako nodded in agreement. "Yeah, seriously! Every morning, it's the same thing with you two!"
Izuku chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "Hey, it's not my fault. I'm just sitting here existing. Angry Pomeranian over there is the one losing his mind."
Bakugo gritted his teeth, shooting a glare at Kirishima, who was grinning beside him.
"Dude, you do kinda look like a Pomeranian," Kirishima admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "An angry, spiky one."
Bakugo's eye twitched violently. "I DON'T LOOK LIKE A DAMN POMERANIAN!" he roared, his voice shaking the classroom walls. A few students flinched at his outburst, but most were just entertained at this point.
Izuku, however, only chuckled louder, a knowing smirk on his lips. He took a deliberate step closer to Bakugo, his expression playful but dripping with confidence. "Oh? So you're saying you're NOT an angry, spiky little mutt?"
Bakugo snarled, his hands popping with tiny explosions as he loomed over Izuku. "You wanna say that again, you damn nerd?!"
Izuku just shrugged, his grin never faltering. "Fine. What about this?" He tapped his chin as if deep in thought before pointing straight at Bakugo. "We have a little contest during the next hero training session. You and me, Manji-Mutt."
Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you just call me?"
"Manji-Mutt," Izuku repeated smoothly, rolling the words off his tongue just to piss him off further. "You know, 'cause you're like an angry little mutt. All bark, no bite."
That did it. The rest of the class burst into laughter, and Bakugo looked like he was about to explode, literally. Mina Ashido wiped tears from her eyes, nudging Kirishima in the ribs. "Oh my god, he's never gonna let that go."
Kirishima, though amused, also looked a little worried. "Uh, Midoriya, dude, I think you're playing with fire right now."
Izuku only smirked. "I can handle the heat."
With that, he turned away, completely ignoring the steam practically coming out of Bakugo's ears, and made his way toward Melissa Shield and Ochako Uraraka, who had been watching the exchange with varying levels of amusement and concern.
Melissa adjusted her glasses, glancing at Ochako. "He really knows how to push Bakugo's buttons, huh?"
Ochako sighed, shaking her head but smiling. "Yeah, I don't think he's scared of Kacchan at all anymore."
Before Izuku could even say anything to them, Bakugo stomped up behind him, shoving past desks as if they were obstacles in his path.
"OI, DEKU! STOP RUNNING YOUR MOUTH AND FIGHT ME AFTER CLASS!"
Izuku let out an exaggerated sigh, tilting his head back lazily. "Oh, man… You again?" He turned just slightly, peering over his shoulder with a teasing grin. "Sorry, Kacchan, but I don't really have time to waste on fighting weaklings."
The class went dead silent.
Bakugo's pupils shrank to pinpricks. His whole body stiffened. "What… did you just say?" His voice came out low, eerily quiet compared to his usual shouting.
Izuku turned fully now, his expression cool, unwavering. "You heard me." He crossed his arms, completely unbothered. "Look, I get it, you've got this whole tough-guy act going on, but let's be honest here, if I really wanted to fight you, I would've done it a long time ago. But I don't, because there's nothing to prove."
Bakugo's fists clenched so tightly that his palms sparked uncontrollably. "YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME, DEKU?!"
Izuku tilted his head. "I don't think, Mutt. I know."
A loud "OHHHHH" echoed through the classroom, courtesy of Kaminari and Sero, as a few other students started hyping up the moment. Mina was practically on the floor laughing.
Bakugo, however, was absolutely livid. His face had turned several shades of red, his teeth gritting so hard it sounded painful. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he roared, lunging forward—
—only for Kirishima to grab him from behind in a full-body hold.
"Chill, bro!" Kirishima grunted, using all his strength to hold him back. "You can't blow up the classroom! Aizawa's already gonna be mad enough when he gets back!"
Izuku just yawned and turned back to Melissa and Ochako, who were staring at him in stunned silence.
