Chapter 53 - Dreams, Deals, and DOB

Izuku stirred in his sleep. At first, he wasn't sure why until he heard it again.

A grunt. Followed by a whimper. Then, he felt movement from something other than himself.

The boy turned to his left, and he groggily opened his eyes. What he saw was panda pajamas fidgeting left and right, occasionally making sounds just to his side.

Midoriya wondered what was causing his girlfriend to have trouble sleeping. Last time, the only issue they ran into was they learned the basic fact that the human body was indeed quite warm. Sure, they snuggled, but eventually, it just got too hot, and they separated. They were still close to one another, a light embrace here or there but not full-on clamped onto each other. Tonight, it felt more natural; as the heat turned up, they parted without waking one another up. From last, he could tell, Hagakure had an arm wrapped around his midsection before this.

But this was different. She didn't toss and turn last time or make any vocal noise. The girl seemed to be in distress, and it concerned Izuku. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Before he could utter a word, however, his world became upside down.

Tooru screamed and pushed back her boyfriend with great force. He fell off the bed and landed on his belly. Half of his blanket clung to his midsection, and the rest was still being held by the girl still on the bed.

Midoriya flipped over and looked up at the ceiling for a moment, dazed at what had just happened. Until Hagakure's figure poked out from the top of the bed.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! Are you all right!?"

The boy shook his head with a jolt and sat up before saying, "I'm just shellshocked, I think. I should ask you the same question, though."

Tooru hugged her knees and stated, "I was having a nightmare."

Izuku stood up, took a step forward, and held out his right hand. "Can I comfort you?" He figured it was best to ask, considering the last time he touched her.

Before Hagakure could respond, a knock came from the door.

"Hey, is everything okay there?!"

It was Shinso. Midoriya heard Mineta's voice, too, but it was much lower in volume, so all he could make out was that he was arguing.

Tooru said meekly, "Please just send them away."

Izuku could tell she was upset. He nodded and rushed to the door. After a deep breath, he opened it and stuck his head out.

Hitoshi was front and center, wearing a black T-shirt and some white boxer briefs. Minrou was somewhat hiding behind his legs, wearing a purple onesie with a hoodie that wasn't up. To his left stood Fumikage, wearing a white T-shirt with white and blue vertically striped boxer shorts.

Midoriya gulped and asked, "Uh, hey guys, what's up?"

Shinso looked tired as all hell. He raised his right hand to grab the bridge of his nose before saying, "Look, we're not even going to argue if or why Hagakure-san is in there."

Mineta spoke up and stated, "It's her birthday. Well, it was yesterday."

Hitoshi grunted. "Well, anyways, is she alright?"

Izuku took a step out and closed the door behind him. "She was having a nightmare, and I spooked her when I tried to wake her."

Tokoyami placed a hand on his chin. "A nightmare, huh? Intriguing."

"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about. We should have just left them alone." Mineta then sighed.

That is what they were arguing about, Midoriya thought. However, it surprised him that his neighbor was so chill about Hagakure sleeping over at his place once again as well as defending him about it.

Shinso raised an eyebrow. "So, is this a common thing?"

"Nightmares? I don't think so." Or at least Izuku hoped it wasn't common for her.

"I meant Hagakure-san staying the night in your room."

"Oh uh, it's only happened like t-twice, I swear."

"Twice?!" Fumikage gawked but then cleared his throat. "You continue to surprise me, Izuku-kun."

Hitoshi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I guess that isn't too crazy, considering how long you two have been together." He looked up towards the ceiling and said, "I'm surprised no one else upstairs heard her scream."

"Uh, I did."

The four looked towards the stairwell and saw Koda poking his head out of the corner. He then took a few steps forward, revealing he was wearing blue pajamas with yellow crescent moons all over them. He was also wearing a yellow nightcap with moon features on it.

Midoriya asked, "Did you just get here?"

Koji shook his head. "I came down just as you explained Tooru-chan was having a nightmare. I didn't want to make a scene any more awkward with my presence, so I kept my distance."

Hitoshi asked, "So no one else is up?"

Koda shook his head. "I didn't see anyone else. Denki-kun is a heavy sleeper, but I don't know why Tenya-kun didn't wake up. Mashirao-kun might have been too far to hear since he's at the end of the hallway."

Mineta stated, "Oh, our class president wears earplugs on account of Denki-kun getting pretty animated and vocal when gaming. The issue came up a lot during our second term last year until Tenya-kun started wearing them."

"Well, that's good to hear." Shinso then looked at Midoriya. "Even if Ida-kun is good friends with you, I doubt his presence would make things easy, considering he's our class president and how he would act with stuff like this."

Izuku decided it was best to nod. There was no need to mention that Ida had already spent the night in Uraraka's room, at least twice, and would probably be fine with it.

Hitoshi yawned. "Well, it's past three, and we have school tomorrow." He looked to the others behind him and said, "I don't care to blab about what happened if everyone else agrees to keep quiet." The other three nodded. "Good, later."

After Shinso closed his door, Tokoyami stated, "He's being awfully calm about this."

Mineta spoke up while leaning against the hallway wall. "Oh, he's fine. Shinso-kun might be new here, but he's pretty chill from what I have seen when I've been over at the 2B dorms. He's more buddy-buddy with everyone over there, but he seems to be adjusting fast with our class."

Midoriya was glad to see all his classmates being okay with it all. However, it had been long enough leaving Hagakure alone that he was getting quite worried about her. "Thanks, guys, for checking in, even if it was just a nightmare, but I want to check on how Tooru-chan is doing."

Minoru and Koji apologized and said their goodnights before heading back to their rooms.

However, Fumikage still stood by Izuku's door. Even in the dark, he could tell his friend's expression had become stern. "Truthfully, are these nightmares normal for Tooru-chan?"

"Not at all. This is the first time in my experience that she has had any."

"Hmm. Then trust me here Izuku-kun."

Midoriya had no idea how to help his girlfriend with such a problem, so with no hesitation he nodded.

Tokoyami turned towards the door and gave a gentle knock. "Tooru-chan, it's Fumikage. I think I can help. Can I come in?"

There was silence for a few seconds before a scuffle could be heard inside. It then became quiet again until Hagakure answered, "Go ahead."

Both boys entered to see Tooru sitting cross-legged on the floor, wrapped in Izuku's blanket. The night light by his desk was turned on, and he was glad to see her bra was nowhere to be seen on his nightstand. He also noticed the girl's hoodie was up again.

Once the door was closed, with little energy, the girl stated, "Hey."

Fumikage approached and kneeled down in front of Hagakure. Now that he was close, he noticed what she was wearing and gave a confused loook but soon shook his head and stated, "I'm sorry to intrude between you two, but I might be able to help with your nightmares, Tooru-chan."

Now that Tokoyami was in the light, Midoriya could better see his friend's head, now being more ruffled and feathery. It had been that way since the final battle and Fumikage decided to keep the look. Izuku wondered if it was because it looked more like Hawk's hair style or simply a memento from that day of fighting.

"I don't think you can."

Tokoyami sighed before sitting down. "Mind hearing me out, at least?"

Midoriya walked over and sat down to the girl's left. As he placed a hand on her left knee, he said, "Please, Tooru-chan."

Hagakure gripped the blanket tighter before saying, "Okay."

"Thanks." Fumikage brought back his hands to rest behind him as he leaned back. "Ever since my quirk manifested, I have had trouble controlling myself when emotions of anger grip me full-heartedly, especially in the darkness of the night. I only ever caused some property damage in the past, but things came to head during our summer trip. After seeing Mezo-kun lose one of his arms during the villain ambush, I lost it. Izuku-kun can attest I attacked anything and everything. Friend or foe, it didn't matter. This greatly troubled me even after the fact."

Tokoyami leaned forward and brought a hand to cover half his face. "This brought upon nightmares of hurting my friends and classmates during our summer break. Even killing them in the worst ones."

Midoriya noticed Hagakure loosened her grip on her blanket as her shoulders sank slightly.

"I sought my grandmother's advice, and for the most part, it worked. By the time of our second term, they were no longer a problem. I embraced that dark side of me by redirecting it for good use and this led me to develop my Ragnarök technique." Fumikage brought the hand on his face forward and brought Dark Shadow out to extend a hand as well beside his. "I can tell you what my grandmother told me to help. If you'll let me."

Tooru brought up both her arms to the offered hands. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Fumikage-kun."

Izuku sighed in relief and brought his right arm around his girlfriend's back. "So, what did you do to stop your nightmares?"