"Now, where were we?" he said casually, as if nothing had happened.
Melissa shook her head, still impressed. "You seriously have nerves of steel, Midoriya."
Ochako just snickered. "Kacchan's never gonna let this go."
Behind them, Bakugo continued to struggle against Kirishima's grip, his rage only growing.
"LET ME GO, SHITTY HAIR! I'LL WIPE THAT SMUG LOOK OFF HIS DAMN FACE!"
The moment Aizawa walked into the classroom, the students immediately scattered to their seats like roaches under a light.
Well, almost all of them.
One particular explosive blonde was still glaring daggers at Izuku, arms crossed, his entire body practically vibrating with pent-up aggression.
Aizawa, with his usual sleep-deprived stare, took his place at the podium, rubbing his eyes. He pulled out his phone, checking something quickly before addressing the class.
And then, he sighed.
A deep, heavy sigh that sent a chill through the entire room.
Izuku blinked, sitting up a little straighter. That was never a good sign.
Aizawa looked directly at him, his voice calm but tired. "Midoriya, why haven't you been returning your mother's calls or messages?"
Silence.
The room went dead still.
Every single person in the class turned their heads towards Izuku, eyes wide with curiosity.
"What?" Izuku asked, genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"
Aizawa sighed again. "I mean exactly what I just said. Your mother has been trying to contact you for days, and you haven't responded to her at all."
Izuku frowned. "That doesn't sound right. I always answer my mom's calls. Wait, wait, wait, how do you know that?"
Aizawa visibly hesitated.
A slight shift in his posture. A barely noticeable twitch in his eye. He opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again, only to let out another sigh.
And then, finally, he dropped the bomb.
"Because I'm in a relationship with your mother."
The entire classroom was dead silent.
You could hear the distant chirp of a bird outside. The faint hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. The soft rustling of Kaminari shifting in his seat, struggling not to burst into laughter.
Aizawa, standing at the podium, rubbed the bridge of his nose, already regretting how he had delivered that information. "I should've handled this in private," he muttered to himself.
But it was too late.
Across the room, Bakugo threw his head back and howled with laughter, gripping his sides. "OH MY GOD! THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!" he wheezed between laughs, practically gasping for air. "YOU DIDN'T GET INTO UA BECAUSE OF HARD WORK! YOU GOT IN BECAUSE YOUR MOM SPREAD HER LEGS!"
Aizawa's capture scarf shot out immediately, wrapping around Bakugo's torso and arms, slamming him against his desk with a loud THUD. His glowing eyes bore into him like burning embers.
"If you say one more disgusting thing about that wonderful woman, you are out of my class," Aizawa said in the coldest, most serious tone imaginable.
Bakugo just snickered through the scarf, still shaking with laughter. "I CAN'T! I CAN'T BREATHE! THIS IS TOO GOOD!"
Meanwhile, Izuku stood at his desk, hands flat against the surface, his brain buffering. His green eyes stared at nothing, pupils dilated in shock.
"...You've been fking my mother."
The words left his mouth slowly, each time getting louder, angrier, more disbelieving.
Aizawa grimaced as Izuku repeated it again, this time with a bit more… agitation.
"You've been. Fking. My. Mother."
Mina slapped both hands over her mouth, eyes bulging. "Holy. Shit."
Sero looked between Aizawa and Izuku like he was watching the most insane soap opera ever. "Yo. What. The. Hell."
Ochako, Melissa, and Iida all looked horrified.
Todoroki, as usual, just blinked. "Huh."
Kirishima muttered under his breath, "Man, this is some next-level stuff right here."
Aizawa, for the first time in his entire life, looked genuinely nervous. He ran a hand through his messy black hair, sighing. "I… should've handled this differently."
Izuku twitched.
"SO YOU'RE TELLING ME," he said, pointing a shaking finger at Aizawa, "THAT AFTER I KNOCKED YOU OUT DURING THE COMBAT TRAINING… YOU WENT AND GOT WITH MY MOM?!"
The classroom ERUPTED.
"OH MY GOD, YOU'RE RIGHT!" Kaminari screamed, slamming his hands on his desk. "HE LOST TO YOU AND THEN WENT STRAIGHT FOR YOUR MOM! THIS IS REVENGE!"
Yui covered her face, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "Oh my god, this is so messed up."
Aizawa let out the longest, most exhausted sigh known to mankind.
"No, Midoriya, that's not what happened," he tried to explain, but at this point, the damage was done.
Izuku's face went through an entire range of emotions. Shock. Confusion. Disgust. Betrayal. A brief moment of admiration (because his mom pulled a pro hero?!). And then rage.
"DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE TO CALL YOU DAD?!" he shouted, slamming his hands on the desk.
Aizawa almost choked on his own spit. "God, no!"
"IS THIS WHY YOU ALWAYS PICK ON ME IN CLASS?!"
"No, I pick on you because you're a pain in my ass."
"SO YOU'RE NOT JUST TRYING TO ASSERT DOMINANCE OVER ME LIKE SOME WEIRD STEP-DAD POWER MOVE?!"
"MIDORIYA, PLEASE STOP TALKING."
"YOU KNOW WHAT? NO! I NEED TIME TO PROCESS THIS! I CAN'T, " Izuku dramatically turned away, gripping his chest like a tragic protagonist in a drama.
Bakugo, still half-wrapped in the scarf, wheezed out between uncontrollable laughter, "THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE."
Aizawa exhaled deeply, rubbing his face as if he could physically wipe away the dumpster fire of a conversation he had just ignited. He looked at his class, seeing a mix of horrified stares, uncontrollable laughter, and absolute disbelief.
Izuku, still gripping his chest like he was in the middle of a Shakespearean tragedy, shook his head. "I need to process this. I need therapy. No— I need an EXORCISM."
"EXORCISM?!" Kaminari cried out. "DUDE, YOUR MOM JUST GOT SOME, NOT POSSESSED."
Bakugo, still wrapped in the Capture Scarf of Doom, was crying from laughter. "SHIT, THIS IS BETTER THAN ANY FIGHT I COULD'VE EVER HAD WITH YOU, DEKU!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU DAMN POMERANIAN!" Izuku fired back, whirling around to point at him.
Kirishima snorted. "Dude, he's right, though. You've been barking like an angry little dog this whole time."
"I DON'T FUCKING BARK!" Bakugo snarled.
"Bro, you kinda do," Sero said, laughing.
"I'LL KILL YOU, TAPE BASTARD!"
Meanwhile, Iida, who looked like he was actively going through the five stages of grief, slammed his hands on his desk, standing up in desperate class representative mode. "EVERYONE, PLEASE! WE MUST MAINTAIN DECORUM IN THE CLASSROOM—"
"I HAVE NO DECORUM, IIDA!" Izuku shouted, throwing his hands up like a madman. "MY TEACHER IS FUCKING MY MOM!"
Ochako, who had turned beet red from secondhand embarrassment, slammed her head down on her desk. "Oh my god, please stop saying it like that!"
Melissa, who had been quiet up until now, covered her face with both hands. "Izuku… just… stop talking… please."
Aizawa, watching his students unravel before his eyes, groaned loudly and slammed a fist on his desk.
"THAT'S IT! EVERYONE, SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Silence.
Even Bakugo shut his mouth.
Everyone turned to face Aizawa, whose red-rimmed, exhausted eyes looked ready to kill.
He took a slow, deep breath.
"We are NOT discussing this any further. I should have handled this differently, and that's on me. However, you all have approximately ten seconds to drop this topic, or I start giving out extra assignments for the semester."
A heavy wave of fear swept through the room.
"THAT INCLUDES YOU, BAKUGO!"