"Before that." Hagakure pulled away from Tokoyami and pulled Dark Shadow into a hug. "I want to tell you about my nightmares."

Dark Shadow then returned the embrace.

Fumikage shook his head. "You don't have to, Tooru-chan."

"No, I need to. Especially after you told me about what you went through." Tooru's hoodie turned towards her boyfriend. "Izuku-kun probably already can guess what they are about."

Midoriya had thought about it well in the back of his mind as all of this was unfolding, but he didn't want to think about what it meant. He sighed. "It happened just before you and the others came to bring us back at the end of April."

Tooru nodded, then described her encounter with Himiko in detail. Fumikage only knew vague details, so he was shocked to hear the whole story. It was painful for Izuku to hear it once more, but he knew it was much worse for his girlfriend. When Hagakure mentioned she killed the Nomu, it even made Dark Shadow pause his hug with her.

"This dream sometimes is my hands being soaked in blood, the screams the Nomu made as it died, or just one to one replays of what happened that day. It used to happen almost every other night over the break. Now it occurs weekly, but it keeps me up sometimes for hours. I never had someone try to wake me during it, so that freaked me out. Tonight, when Izuku-kun stirred me, in my dream, the Nomu's corpse grabbed me and it caused me to scream. It never played out like that before." She turned to her boyfriend and stated, "I'm sorry I kept this to myself."

Izuku didn't know what to say but embraced her anyway. Dark Shadow retracted back to behind Fumikage. Midoriya wondered if Tokoyami's nightmares of killing people from going berserk with his quirk changed Hagakure's mind by relating it to her own experience and nightmares.

The two separated, and Fumikage asked, "Does anyone else know?"

Tooru responded, "Just us and All Might-sensei. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he told Aizawa-sensei by now, which I'm okay with."

"I see. Well, telling me exactly what is ailing you now means I can provide even more options."

Midoriya asked, "In what way?"

Tokoyami crossed his arms and explained, "At first, I was just going to suggest something to drink before bed, but now knowing exactly what trauma Tooru-chan is experiencing, I can suggest meditation as well."

Hagakure's head titled, "A drink?"

As Dark Shadow started to look over Izuku's All Might figure display, Fumikage explained, "Yes. Tea, to be exact. A chamomile and lavender blend. It's usually used for those with an upset stomach but can also reduce stress and anxiety. You should add some sugar as well. I usually add a teaspoon of honey to cover that but you are free to put in whatever you wish for taste."

"A herbal tea? It's that simple?" Tooru asked this as if it was too good to be true.

"Alone that would just cover generic dreams of dread. But yours are specific so meditation might be required as well. This will better target what is triggering your nightmares. If you go to sleep thinking about them, fearing them, then, of course, they will occur. The meditation is to purge your mind of such thoughts and have a more positive outlook before going to bed. Sipping the specific tea blend between these sessions worked wonders for me."

"I've never done anything like meditation before, though."

Tokoyami stood up and offered a hand. "I can teach you a couple of techinques. It might take a couple of nights, but I'm sure you'll learn quickly. I can even lend you a few bags of my tea blend until you can get some for yourself."

By this time, Dark Shadow had moved on to inspecting other aspects of Midoriya's room.

Izuku let go of Tooru as she stood up. His blanket fell off of her, and she extended an arm. "Okay then, I'll be in your care."

As the two shook hands, Fumikage stated, "I won't let you down Tooru-chan."

Once they parted hands, Midoriya took Tokoyami's hand with both of his and gave a slight bow as he stated, "Thanks again, Fumikage-kun. I was clueless on how to help and you offered a solution and even your time after night to ensure it. You're an amazing friend to us both."

Fumikage rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Uh, thanks. Just know it's no guarantee, of course, but even if it helps a little, I think we should try." The boy's expression turned to shock as he looked behind the couple. Dark Shadow, where did you get that?!"

The two turned around to see the quirk wearing Tooru's bra on its head. "What? I just found a weird hat under the bed."

Hagakure was quick to snatch it away and say. "It's not a hat!" She then quickly pocketed them.

"Oh, sorry, Yūrei-chan." Dark Shadow then retracted back to its owner before dissipating.

After a cough, Tokoyami stated, "I'm sorry about that. Dark Shadow can be quite curious sometimes." He looked away from the two before saying, "I'll forget I saw that for all our sakes." He then turned to leave and no one said anything more until his exit.

A groan then escaped Tooru's lips. "Of course, nothing can be normal, and something like that had to happen to ruin the moment."

"I guess trying to hide it was all for naught." Izuku then let out a chuckle.

"I should have just put it back on. I figured that might take too long but that would have been preferable to this happening." Hagakure then walked over to her boyfriend's bed and sat down. "Again, sorry I didn't mention these dreams before. I didn't want to burden you with anything else as of late."

Midoriya joined her on the bed and took her right hand as he said, "Did the option of therapy never cross your mind?"

Tooru squeezed his hand well. "Somewhat. However, this only came up in my dreams, unlike Ochako-chan, who had it crop up with everything she did. I didn't feel like I needed it as badly. It was just restless sleep sometimes, gradually becoming less frequent over time. I just felt I could wait it out. Besides if I said I needed it you would have asked why, which would mean I would have to talk about the dreams."

Izuku couldn't blame her for thinking it like that. Still keeping it to herself meant it could have grown into something worse if she had never talked about it. He recalled her feelings as she told him about killing the Nomu the first time they spent the night together. Then a convenient thought came to him. "In the end, maybe it was best that this happened tonight. Imagine if you had a reaction like this during the sleepover."

The girl pulled away her hand to have both of them grab the sides of her head. "Damn, that would have really got in the way of Mei-chan getting on the girl's good side."

Hagakure sighed and stood up. "All things considered, I think it's best if I head back to my room."

Further digging that hole, Midoriya mused. "I get it." He also got up but then embraced her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Try to get some good rest."

Tooru returned a kiss, though one on his lips. Short but sweet. "Thanks for everything. And don't feel bad, nothing went to plan for me."

"But you know I am gonna feel that way regardless." Midoriya still felt Hagakure's 17th birthday and their first anniversary deserved to end on a happier note. He couldn't deny it would be a night they wouldn't soon forget.

Tooru just giggled and kissed her boyfriend once more for good measure.

The door opened on its own, but no one was there.

Midoriya was sitting on a waiting chair beside the door and didn't know what to make of it.

"Come in, Midoriya-san," said a cheerful voice.

Izuku got up without question and went inside. It was the principal's office, and Nezu was the only one there, sitting behind his desk. As he took a seat opposite the desk, the boy figured the door could open automatically if Nezu needed it, considering he probably had trouble opening it the normal way, considering his small stature. "Good evening, sir."

"Thanks for visiting me on such short notice. I would have given you more of a heads-up, but today's teacher meeting brought up something that concerns you. I also didn't want to call you up over Sunday, as you kids need all the rest you can get."

The boy bowed slightly. "Uh, thanks for considering my free time, sir." It was Saturday evening, and he had received a call from Aizawa to meet the principal after dinner. He then raised his head. "So what happened at the meeting?"

Nezu leaned back into his chair and brought both his hands together. "I don't know if you are aware, but we have kept the media away from the campus grounds. We want the students and faculty involved all the fighting to focus on getting their lives back together without the pestering of the press. We won't be able to keep them away forever, but you all deserve peace of mind for some time, even if brief."

The principal turned his chair towards his outlook of the campus through the window. "However, we can't ignore the students from the Department of Management in our school."

Students from class I, J, and K, Midoriya mused. Besides Hatsume from the Support Department and Shinso from the General Education Department, he had little interaction with people outside the hero course. And those from management? None at all. These students wanted to pursue the business side of hero work with agency creation, management, merchandise, and public + hero relations. Considering all the Hero Department students went through, the management students were most likely itching to interact with them to document their experiences and establish relations with future prominent heroes.

Nezu sighed. "Management teachers put a ban on their students from bothering any hero students with media or business work since the start of the school on their own accord. A bit extreme, I would say, but I get their reasoning." The creature spun his chair back towards the teenager. "Those teachers stated they wished to lift the ban at today's meeting, well, come Monday. It's been slightly over a month since school started once more, and they felt enough time had passed."

Izuku rubbed his chin as he took this information in. After a few moments passed, he asked, "And you're telling me this because I'll probably be sought out the most out of anyone else, right?"

"Most definitely. I wanted to personally give you a heads-up. You're free to tell others in your class or not. I feel there is not much you can do to avoid it, but it's better you know it's coming than be blindsided. Aizawa-san was going to tell you, but I told him I would, as I also wanted to discuss something else with you."