Bakugo, who was already opening his mouth to say something, clamped it shut instantly.
Aizawa rolled his shoulders, sighing. "Now, before you all give me more gray hairs, let's move on."
The class finally calmed down, though there were still the occasional muffled snickers and lingering oh my god what just happened expressions.
Aizawa leaned against the desk. "Alright. We're going on a field trip today. We'll be heading to the USJ for rescue training. I expect you all to be on your best behavior."
"That's impossible," Sero muttered under his breath, earning a few giggles.
Aizawa narrowed his eyes but chose to ignore it for the sake of his sanity.
"We'll be getting changed into our hero costumes and taking the bus there. You've got ten minutes. Move it."
The class sprang into action, filing out towards the locker rooms. Izuku lingered for a second, still trying to process everything.
As he walked past Aizawa, he muttered lowly, "I still can't believe you're smashing my mom."
Aizawa's eye twitched. "Midoriya, I swear to god—"
Izuku booked it out of the room before he could finish.
Izuku had changed exceptionally fast, his Yakuza-style hero outfit morphing effortlessly over his form. Today, he was wearing the white suit variant—crisp, elegant, and dangerously charismatic. His signature green-tinted sunglasses sat perched on his head as he adjusted his cuffs, feeling pretty good about himself.
That feeling vanished instantly when he heard light footsteps behind him.
He barely had time to turn around before his entire face exploded in a deep crimson blush. His nose burned, blood threatening to spill, and his body went completely stiff.
Toru Hagakure was standing right in front of him. Completely. Freaking. Naked.
She was wearing nothing but her gloves.
His brain shut down.
"H-HAGAKURE—WHAT THE HELL—?!" Izuku immediately spun around, his hands flying to his face as if that would somehow erase what he just saw.
Toru tilted her head, completely oblivious to his crisis. "Huh? What's wrong? Are you okay, Midoriya?"
"A-am I okay?! Are YOU okay?! Why the hell are you—why are you—" His voice cracked as he gestured wildly behind him.
Toru looked down at herself, completely unfazed. "Oh, duh. I'm getting dressed. I can't wear a hero costume in the locker room because of my Quirk, so I usually just change out here. Not like anyone can see me, right?"
Izuku didn't respond. He was too busy having an internal breakdown.
How?! HOW HAD HE SEEN HER?! SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INVISIBLE!
That's when realization smacked him in the face.
His glasses.
His damn glasses.
His special green-tinted sunglasses, designed specifically to pierce through Himiko's illusions, must have had an unexpected side effect.
It wasn't just for illusions.
It let him see invisible things.
"Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no—" Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, bowing deeply in apology.
"I AM SO, SO SORRY! THESE GLASSES HAVE AN ABILITY THAT LETS ME SEE INVISIBLE THINGS! I DIDN'T KNOW! I SWEAR! I DIDN'T MEAN TO SEE ANYTHING—"
Toru blinked at him, processing his words. Then, slowly, she narrowed her eyes.
"…Oh. Really?"
Izuku nodded furiously, still bowing.
"YES. REALLY."
Silence.
Then, she took off his jacket.
"Okay then, tell me how many fingers I'm holding up!"
Izuku whipped his head up.
"WAIT—DON'T—"
Too late.
Hagakure, completely bare and completely convinced he was bluffing, waved her hand in front of him.
Izuku's eyes betrayed him immediately.
"Three!" he blurted.
Hagakure froze.
She switched fingers. "Five?"
"Five."
Her face twitched. She switched again. "Two?"
"Two."
One.
"One."
She hesitated, switching again, slowly, as if testing him. "Three."
"…Three."
The air stilled.
A horrible, spine-chilling silence stretched between them.
Hagakure turned red.
Izuku turned even redder.
Then—
"YOU PERVERT!"
"I SWEAR IT WASN'T ON PURPOSE!"
She screamed, throwing his jacket back over herself, and immediately started kicking the hell out of him.
"YOU SAW EVERYTHING, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU WERE LOOKING, YOU WERE TOTALLY LOOKING!"
"I WASN'T LOOKING ON PURPOSE! I LITERALLY CANNOT CONTROL WHAT I SEE, IT'S MY GLASSES—OW, STOP KICKING ME!"
"DIE, YOU DEGENERATE!" She continued throwing wild kicks, her face burning red.
Izuku dodged most of them, but the sheer rage-fueled power behind her attacks still forced him to backpedal.
"Midoriya, WHY did you keep answering?! You could've just LIED!" Hagakure shrieked, her voice rising an octave in sheer embarrassment.
"I PANICKED!" Izuku defended, still breathless from the absolute madness of this situation.
Before she could unleash another flurry of kicks, he grabbed her wrists, restraining her. The sudden physical contact made both of them freeze. The heat between them was palpable as their faces turned a matching shade of crimson.
Hagakure's breath hitched as she struggled weakly in his grasp. "L-Let go of me, you perv!"
"Calm down! Just—just calm down!" Izuku insisted, his grip firm yet careful. "Besides, why don't you just put some clothes on? Or—turn off your invisibility?"
Hagakure stopped struggling, her hands still pinned in his grasp. Then, slowly, she tilted her head at him like he was the biggest idiot alive.
"…I CAN'T TURN IT OFF!"
Now it was Izuku's turn to look confused. His grip loosened as he stared at her, blinking in disbelief. "What… do you mean you can't turn it off?"
"I MEAN I CAN'T TURN IT OFF NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY!" she snapped, arms flailing dramatically. "Do you think I LIKE being like this?! Do you think I haven't tried to fix it?! My Quirk has ALWAYS been like this! I was BORN invisible! I can't just… decide to glow into existence one day!"
Izuku's expression shifted. His usual quirk analysis mode kicked in as his mind whirred to life. He narrowed his eyes, studying her, and then closed his own, focusing.
He had developed Ki Sensory, an ability that allowed him to understand when someone was using their Quirk, detecting how their muscles tensed, their energy flowed, and how their body reacted. If he could read the flow of energy inside her, maybe…
As he honed in on Hagakure's presence, something clicked.
Her energy was always active. Constantly moving, fluctuating—passively engaged as if she were always unknowingly using her Quirk.
He opened his eyes. "Hagakure… you're always activating it. You're not naturally invisible—you're just… keeping yourself that way."
She blinked. "What?"
Izuku grabbed her hand, his touch gentle yet firm. "Calm down. Focus. Just relax, okay? I'm not going to do anything weird. I just… I need to test something."
Hagakure hesitated but slowly nodded, swallowing her nerves.
Izuku's own Ki energy flared around them. His hand glowed faintly, his own aura intertwining with hers as he channeled control into her Quirk. It wasn't about forcing her powers to obey—it was about helping her understand them.
Then…
Her eyes widened.
Her hand became visible.
For the first time in her entire life, she saw her own fingers.
A shocked gasp left her lips as she yanked her hand away, her whole body trembling. The moment their connection broke, her hand disappeared again.
She stumbled back, gripping her wrist as if she had just seen a ghost. "W-What the hell was THAT?!"
Izuku, equally shocked yet exhilarated, grinned. "I think… I figured it out."
Still in awe, she lifted her hand, staring at the space where it had just been visible. "No way… No freaking way… I saw it. I SAW it. That was MY hand, right?! I wasn't hallucinating?!"
Izuku nodded enthusiastically, his notebook already out as he began jotting things down at lightning speed.
"Some Quirks don't actually work the way their users think. For example, if someone can create water, they might actually just be pulling water molecules from the air instead of manifesting it from nothing. What if your Quirk isn't 'permanent invisibility,' but instead… an invisibility that you've never learned to turn off?"
Hagakure stared at him in shock.