The boy leaned forward in his chair as he asked, "And that is?"

"About our deal, we made it back when you visited me when Hagakure-san was here."

"Oh, right." To think that wasn't even two months ago, Midoriya thought.

Nezu stood between the two students. "To repay my gratitude, I wanted to offer my services to both of you once this is all over."

"Services?" Midoriya didn't know what to think of this.

"You are All Might's successor but still quite young. Before, I was merely here to assist with whatever Yagi-san needed of me. But now that you are shouldering this school and Japan's future, I want to help. Your mentor has given me some details about how you differ from his way of doing things. I look forward to seeing how things develop after we put this scary affair behind us."

Tooru asked, "So, you mean offering help once Izuku-kun goes pro?"

"Yes, both of you. I hear you wish to build a team. With all the extracurricular activities you, your friends, and two of my staff members have been doing with that club of yours, that is your goal.

Izuku crossed his arms and answered, "It is, sir, but is our current hero system even going to be around after this? I can't see it being the same."

Nezu nodded before turning back to his desk and began walking. "You are probably right. I'll help you find your place in whatever system comes after. Both of you."

Things are different now. Izuku would eventually be quirkless. Such a promise couldn't come to fruition with his new goal. "So you know my quirk's current state, right?"

The principal nodded a few times. "Of course. While Yagi-san might be away recovering, we keep in regular contact. It came up a few times." He then tilted his head. "Do you think this invalidates our deal?"

"I mean, what else can be done? I can't be a hero."

Nezu stood on his chair. "But you still want to change hero society. Sure, maybe not as a hero, but as a teacher."

"Yeah, but I don't want you just to give me a job here. I want to earn it the right way."

"And I appreciate that you are seeking it out the way you are, but that's beside the point."

Midoriya was now even more confused.

By now, Nezu had walked across his desk and sat on the edge, just centimeters from the student's face. "Once you become a teacher here, I want to support your methods and can promote your teachings beyond this school. Of course, you first have to prove it's a worthwhile endeavor on your own." The principal then poked the boy's head, which startled him slightly. "Also, don't forget I made the offer to not just you, Midoriya-san."

"Yes, both of you."

The boy's expression softened. He was such an idiot to forget he felt. "Tooru-chan."

"Right. She still has a dream, no? I can still help her with it."

Izuku brought both his hands to his face. "But her dream was to go pro with me."

"Ah, I see." Nezu closed his eyes and seemed to go into deep thought. "Well, she still wishes to carry on your unique team dynamic as a pro hero, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Then I can support her and those teammates of hers. Whether they are members of this school or not doesn't matter. I'll make it a reality."

The principal was still offering so much for him despite everything that had happened, and it got to Midoriya. Still, something stuck in his mind. "Is it worth it, though? Our hero society still seems to have gone back to how things were with little change. If something like all this has happened couldn't alter it in a big way, what can I do on my own?"

"A fair assessment, but I think you are asking this question too early in the grand scheme of things." Nezu then stood back up and paced back and forth on his desk as he explained further. "A lot is happening behind the scenes, but it's still too early to reveal and implement them yet. We need to get this country back on track before any radical change can be introduced."

Midoriya stood up, intrigued. Nezu seemed to have a great pull in the country's hero politics, considering everything that was done to prepare for the final battle. This seemed to extend to the reconstruction efforts as well. "And how long will that be?"

The creature walked back to his chair and took a seat. "From the looks of it? The next Hero Billboard Chart."

So November, still quite some time until then, Izuku thought. Still, this was another resource to further his new dream and support Tooru's. It was an obvious answer to him. "I understand. Thanks for telling me." He then extended a hand. "I'll continue to accept your offer then, sir. For both my eventual teaching career and Tooru-chan's pro hero debut."

Nezu sprung forward and quickly shook the boy's hand with great energy. "Glad to hear Midoriya-san! I can't wait to work with you two once this all comes to fruition!"

Izuku heard a buzzing sound on his right side. At first, it didn't bother him. Then it came again. He still ignored it. But thrice? Okay, it must have been important. As the boy got up and reached for his phone on his nightstand, he noted the glow of sunrise outside. Then he noticed the time on his phone—only a half hour before he was supposed to wake up.

However, the three messages on his phone weren't through the group chat app. They were just standard texts from an unknown number.

?: Good morning, Midoriya-san.

?: I hope you had a restful Sunday.

?: I suggest you make Monday another rest day to avoid the chaos that will soon plague you this morning.

Midoriya stared momentarily at the messages before shaking the grogginess off before looking it over again. Chaos? This morning? Do they mean the ban lifted on the business students? If so, then that must mean this is one of those students. Izuku then typed back.

Midoriya: Are you from the Department of Management?

?: Hmm, a perfect first guess.

?: Am I not the first to contact you from our department?

Midoriya: You are, but I was warned about what might happen today from another.

?: Most interesting.

?: And have you told anyone else?

Midoriya: I told all those in 2A yesterday, and they also spread the word to 2B.

Izuku wondered if anyone had alerted any of the third years. He figured if anyone had, it would have been those on the student council.

?: Heh, my classmates were not expecting that at all. It's too bad I won't see their reactions firsthand this morning.

Midoriya: I know what to expect, so I do not need to avoid school today.

?: I don't think you understand.

?: Just about everyone is seeking you out. Especially the first years. They are crazy about you.

Izuku recalled his first day of class; however, that was just some first years from the hero course. An entire department wanting his attention? Could he handle that? The boy didn't want to think about it.

?: So I have a deal for you. Skip class today, meet me on your roof, and let's talk. We can avoid you being hounded by the mob by giving me a little bit of your time.

Skip school? On purpose? Midoriya hated the thought of it. Despite being under house arrest at the start of his second term last year, he never missed a day of school. Even when sick, he powered through it. This was his dream, current events notwithstanding, so to miss even a day was sacrilege in his eyes.

However, the thought of dealing with so many people was nagging at him. He expected just a few people. Izuku thought they would be divided in their attention like the hero students. Katsuki and Shoto had almost as much fanfare as he did then. However, it seemed these students would be different, going by this person.

?: So, do we have a deal?

Midoriya sighed and answered back a simple yes.

?: Fantastic! No rush, of course. Get up here when you can. I don't mind waiting.

Izuku wondered how they even got onto the roof. Did they sneak in when everyone was sleeping? Or did they have a quirk that could easily accomplish this. Questions for later. He quickly got dressed into his school uniform before heading downstairs to make himself some breakfast. Thankfully, no one else was up yet. He microwaved a quick meal and ate it with haste before going upstairs.

Once on the fifth floor, Midoriya stopped just before ascending the stairs to the roof. He then took out his phone.

All Might: Hey, could you tell the others that I am sick today and can't make it to class?

Izuku then walked up the stairs and looked out the window. There was no sign of anyone. They must be to the side or behind the roof access, he figured. The boy then noticed he had received a message.

Blank: Uh, being sick hasn't stopped you before.

Blank: Why not just wear a mask like usual?

Blank: What's going on?

All Might: I'll tell you as soon as I can, hopefully before lunch.

Blank: Does this have to do with the warning you gave us yesterday?

All Might: Sorta. It's complicated.

There was a pause before another message came. Midoriya feared he would need to explain more to get Hagakure more on board with the plan.

Blank: Alright then, it better be worth it. I've got you covered. Good luck!

All Might: Thanks! I'll make it up to you somehow!

The boy really did mean it. Tooru couldn't visit her parents this last weekend as they planned to visit her grandparents in South Korea. Izuku wondered if her summer trip last year was to see them or if it was unrelated. Another question for later. Still, she just wanted to reveal herself to her parents and be over it. The waiting was getting to Hagakure. He was the one to offer the idea to her, and now, the passing of time was causing more stress for her. And now this. However, it would turn out.

Midoriya then opened the door to the roof and felt a rush of warm air. July was just around the corner, and summer was rearing its hot head, even this early into the morning. The sun low in the sky blinded him for a second, but as his vision returned, a voice came from behind him.

"There you are."

Izuku turned to see a short figure leaning against the roof entrance. He found their attire strange. Jeans and a grey coat with the hoodie up? Soon, they would burn up if they stayed here too long. They were currently in the shade provided by the roof entrance, but that wouldn't last long as the sun rose higher. Did they wear this to conceal their identity as they arrived here? All Midoriya could tell was that the voice belonged to a girl.

"Got a name?"

The person in question pulled off their hoodie to reveal their face. They sported dark green hair that was slicked back with a small strand hanging from the front. They wore large, rounded glasses with dark green eyes behind them. The girl was also currently smirking.