"You're saying… I could've been visible this whole time?"
"I think you CAN be visible," Izuku confirmed, adjusting his glasses. "But since you've spent your entire life never realizing you had control over it, your brain has just kept you invisible by default."
Hagakure was too overwhelmed to even respond.
Izuku shut his notebook, then sighed. "Okay, but before we do more tests, let's get you some CLOTHES."
She frowned. "What? Why? You already saw EVERYTHING, anyway!"
Izuku's face burned. "THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
Rolling his eyes, he went into his system's inventory, scrolling through options. "Turn around."
Hagakure crossed her arms, pouting, but obeyed.
As she did, Izuku stole one last glance, catching a glimpse of her completely bare form.
'Damn.'
He shook his head violently, banishing the thought. 'Nope, NOPE, BAD MIDORIYA. FOCUS.'
He quickly pulled out a spare set of Mei's clothes. He always kept extra outfits because Mei had a habit of destroying hers in explosions. He handed them over, including some undergarments.
Hagakure peeked over her shoulder. "You just… carry extra underwear in your pocket?"
"JUST PUT THEM ON!"
Snickering, she grabbed the clothes and slipped them on. The outfit was a bit snug, but it was better than nothing.
Once she was decent, Izuku extended his hand again.
"Now that you're dressed, let's try again. Focus on your energy."
Hagakure hesitated, staring at his hand.
Then, slowly, she placed her palm against his.
This time, she was ready.
Hagakure stared at her hand, watching as it flickered between visible and invisible, like a broken light struggling to stay on.
Her fingers trembled. "I... I can feel it."
Izuku nodded, his gaze steady. "Good. That's your Quirk reacting to your focus. You're not just invisible—you're maintaining your invisibility at all times without realizing it."
She gritted her teeth, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why the hell didn't anyone ever tell me this?! Why didn't my parents figure it out?! Why didn't my teachers—?!"
Her fingers faded away again, and she growled in frustration, stamping her foot like a child throwing a tantrum. "Damn it! I almost had it! UGH, why is this so hard?!"
Izuku chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Hagakure, you've been using your Quirk like this since the day you were born. It's not going to change in a few seconds just because you finally figured it out."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "Easy for you to say, Mr. Prodigy-Quirk-Analyzer-Super-Genius."
His lips twitched. "Hey, I wasn't always good at controlling my abilities, you know? It took me forever to figure out how my quirk worked."
"Yeah, but you didn't go your entire LIFE thinking you were just permanently invisible," she snapped, then quickly sighed, rubbing her temples. "Sorry, that was rude. I just… I feel so stupid. How could I not have known? How did I never even THINK about it?"
Izuku reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Because no one ever gave you a reason to."
She stiffened at the unexpected comfort, her mouth opening—then closing again.
His hand was warm. Solid. Reassuring.
It wasn't perverted or teasing. It was just Izuku being Izuku—calm, supportive, and completely focused on helping her.
"…What if I can't control it?" she whispered.
"You will." His voice was firm, confident in a way that made her believe it too.
Hagakure looked at his outstretched hand, hesitating for only a moment before she slowly placed hers in his again.
Izuku smiled. "Okay, this time, I want you to breathe with me."
She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Breathing exercises? What is this, meditation?"
He grinned. "Trust me."
She exhaled loudly, but closed her eyes, doing as he asked.
"Breathe in…"
She inhaled.
"Breathe out."
She exhaled.
Her body relaxed slightly.
Izuku placed his other hand over hers, sandwiching it between his palms. Then, he slowly moved her hand to his chest, resting it directly over his heart.
Hagakure snapped her eyes open in shock. "W-What are you doing?!"
"Just focus," he said smoothly.
She was too flustered to argue. Her fingertips pressed against the fabric of his Yakuza suit, and beneath it, she could feel his steady, rhythmic heartbeat.
Her face turned scarlet.
"W-Why do I have to touch your chest?!" she stammered.