"Masu. Komako Masu." She then took a few steps forward and extended a hand. "I know we haven't ever met before, but it's an honor to be in your presence, and thanks again for at least coming up here to talk with me despite the odd circumstances."

Midoriya glanced at the hand but didn't take it. "No offense, Masu-san, but I can't exactly trust you just yet. I need to know more before I reconsider even coming up here this morning to skip school." He figured he might still make it to class if he played his cards right here. Everyone would be waking up now and getting ready for breakfast soon. If he could wrap this up quickly enough, he could tell Hagakure to hold off the message if it was before homeroom started.

Masu retracted their arm and sighed. "Well, that's fair. I didn't give you too much to go on before coming up here." Their disappointed look then turned to a sly smile. "Still, coming up here means you wish to avoid the hustle and bustle of my fellow friends and classmates this morning."

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't like all the attention on me sometimes."

Komako crossed their arms. "Kinda hard to avoid considering who you are, huh?"

"A recent problem, I assure you."

"Hmm, so your secret was also a secret amongst your classmates for most of your first year, was it?" The girl reached into her pocket, pulled out a tablet, and began writing on it with a stylus.

Midoriya pondered, It seems the girl is quick to analyze me. "What class are you even in?"

Masu stated with pride. "2K. One of the top in my class as well."

So, Izuku mused, not some feverish overzealous first year. Still, he had enough waiting and asked, "So what can you offer to have me avoid all this attention on me?"

"An exclusive interview."

"A what?"

From her other pocket, Komako pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper. "I want to have an exclusive interview with you." They shook the paper before saying, "And this is a contract to make it official. They'll back off once I wave this in front of the others. They want to be the first to get the deets on you, but they will lose that chance if you sign this. Some might still seek you out after I publish it, but it won't be as overbearing. Plus, if I pull this off well enough, they will not need to bother you, and I will answer most of the questions they will have wanted to ask. Well, besides the weird ones."

Izuku took a bit to take this all in before saying, "I'm not going to pour everything about me in this, will I?" There was still plenty he wasn't okay sharing with at this point.

The girl shook her head. "I'll be respectful and as modest as I can be. Trust me. I want to focus on the teen who helped save Japan, not on the scandalous rumors of you and your class's dating life."

"WAIT WHAT ABOUT MY DATING LIFE?!"

Komako held up and waved their hands defensively, saying, "Woah, calm down. Like I said, I am going to avoid that for your sake. I seek to be professional in my methods; I am above such tabloid-esque interviews."

Midoriya felt a cold sweat coming on. "Is that what the others in your department are interested in asking me?"

"For the weird ones, I stated earlier? Most definitely. Your class is quite the anomaly. I can recall rumors about the romance in your class since the end of last year. It then spread to 2B at the start of this year. It's just not common, especially for first years. And now, with all that has happened lately, it's a boiling pot of talk amongst everyone. Most others still want to focus on your relationship with All Might-sensei and how you came to become a key figure in saving Japan. However, they would still ask questions about your love life. It's just too juicy for them not to."

Izuku grabbed the sides of his head with both his arms. Sure, all the attention from his heroics and what they meant for the future was one thing. But his personal life? Would Tooru be okay with all this attention? Would his friends that were also dating? And 2B? What was that about? His fears and worries stopped once he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Midoriya-san, once again, I am not interested in that. I can guarantee you I will not ask you such questions concerning such things. I can't say that the others will do the same, however."

Midoriya let his hands fall but was still unsure about this. There was so much to consider.

Masu seemed to notice this and withdrew her hand. "Look, this doesn't have to be right away. I can wait a few weeks for this to blow over. All you have to do is sign this, and we can do this on your timetable. All this contract states is I have sole permission to interview you. Nothing about the date or length of it. I don't want to be a bother if I can avoid it." She then handed the contract to the boy.

Izuku read the paper to confirm what was said, and after looking it over, it seemed to be legit. He appreciated being told the truth in this manner, but a few big questions remained. "Why skip school today, then? If I sign that right now, I can still make it to homeroom."

"I understand the hero course classes are quite important to you, but I need time to show the contract to those in my department. A day is all I need."

Midoriya returned the contract before asking, "And how did you get up here?

"The fire escape, though I had to bring over a ladder about an hour before I texted you to access it.

"And how did you get my number?"

"Your class president provided it to me near the end of our last term as first years."

"How did this happen?"

Masu proceeded to cross her arms. "I've had my eye on you for some time. The hero festival. The hero killer incident. Your raided summer camp. The Yakuza arrests. You were involved in a lot of stuff early on. Then came the romance rumors."

The girl started swiping through her tablet. "My best strength is information gathering. It didn't take long for me to find your inclusion in the Team Appreciation Club at the start of the year. As well as Ida-san's. I am the class president of 2K, so I have already met with your friend for our bi-weekly meetings with the student council. Near the end of the third term, I confronted Ida-san about TAC because I was curious about its purpose. He showed me the team tactics your mock team was creating and testing out. Ida-san mentioned he, Yaoyorozu-san, and yourself were key to their creation. Since Yaoyorozu was the vice class president, I could easily speak with her about it too, but not you. When I pushed further for questioning, Ida-san offered your number to me as a solution."

Izuku poured over everything that was just said. He could understand now that it made him stand out if someone had access to such information. "And you never called me because...?"

"I wished to wait till our second year. I still was so busy with gathering info about others at the time anyhow. Still, it was the best I did, considering everything that happened. And even then, when our second year started, we learned that contacting you and the others in the hero department was disallowed. Until now."

Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck. "Even then, no offense, this comes off as if you were stalking me."

Masu chuckled. "I guess it does come off like that. Rest assured, I am just very thorough with my research. Besides, you weren't the only one I looked into. Other likes Bakugo-san, Todoroki-san, and Shoji-san in your class interest me as well. I have folders on plenty of students between both 2A and 2B. It helps to have many options."

Izuku sighed. Just how many people did this girl have information on, he thought. "So I guess my involvement back in May pushed you to focus solely on me?"

"It did bring you into the spotlight, but the tipping point was actually after All Might-sensei's interview just before our second year started."

Midoriya raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Masu's voice became clearer as she explained, "It was near the end of his story. When he mentioned transferring One For All to you after seeing you save someone while being quirkless, it sealed the deal for me."

It might be a stretch, but Izuku asked, "Is this because you are also quirkless?"

After a nod, Komako stated, "We're a rare bunch these days. And considering everything you accomplished despite being quirkless, it just compelled me that you just had to be the one for me to seek out."

Midoriya recalled back to his previous schools. He was the only kid in his grade who was quirkless. He never met another in all his classes throughout the years who was like him. It was always some stranger or an adult. He wondered what hardships Masu had dealt with during her upbringing. But that was a time for later. Now, he needed to correct a mistake from earlier. The boy took a few steps forward and offered a hand. "Sorry about not shaking your hand earlier, Masu-san. Let's start over."

The girl looked to almost faint but regained her composure to gladly take the hand and give a firm shake. "I won't disappoint you, Midoriya-san!"

Izuku looked over his options as the line moved slowly toward the food serving tables. There were plates of butabara (skewered pork belly), karubi (beef short ribs), rosu (beef loin or sirloin), yakitori (skewered chicken), with various grilled vegetables and dipping sauces. Once he arrived, he decided on the butabara and karubi for his main dish. On the side, he had a mixture of scallions and peppers and grabbed a citrus dipping sauce for the pork.

It was Sunday evening, and classes A and B had a joint activity once more. As stated by Tenya, this barbecue was initially planned to be their first-year graduation celebration before everything went to hell. It was decided to try it once more after a few weeks of their new school year had passed. Cooking for everyone today was Bakugo, Ida, Rin, Shishida, and Uraraka. Lunch Rush supplied the grills and charcoal, but the students did everything else. Aizawa, Kan, and Eri were also in attendance.

Now with food in hand, Midoriya decided to sit next to Tokoyami, who was across from Mineta, Fukudashi, and Tsunotori. There were many long-sided tables next to one another, and there were few open seats left. He was near the end of the line, so he figured most of what was left would be for the cooks themselves.

"Sup, Izuku-kun," Minoru stated before downing another slice of rosu.

"Hey guys."

Fumikage was chewing on his food but nodded. Manga was doing the same but waved his free hand. It was interesting to see the teen's "mouth" in the pages that made up his head.

Pony looked around before asking, "Where's Hagakure-chan?"