"Because," Izuku said, his tone calm, controlled, "your Quirk is connected to your body's energy, and right now, you have no idea how to manage it."
"…And touching your chest is supposed to help how exactly?"
"Because," he repeated, his voice softer, "I want you to match your rhythm to mine."
She blinked.
"My heartbeat is steady. Yours is erratic because you're overthinking everything," he explained. "Feel it. Match it. Let yourself synchronize."
She bit her lip, unsure—but then, slowly, she closed her eyes again.
Her fingers flexed against his chest, feeling his pulse beneath them. She let her body relax, allowing the sound of his heartbeat to wash over her like a guiding drumbeat.
Thump. Thump.
Steady. Unwavering.
Thump. Thump.
Her breathing slowed, matching his.
Then…
Her hand became visible again.
Her eyes snapped open in shock.
"I—"
Izuku grinned. "You're doing it."
She looked down, and there it was—her arm, clear as day, no longer hidden.
"I-Izuku—"
"You're almost there. Don't panic."
She inhaled sharply. "Okay, okay, don't panic, don't panic—"
Her entire arm appeared.
Hagakure gasped.
For the first time in her entire life, she saw her own skin.
Her fingers twitched. "I—It's real. It's—oh my god, it's real!"
She started trembling, overwhelmed with emotions she couldn't even describe.
Izuku just smiled warmly.
"You did it."
Her breath hitched. "I… I really did."
She lifted her other hand, watching as it phased back into existence too.
Then, before she knew it—
She tackled him.
Izuku yelped as he was suddenly slammed onto the floor, Hagakure pinning him down, straddling him as she grabbed his face.
"YOU'RE A FREAKING GENIUS!" she shouted, shaking him.
Izuku choked, his hands flailing helplessly. "I-I H-HAVE A WEAK NECK—PLEASE—"
She ignored him, laughing like a maniac as she crushed him in a bear hug.
"I CAN SEE MYSELF! I CAN ACTUALLY SEE MYSELF!"
Izuku, half-suffocated, wheeze-laughed. "Y-Yeah… c-congratulations… n-now can you p-please let me breathe?"
She froze, realizing she was still sitting on top of him.
Her face ignited.
"…Oh."
"…Yeah."
She quickly scrambled off him, awkwardly standing up and rubbing her arm. "Uh… sorry."
Izuku coughed, sitting up, adjusting his glasses, and waving a dismissive hand. "No problem. Just… wasn't expecting to get tackled today."
She snorted, still staring at her visible hands. "Dude. You just changed my entire life."
Izuku smiled, standing up and brushing himself off. "That's what heroes do, right?"
Hagakure stared at him.
Something warm settled in her chest.
Then, before he could react—
She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Izuku froze solid.
"THANK YOU, HERO," she whispered, grinning.
Then she bolted.
Izuku stood there, stunned, his brain lagging like a broken computer.
Then he blinked.
"…Did I just accidentally get another girl?"
Izuku jerked around, his face still red from the unexpected kiss he had just received from Hagakure—only to stiffen as he saw Mei Hatsume standing behind the school bus, her signature wild grin plastered across her face.
She crossed her arms, smirking knowingly. "I hope not," she teased, tilting her head. "We told you, didn't we? You're at your limit, Izuku."
His stomach dropped.
"W-Wait, Mei, I can explain—!" He raised his hands in surrender, stepping back.
Mei ignored him, flicking him on the forehead with surprising force.
"Ow—!" He stumbled slightly, rubbing his head.
"You're always helping others no matter what," she sighed, shaking her head. "It's like a compulsive hero complex or something. You see someone struggling, and BOOM, suddenly you're emotionally invested. It's honestly a little ridiculous."
Izuku opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off by stepping closer, staring up at him with seriousness in her golden eyes.
"But…" She softened, placing a hand on his chest. "That's what I like about you."