Izuku answered, "She left to see her parents last night. Tooru-chan should be back late tonight, but don't worry, Ochako-chan is saving her some food." They had been told of the joint event on Monday, the day he missed because of the deal made with Komako. Still, Tooru wanted to visit her parents this weekend regardless. He hoped the face reveal went well, but he was also curious if he would find out about it tonight or tomorrow.

Mineta spoke up. "Well, she at least gets to have some of this food. It's to die for!"

Fukudashi shook his head. "I wonder how a small body such as yours can consume such quantities of meat."

Tsunotori giggled. "I think it's all thanks to his big mouth."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, you two," Minrou stated sarcastically.

The three then got lost in conversation. Midoriya began to eat his butabara, dipping it into the citrus sauce between bites.

Eventually, Tokoyami asked in a low voice, "Have there been any more dreams from Tooru-chan?"

"Not of 'that' but something else. Still, she prefers this new one over what was happening before." Saturday morning, Tooru had told Izuku she had a nightmare about her face being revealed to her parents the night before. Of being rejected, even though she knew that was absurd even to consider. Until then, it seemed Fumikage's drink suggestion and meditation lesson had stopped the Nomu dreams at least, as nothing had happened since she learned all of Tokoyami's lessons. Midoriya wrote it off as simply the stress of meeting her parents, which Hagakure also hoped was the case.

Tokoyami nodded. "As long as she redirects her meditation towards this new problem, hopefully, that should lessen as well."

"I'll be sure to tell her thanks." Izuku guessed this particular nightmare was a one-time thing, but he couldn't argue that it might trigger more if something didn't sit right with his girlfriend during her time with her parents. After eating some of his veggies, he asked those across the table, "Hey, so was Monday hectic for the class B students as it was ours?"

Manga stated, "We did run into a few management students, though most were interested in talking with Neito-kun and Itsuka-chan. I heard it was much more chaotic for your class, however."

Minrou grunted before saying, "Yeah, they were mostly hounding Katsuki-kun, Mezo-kun, Shoto-kun, and Fumikage-kun." He then looked to Izuku. "Luckily, Izuku-kun was sick that day." He then gave a wink.

Fumikage said, "Thanks again, Izuku-kun, for giving us the heads-up. I don't want to think how I would have handled all that attention if I didn't expect it coming."

"Thank our principal for telling me beforehand. I just spread the word."

"You didn't have to, but you did regardless. We appreciate it," Manga said, slightly bowing his head.

Pony asked, "Did they try to find you on Tuesday, Midoriya-kun?"

Midoriya shook his head. "I think they got that all out of their system by then. It's been pretty normal this week for me." Besides a few stares here and there, he told the truth. Masu's contract did the trick it seemed. Speaking of the girl, besides thanking them earlier in the week, they hadn't said anything else to one another on the matter. For now, he wanted to keep it that way. The boy wanted some time to prepare. He was tempted to call All Might for some advice, considering his experience with the media, but decided against it eventually. This was something he needed to do on his own.

"Probably for the best, you don't do well with all that attention," Mineta stated before nodding.

"I'm aware, thank you." But then the thought hit Izuku. Could he ask Komako for such advice in that field? He figured the interview would be in front of a camera but not live. And just with her there. The reason he was nervous before was because it was in front of his whole class, various teachers, and Mt Lady. His reveal of losing One For All only played out well, he felt, because of all the careful planning he had done beforehand. The management student had to have good pointers of how to deal with a crowd of typical media. There could be something he could offer to her for this information. Considering their department, Midoriya wasn't sure if Masu was the type to do things for free.

But Izuku just wanted to enjoy his meal with his friends and classmates for the time being. Still, while he finished his meal and talked to those around him, in the back of his mind, Tooru was in his thoughts.

Midoriya approached the homeroom with an odd sight before him. Hagakure was waiting outside for him. Usually, he was the one here first of the two, so her being early was unusual. As well as waiting outside. She wanted to talk in private, he figured. Once Izuku was in front of his girlfriend, he asked, "Is this about this weekend?"

"That was the plan. Until I saw her." Tooru's arm rose towards 2A's door window.

Izuku took a peek in. Eraserhead was sleeping in his usual corner. However, at the podium stood the third-year student Mawata Fuwa, who was currently flipping through papers in a folder. The boy looked back at Tooru and asked, "What's the issue with her being here? It just means we are probably going to do more restoration work today." As disruptive as it was to their typical schoolwork, she never complained about the aspect of helping people. So what gives this time, he wondered.

"We haven't seen Fuwa-senpai since she announced them in the first place. I think something more is about to happen if she's here."

Midoriya raised a hand to his chin. She had a point there. "It's definitely a possibility, but if it is, it just means we get to help more people. Right? That's the whole reason we are here, after all. Besides, it means less usual schoolwork, which you are usually a fan of."

Hagakure shrugged. "You are not wrong on that first point, but if you haven't noticed, our coursework hasn't decreased because of all this extra hero work; it's just more condensed to make up for lost time. Besides, I just know this will make things more difficult for our off-hours stuff."

The boy shrugged. "Look, we are in our second year now. It's just expected of us to do more work, especially considering everything else we have been through."

Tooru just sighed. "I know, I am being a worrywort here over nothing." The girl's arms rose and moved back and forth in front of her face a few times.

Going by the sounds he heard, Izuku figured she slapped her cheeks lightly a few times.

"Sorry for being a negative Nancy. Let's see what she says before I whine anymore over trivial stuff."

Midoriya put a hand on her shoulder. "That's a better attitude to have. Let's go!"

The two entered and took their seats but kept quiet until the rest of the class arrived.

Once the bell rang, Fuwa spoke up. "Good morning, 2A! I've only heard positive things about all the work you have done these last couple of weeks, so I must give my greatest thanks for your efforts out there. Together with 2B and the rest of the third years, our efforts have made a noticeable difference in getting nearby civilians' lives back on track."

The third-year student then left the podium and started to walk between the aisles of desks. "However, not all parts of Japan are as lucky to have such a large hero academia or pro-hero presence in their neighborhood. Such areas are still suffering and need help, so we are expanding our efforts beyond our local cities and districts. We want to spread out throughout the rest of Shizuoka and neighboring prefectures like Aichi, Kanagawa, Nagano, and Yamanashi going forward. We will also be splitting your class to do this, though expect some help from 2B as well."

Aizawa then unzipped his sleeping bag and stood up. "Due to this greater distance from school, these outings will not be doable as simple day trips and will now be a week-long effort to maximize efficiency. The hero class will be completely replaced by these restoration efforts going forward. Your time at U.A. will strictly be for scholarly classes until further notice." By now, he was behind the podium. "These off-campus efforts will start tomorrow, though next time they will start on Monday. Next week will be typical classes again, and from there, it swaps every week."

Small talk and whispers broke out between all the students as Fuwa returned to the podium. As the pro hero stepped aside she began fiddling with the folder she left there. Midoriya leaned his head to the right to get a look at Hagakure. She was slumped in her seat. Welp, it looks like her fears were true and she wasn't happy about it, he mused. Still, the boy wasn't against this. Helping those who needed it came over whatever inconvenience it brought to him.

By now, Mawata had brought up a piece of paper and placed a magnet on it, so it was hanging on the chalkboard. "These will be your assigned locations as well as pro heroes that will be supervising your group for the three weeks we will be doing this in July. We're still working on the specifics for August, so I'll contact Era-sen once it's ready to rely on you all."

The rare face of Eraserhead being embarrassed followed. It seemed he wasn't a fan of the nickname.

Everyone quickly got up to see where they had been placed. Once Izuku was able to see, he noticed he would remain in Shizuoka the first two times and in Nagano at the end of the month.

The boy soon felt Tooru grab his shoulder. "We're not working together on any of these this month!"

Midoriya, trying to be positive, stated, "I guess we have to hope we do in August then."

"But that means we will also be away from one another when it's your birthday!"

The boy's shoulders sagged a bit upon hearing this. He totally missed that. "Oh well, I guess that does put a hamper in your plans for me."

Hagakure could only groan in response.

As the commotion died down, Ida looked around and then to his teacher to ask, "Where did Fuwa-senpai go, sensei?"

Aizawa was leaning against the chalkboard towards the end of the door. "She left to give the same news to 2B. There's not much time left of homeroom, anyhow." He leaned forward and spoke up louder. Either take a picture or memorize it well quickly. Homeroom ends in a couple of minutes, everyone."

As Izuku took out his phone, Tooru whispered in his ear, "Hey, let's talk at the usual place after class, okay?"

The boy gulped. "Uh, sure thing."

Classes proceeded normally despite the announcement. Lunch was quite different, however. Both Ida and Yaoyorozu were excited by the news. Uraraka and Ojiro were more mixed. Hagakure was obviously not happy but kept it to herself, mostly. Still, it dominated the talk at their meal, and it seemed everyone was interested in working with 2B and seeing new places.

Once classes were over, Izuku barely had a thought to think before Tooru was at his side and taking his hand. "Let's go."

As they made their way down the hallway, the boy said, "You know, the faster we walk, the more eyes will be on us."

"They'll be on us regardless. Last week proved that enough."

Midoriya couldn't argue with that. Sure, no one was approaching him and asking him questions, but he definitely saw a lot more eyes on him than even the first week of school. This was even more pronounced when the couple was together. Hagakure took the news about Masu wanting to interview well enough. She was more taken aback by that so anyone would be interested in their dating life. It felt creepy and invasive to her.

Once outside, the girl said in a low voice, "We couldn't have our summer break out in the country. My birthday plans had to change. I have to delay the sleepover again. The entire management department wants to know all the details about you and me dating. We can't spend time together during your birthday. This term isn't in our favor at all."

"We definitely haven't had the best luck as of late. Life is just like that sometimes; you can't beat yourself up each time, Tooru."

Tooru stopped and let out a loud groan. "I know you're right. These are just first-world problems anyway." She then walked at a normal pace as she pulled her boyfriend. "Let's just get to the spot to talk about actual serious stuff."

Izuku didn't like the sound of that. Did everything not go well with her visit with her parents? Well, he was going to find out in a matter of minutes anyway. There was no need to worry about whether it had or not at the moment.

The two eventually arrived at the bench by the maple trees. The trees' fruits had grown once more, reminding Midoriya of the last time they sat here when the tree was like this. He had asked Hagakure to work out together the weekend after she had confessed to him only slightly over a year ago. It was hard to believe so much had happened since then, when things were so much simpler.

They sat down, but Tooru didn't say anything. Izuku decided to break the silence. As he removed his backpack and set it on the ground beside the bench, he asked, "How was your weekend?"

"Weird." The girl sighed. "I sorta chickened out at first."

"At first?"

"I waited till Sunday morning to use the device. I just wasn't up to it Saturday night. I needed a night of sleep to clear my head."

"No nightmares?"

"Nope, not of either kind. Thankfully." Hagakure let out a deep breath. "I told them about it over breakfast. And well, they were quite flabbergasted. They both changed, and I did the reveal in the living room. They also brought a big mirror downstairs from my mom's room so I could see it better."

"Even got your dad to look nice? Why was that?" Midoriya was most surprised to hear that fact.

"They wanted to do pictures."

"Oh, um, is that okay with you?"

Hagakure took her backpack off and placed it at her feet. She then leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder. "It gave me pause for a bit, but I figured it was for the best. There was no telling when we could do this again." She then chuckled. "We almost didn't get them done. My parents were such crybabies once they saw me. Thankfully, they cleaned up and held together to take a few before I faded again."

A big weight lifted from Izuku's chest. He figured her parents were ecstatic to see their daughter for the first time in over a decade, but all this waiting and awkward atmosphere was starting to make him think that maybe it hadn't gone that way. Tooru's nightmare about the reveal on Friday night didn't help either. Still, there was another question to ask: "So, how do you feel about what you saw?"

"At first, I didn't even look in the mirror. Even as my parents made audible gasps, I just stared at my hands for a while. Who knew something so simple would freak me out for a moment? But then I looked back at myself for the first time in forever." There was a pause. "I'm actually pretty? I thought I would look like a mess. My mom had to straighten out my hair a bit, but by default, I looked fine. My hair color doesn't look as bad as I thought it would be. Though it does make me stand out."

Midoriya gave her a hug, which made the passersby turn their heads. "See, it all worked out!"

Hagakure gave a quick giggle. "In the end, that description you gave me back in May was actually quite accurate."

"I tried my best," Izuku stated as he broke their embrace and patted his chest proudly.

Tooru placed a hand on her boyfriend's leg. "Still, while it went well with my parents, I'm still at a loss to nail down how I should feel about myself."

"About yhow you looked?"

"About having one at all." The girl pulled out her phone with her free hand. "I have the photos they took of me on this, but I can't bring myself to show the others. To even show it to you. And that makes me feel kinda shitty that I even feel this way."

Midoriya took some time to respond. When something finally came to him on what to say, he brought his right hand to her, which was still on his knee. "Are you afraid this will change how me and the others will see you?"

Hagakure answered half-heartedly, "Uh-huh. I have this dumb feeling that you all will instead want to see my new appearance over how I am now. That the current me needs to be fixed, especially if I showed this to Mei-chan, even though she means well. And what if it's just not a feasible solution? Will people prefer my actual appearance over the 'blank' me? Will I fade again?"

The boy had pondered if it was along the lines of this, though he didn't think it was this deep as she stated. Fade again? This trauma goes back to when Tooru's quirk first manifested. The newness of her appearance, or lack thereof, eventually faded among her friends at school. And she faded into the background. Her parents never forgot, of course, and accepted her. Minus the flack that came from her mother due to Tooru's desire to be a hero, but that had worked out somewhat. Hagakure had long accepted her quirk and left that appearance behind, only for this to crop up. It would seem like only a positive development to others, but for her, it was a repeat of past events, just in the opposite direction.

Izuku took this all in and now placed both his hands on his girlfriend's. "Tooru. I met you as the invisible girl. I learned about how that changed your life, for better or worse. I found those things compelling to learn more about you. And it got us closer. You confessed to me while I had never seen the other you. We have been a couple through thick and thin despite everything." He then brought his hands to hold Tooru's shoulders. "Sure, I got to see a glimpse of the other you not too long ago, but if that's all I get to see going forward, then so be it. I want to do what's most comfortable for you. Just know, the old you and the new you have a place in my heart if you'll let me. I won't forsake one for the other. They both make you what you are to me. But that's your choice. This is your identity to choose, no one else's."

Midoriya soon realized that this place was not the best to say what he just said. Hagakure bawled like a baby into his chest as she embraced him. Sure, it started as a few whimpers, then sniffles, then a good cry, then, well, what was happening now. He hadn't seen her shed tears like this since he awoke in the hospital back at the end of March. It caused quite a scene; a few students and even a passing Snipe came up to see if everything was okay. Thankfully, once the teacher was there, Izuku easily got the others to leave. Once Tooru calmed down and was able to tell the pro hero she was fine, they were alone once more.

Between a few sniffles, Hagakure stated, "You really can be a lot sometimes, Izuku."

"Sorry, I just had to say what was on my mind. I should have taken us somewhere more private before saying such things however."

"It just meant you spoke from the heart." Tooru then cleared her throat. "Sorry for getting your shirt wet."

Trying to lighten the mood, Izuku stated, "Better tears than sweat, I guess." It didn't bother him at all. Though he did wish he had a way to dry the wet spot at the moment.

This got a weak chuckle from the girl. "Thanks for that regardless. I don't care that we drew a crowd there. I needed that."

"Uh, happy to provide."

Hagakure suddenly stood up. "I still don't know what I want from all this, but what you said helps me with my options and my general mood about it." She then turned towards her boyfriend. "And I'll pay you back on your birthday for cheering me up, don't you worry."

"Ah, do you already have a backup plan? I guess that makes sense, considering what happened on my birthday." Not being physically there together did make the boy wonder what she had in mind.

"Actually, this doesn't change that much at all. Though your presence would be preferred, at least for me. You being away might help in your case." Tooru then let out a laugh.

Midoriya didn't know what to think of this. His birthday was two weeks away. Just what did his girlfriend have in store for him?

Izuku took a deep breath and then knelt to grab the four melons that were marked. As he walked carefully between the rows and rows of melons in the large greenhouse, he eventually passed a suited-up Sato who was carrying two large containers full of dirt in his arms. The two nodded at each other but said nothing. Midoriya eventually exited the building and found a small truck parked just outside. He then pulled over a tarp in the truck bed and placed the melons in a cart with perfectly shaped molds to hold the large fruit. After covering the fruit once more with the tarp, he looked to the other side of the vehicle to see Ojiro shoveling dirt to fill one container while his tail worked independently to fill another.

Mashirao asked, "Isn't it kind of risky to carry four at a time? I know they are not that heavy, but it's more of a balance thing."

"I know, but that was the last four in that greenhouse; I didn't want to make another trip that far for just two. We still have scores of buildings to harvest from." Izuku then took a bottle of water from the truck's passenger seat and began to chug it. While doing hard labor in his hero costume, the July weather was quite hot to experience. As he finished, an excavator arrived with a drum full of dirt and dropped it on the nearly depleted dirt pile.