Izuku froze as Mei suddenly crouched down, grabbed the collar of his suit, and pulled him into a deep kiss.
It wasn't quick.
It wasn't hesitant.
It was Mei Hatsume in her purest form, full throttle, no hesitation, no second-guessing.
His eyes widened, his brain short-circuiting.
By the time she pulled away, she was grinning up at him mischievously. "But seriously, you need to put your guard up, babe. You can't just let these girls flaunt all over you like lost puppies." She gave him a mocking pout, twirling a strand of pink hair between her fingers. "You remember, right? Me, Rumi, and Himiko. We're your girls."
Izuku gulped, his entire body flushed red. "Y-Yeah! I—I remember! Of course, I do!"
She chuckled, shaking her head, then poked his cheek. "Good. Because honestly? You're way too easy to steal."
"I'm not easy to steal!" he protested, flailing slightly.
"Oh, really?" Mei leaned in again, whispering against his ear. "Tell that to all the girls falling for you left and right."
Izuku felt a chill run down his spine.
He looked away, muttering, "I'm just trying to help others when I see that they need help. It's like an impulse, I see a problem, I fix it."
Mei laughed, her voice filled with amusement as she slapped his back. "Pft—oh, trust me, I get it." She placed a hand on her hip, grinning. "It's like when I wanna invent something, and BOOM! I go at it full force, no consequences, no regrets."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "Yeah… basically like that."
She stared at him for a moment before suddenly smiling, a genuine, warm expression replacing her usual manic energy.
"We're both weirdos."
Izuku blinked, surprised by the fondness in her voice.
Then, he found himself smiling too. "Yeah. Good weirdos."
Mei beamed, bouncing slightly on her heels before punching his arm. "Damn right we are."
Then Izuku suddenly remembered something, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Wait… why are you here?"
Mei grinned, spinning on her heel dramatically. "Isn't it obvious?" She threw her arms up. "I'M HERE TO TEST OUT MY BABIES!"
Izuku groaned, already regretting asking.
"Oh no…"
"Oh YES," she corrected, wagging a finger at him. "I got special permission from the school to bring some of my latest support items to the training exercise today." She rubbed her hands together, her expression manic. "Something about observing how my support equipment holds up under real conditions."
Izuku blinked rapidly. "Wait. The school is actually letting you test your gear on us?"
Mei huffed, placing a hand over her chest dramatically. "Excuse you, Midoriya, but I'm a PROFESSIONAL—"
"You literally blew up a classroom last week."
"That was for science."
"You made it rain fire."
"Controlled fire."
"There was no control."
Mei rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, no need to be so dramatic, Greenie." She grinned, nudging him with her elbow. "But yeah, I get to come along and watch you in action. So, lucky me, huh?"
Izuku sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're gonna make this a nightmare, aren't you?"
Mei smirked. "Oh, you have no idea."
Author's Note
Hey everyone,
I want to start off by apologizing for the lack of updates. My computer was in the shop, and honestly, life has been absolutely hectic. I've been juggling so many things at once, and it's been tough trying to find time to sit down and write.
That said, I've been thinking about adjusting my approach to releasing chapters. Instead of pushing for huge chapters, I might start doing shorter ones, aiming for around 3,000 to 5,000 words per chapter. This way, I can keep the updates more consistent and manageable while still delivering quality content.
I really appreciate all of your patience and support through this. It means a lot to me that you guys enjoy what I write, and I don't want to keep you all waiting too long between chapters.
Hopefully, I'll have some time to write soon, and I'll try my best to keep things moving forward!
P.S.
I just wanted to quickly address something for those wondering about Jiro and her feelings, they will be explored later in the story, but not in the immediate upcoming chapters.
Most likely, her arc will take place after the Sports Festival, as I've been planning out how to incorporate her development in a meaningful way. There's a lot of groundwork I want to lay before diving into that aspect of the story.
Thank you all again for sticking with me!