Ojiro shouted over the machinery to say, "Thanks, Tsunotori-chan!"

The heroine gave a thumbs-up through the window and left back on the gravel road to get more for the other group. As she left, she passed said group. Midoriya could see that Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were busy shoveling, Kendo was transporting the dirt inside, and Kamakiri was collecting the melons.

The seven had been assigned near the city of Iwata in west Shizuoka. It was pretty rural here since they were so far west, bordering the prefecture of Aichi. This was their fourth day here, though it was the first full day at this farm. They spent the morning at this melon farm learning their specific tasks before performing them this afternoon. Before, they did repairs or upkeep from the greenhouses. This place was the largest yet, where they were harvesting, pulling out the old vine, swapping out the soil, and readying it for the next season.

And the melons? They were called crown melons, a type of muskmelon (a group including cantaloupe and honeydew). These were round, unlike the kakuro (squared melon) in Aichi, and were a high-priced item that grew best in west Shizuoka. Midoriya never really had any before, as the price could range from 8,000 to nearly 30,000 yen ($55-$210) a melon, depending on the quality. He really only saw them as gifts, considering that kind of price.

The country's shutdown months ago meant farms like these lost workers. Even though society was returning, they were still short handed during harvest season. And since each vine of the melon only produced one fruit, it was quite precious and time-sensitive.

Once Pony was far enough away that the excavator wasn't too loud, Mashirao stated, "I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that she could operate farm equipment."

Midoriya shrugged. "And that the owner was okay with it. It's not like she has a license, and even if she did, would it work if it's from America?

"Regardless, Tsunotori-chan's little demonstration this morning seemed to win her over. If it's on private land and the owner is okay with it, what are we to argue."

"Fair enough." A thought then came to the boy. "I wonder if Minoru-kun knows about this fact of Tsunotori-chan."

Ojiro chuckled. "Probably. I'm sure she's joked about crushing him with farm equipment if he tries anything funny."

Izuku did wonder how the two interacted. Did Pony even require such threats to keep Minrou in line? If so, they wouldn't be friends. Or is it just a very odd way of being friends? Midoriya was just happy Mineta had a friend who happened to be a girl. He just hoped that would continue without any more 'hiccups' like in December.

Mashirao took a sigh of relief as he set down both shovels. "Well, these two are full. I can't do it anymore until Rikido-kun gets back. Want some help getting started on the next greenhouse until then?"

After returning his water bottle to the truck, Midoriya said, "Sure thing!" He then handed his friend a pair of shears before they entered the new greenhouse. When they went inside, they noticed the first few vines in the first row were unmarked, which meant they were not ready for harvest. As the clipped-off melons were marked, Ojiro asked, "Got any plans for your birthday? It's happening the next time we do another outreach week, right?"

"On Tuesday, yeah. Tooru-chan has something planned, though I don't know what it is.

Mashirao's face turned to confusion. "Is she even going to be with you that week?"

"Nope. She said being apart might make it easier for me, though not as fun for her. Whatever that means."

"That's cryptic."

Izuku sighed before saying, "Exactly. I can't even fathom what she has planned."

The two returned their melons to the truck and returned for more before speaking again.

As Midoriya bent down to clip another melon, he asked, "Did you ever do anything for your birthday?" The talk from earlier made him realize that he had forgotten about it. It would have happened between Ojiro's visits to his house at the end of May and the start of June.

"Momo-chan invited me over to her place. It went well."

"You didn't run into any problems with her mom?"

Mashirao waved his free hand. "Nah, we are cool now, for the most part. I ran into her back in April when all our parents were asked to come to the U.A. for their protection. I tried to find Momo-chan one day but ran into her mom instead, and we talked. It was pretty awkward, but I think I got through it with her. Yoayorozu-san was cold to me on my birthday but not antagonistic, so I'll take that." He then stood up and waited for Izuku to finish. "Momo-chan had told her parents over the winter break, so our accidental meeting was not too bad. Had that been how her mother found out, I don't want to think about it."

"Man, I don't know if I could handle that. I've been lucky; I've had almost no issues with Tooru-chan's folks." Midoriya picked up the batch and followed his friend out.

"I'm just glad it's no longer causing stress for Momo-chan. Still, I want her mother to like me eventually, so there's still work to be done."

"Any ideas on how to accomplish that?"

"Their family butler, Yasumura-san, will start giving me lessons in bōjutsu more aligned with my muay thai during our regular school weeks. I am on his good side now and think I can ask him for advice.

"Over asking Momo-chan?" Izuku wasn't sure why asking her wouldn't do the trick. He was happy to hear they had come up with a solution over the bōjutsu training. Last he had heard, the two were struggling with that.

"Well, that's complicated." The two were at the truck once more. After dropping off the load, Mashirao leaned against the car. "Momo-chan still has issues with her mother, so she might not be the best option for giving me such advice. Yasumura-san has to deal with both the business and personal side of her daily life. I think he would be a better person to ask because of this."

"I guess I can see the logic in that."

Sato then emerged from the previous greenhouse Midoriya had been harvesting from. As he approached, he asked, "Are you two taking a break?"

Ojiro sat back up again. "Nah, just a quick talk. I'll get back to shoveling dirt."

"Actually, I can do that for a while. You can hold more melons easily with your tail anyhow."

Mashirao shrugged. "If you insist. Don't over-exert yourself, though."

"I'm not going to use my quirk for something as simple as this, I promise."

The tailed teen nodded and then made his leave.

Rikido then grabbed a shovel. "I'll help you with these next two anyway. I want to try carrying four of these at a time." Izuku gave his friend an odd look and waved his free hand. "I mean, I know I can easily do it with my quirk; it's more the dexterity of walking with them all at once without spilling any dirt. Besides, it means I can help shovel as well."

Midoriya had noticed this as of late. His classmates were giving him lighter work. They were subtle about it, but the boy understood what was going on pretty quickly. He knew they meant well, but he still wanted to contribute to the work effort just as equally as he could. By now, Izuku figured 2B knew about his condition as the three that were here acted the same towards him. It didn't bother him for now, but he wondered if it would happen during hero studies class or TAC once both started up again.

"You okay there Izuku-kun?" Rikido was giving his friend a concerned look.

"Oh, uh, sorry, got lost in thought about if Kendo-chan might take us out tonight again." On Tuesday night, Itsuka took them on a night on the town.

"Probably since we are at a new place. Though hopefully, she keeps her word this time." Sato then started to shovel dirt into the empty containers.

Midoriya joined in as he asked, "About what?"

"Last time, she teased me about asking out some girls we saw here and there. Sometimes, it's hard to tell if Itsuka-chan is serious or only messing around with me. I told her to knock it off either way, and she just laughed. It's hard enough finding me a date at school; I don't want to add the difficulty of a long-distance relationship to that."

"Have you had any dates since our second year started?"

Sato shook his head. "I think she understands we all need a little breather for a bit before doing anything as superfluous as romance for the likes of me for now."

"Do you want Kendo-chan to stop setting you up with girls?"

"Well, I'm not going to say no. Overall, it's been a positive experience. It's not like any of my dates have crashed and burned. If anything, I seem to have a better track record than her own attempts. I don't want her to break her back for me, so I'm not against this little break we are having from dates."

Midoriya thought, so he's still interested in finding a girl. He wondered why Sato and Kendo kept not finding anyone compatible. Was it them or just how dating tended to be? Considering he and his friends found good partners on their first go, perhaps they were lucky.

The two finished filling the containers with dirt, and as Rikido set his shovel aside, he stated, "I saw a batting cage on the way over here. Perhaps we can drop by it before finding a place to eat tonight. I'm sure Ectoplasm-sensei wouldn't mind something small like that."

Last time, Ectoplasm was more strict about their after-hours. From what texts he had seen from the others, they had full reign where they went after work besides a curfew. So why was their group different? Ectoplasm normally was pretty lenient about most things, minus his math class, but that was understandable. Izuku had wondered if it was because of his presence. It was a more rural part of the country, but some people still noticed him when they went out on Tuesday, even out of his hero suit.

"Couldn't hurt to ask. Sounds fun."

Sato nodded and then reached into his pocket, pulling out a few sugar cubes. He consumed them before lifting all four containers. "Hopefully in two weeks whatever pro hero you are assigned will let you have a little fun for your birthday." He slowly left as he tried to balance everything.

As Midoriya set down his shovel and left to help harvest more melons, he could only think about his upcoming birthday.

Izuku, Shoto, and Minoru were walking back to the hotel room after a good night's soak at a local bathhouse. Behind them was Hound Dog, their assigned pro hero for the week. The girls, including Tsuyu, Setsuna, and Yui, decided to stay longer, so the boys let them be.

It was Midoriya's birthday, but considering how strict Hound Dog normally was, there were no celebrations to be had. The boy was happy enough that they got to eat out, even if it was just fast food, and go to the bathhouse. The previous night, it was straight to bed after work, though to be fair, yesterday, they worked late into the night.

After a long silence, the pro hero spoke up, "You still seem tense Mineta-san."

Said boy sighed. "Sorry, I just have never been at gunpoint before. Still a bit rattled."

Todoroki stated, "It definitely was jarring the first time for me as well, Minoru-kun. Just remember not to hesitate next time."

Mineta looked at Midoriya. "I guess I am lucky you didn't hesitate when you disarmed him in a flash, Izuku-kun."

"It's all good, Minoru-kun; I'm just glad that was the only surprise we ran into today."

Hound Dog said at a low growl, "Sorry, the report said they were unarmed. Had I known, I would have gone alone to deal with those thugs. A concealed carry can quickly turn a situation into a dire one."

This time, the group wasn't too far from the last trip. Now, they were in the largest city in their prefecture, Hamamatsu. At nearly a million people, the city had a recent uptick in crime. Bakugo, Komori, Shoji, Uraraka, and Yanagi were here two weeks ago with Snipe. It seemed everyone would eventually rotate through this city. During their last call for the day, a robbery, Mineta had a gun pulled on him after snaring two of the thug's comrades. Despite being quickly saved by Midoriya, it has shaken him up.

"It's okay, sensei; I'll learn from this so it doesn't happen again next time."

By now, the three had arrived at the hotel. The pro hero was at his door, and as unlocked and opened it, he stated, "I hope there isn't a next time, even after you graduate. Still, that's a good attitude to have." He reached inside and grabbed a water bottle before he closed his door and began to walk back to the bathhouse. He still wanted to escort the girls back once they finished. "Goodnight, boys. See you first thing in the morning."

Minoru turned to Izuku and asked, "Hey, sorry again for making you use your quirk to help me earlier."

"It's fine. I only used it for a moment when it was needed. It's not that limited."

"Yet," Shoto stated while crossing his arms. "I do agree with Izuku-kun, though. Unless his quirk shows signs of waning, he should use it when needed. Holding it back just to save some time over saving one's life will never be worth it, I feel for either of us."

Midoriya nodded to this. It was a bit blunt, but Todoroki explained precisely how he felt about using his quirk. Even if he had to expend it all before graduating to do his duty as a hero, even if in training, it had to be done."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop apologizing. See ya in the morning Izuku-kun."

Izuku waved to his two friends, "Goodnight, you two."

Shoto and Minoru had a room to the left of Hound Dog, and Izuku had one to himself beyond that. The girls were in rooms to the right of the pro hero. Initially, Mineta would be alone, but he offered his room so Midoriya could have it.

Izuku asked, "But why?"

Mineta rubbed a finger under his nose with a wide grin as he said, "Well, the birthday boy might receive a nice call from his girlfriend this week. I doubt he wants anyone around during such a private call."

Midoriya was starting to wonder if Mineta had a hidden quirk that allowed him to detect things like this. Still, he entered his room and took off his shoes. He didn't turn on the light and instead fell back onto the far bed. He then checked his phone to see if Hagakure had texted him yet, but there was nothing.

As Izuku lay there, he pondered how to pass the time. He didn't feel like watching TV and wasn't in the mood to search the web at his usual places. However, a thought came to his mind—something he had been putting off since last week. The boy grabbed his phone once more and began typing a private message in his group chat app.

All Might: Are you busy?

Midoriya figured he would need to wait a bit for a response, but not even a minute passed before he felt his phone vibrate.

Camera: I'm here and have your full attention!

Izuku figured she had been waiting for this for some time.

All Might: I think I am ready to do this. How does this Sunday sound?

Camera: Perfect! Anytime in particular?

All Might: Let's do it after lunch. I'm busy in the morning.

Between Momo's Sunday lesson and his and Tooru's video chat with their parents, he couldn't see the morning as a viable option for doing this.

Camera: Can do. We'll do it in one of the private study rooms in the library.

Camera: If I brought you to our studio, it would cause people to flip out.

Camera: Do you want me to send you a list of questions I plan to ask beforehand?

All Might: Is that normal?

Camera: Depends.

Camera: Prepared answers make things easier for you, but they might come off as scripted and fake for some. I'm fine with doing whatever you feel is best for you.

All Might: What do you prefer?

Camera: Going in blind, but I understand if that would be too difficult for you.

Midoriya considered his options here. Since accepting Masu's interview offer, he had already brainstormed questions he might be asked and thought up responses. So, in a way, he was already halfway there. Still, Izuku barely knew Komako; there was no telling what she might ask considering that. He even still thought up questions/answers involving Hagakure if they were brought up. Light questions. Anything specific, and he would ask the management student to end the interview. Masu did promise that.

All Might: Blind is fine.

All Might: As long as we avoid any discussion of my personal life.

Camera: No romance talk, as promised.

All Might: Thanks, until Sunday.

Camera: See you then!

Izuku sighed in relief. At least that's set up for now, he mused. He left to use the bathroom and came back to undress to get ready for bed. Once he had finished, he heard his phone ring.

It was a video call from Tooru.

Midoriya was hesitant at first but accepted it, only to reveal the sight of a ceiling of some building. "Uh, hello?"

In a sly tone, Hagakure stated, "Happy birthday Izuku."

Izuku realized the volume was way too loud and proceeded to turn it down.

"H-Hey, what's up? Why can't I see you?" The implications of this answer could mean a lot to the boy.

"I'm not in the frame as I am busy doing something. Is it working on your end? I don't do this often."

"I see. It looks fine on my end I guess." Well, that relieved him somewhat. "Uh, how's Kanagawa?"

"Shelter clearing and building as well as food dispersal, nothing too drastic this week. I bet it's more lively there in Hamamatsu."

"Yeah, you'll see firsthand later in July." He knew she would be here next time. Still, Midoriya thought it best to wait until later to tell Tooru about the gun incident.

"Sounds like it. Anyways, are you alone?"

Izuku gulped. "U-Uh, yeah. Are you?"

"Yup! It helped that I was the only girl here to get a room for myself."

Midoriya recalled his girlfriend being with Vlad King, Awase, Kirishima, Sero, and Rin.

Hagakure asked, "How did you get a place to yourself?"

"Oh, uh, there's only two beds per hotel room. And since we are three boys, I just got the lucky draw." Mineta giving up the room to him wasn't something she would like to hear about anyhow the boy figured.

"That's good. That makes this a whole lot easier."

Izuku noticed the background move as Tooru picked up her phone. There was a blur of black and white until her blank face was there. But it was different. Hagakure was wearing a white lacy headband with a black spine. He also noticed her shoulders were just white frilly straps. What little he could see around her neckline was black. Midoriya grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled at it for a moment. "I-Is that an m-maid outfit?!"

Tooru didn't respond and instead lowered the view of her phone so her boyfriend could get the entire view.

The boy's guess was right on the ticket. Frills, bows, and nylon laces of black and white were throughout the outfit. If it weren't for her invisible body, there would have been a lot of cleavage around the chest. What was most surprising was the skirt. Well, how little of it existed. Midoriya knew of short skirts, but this was to a different level. Because of how short it was, he expected to be flashed by her underwear but saw no such thing.

Izuku looked away as he asked, "You're wearing the special p-panties again, I am guessing?"

"Nope. I didn't plan on bringing it, and there's no bra either under this. They just stuck out, especially the panties. Visible legs would hide them normally. That would have been a bit much for you, I figured." Tooru then let out a soft giggle.

Very much so, Midoriya thought. Still, even if her legs were visible, he couldn't see the skirt being able to hide anything unless she pulled her skirt down the whole time. Where did she buy this from he wondered?

"So, do you like it?"

"O-Of course!"

Tooru sighed. "Too bad I couldn't be there with you so you could see it up close."

The boy then realized. This is what she meant. While she would have preferred to have done this in front of him, her not being there would have made it easier for him. Considering that, he had to ask, "And if I was there? What else would we do?"

"Like Valentine's Day, I wanted to feed you some treats. As you suggested back then, we could have made out while I wore this." Hagakure's tone turned much more suggestive when mentioning the second idea.

She really wanted to go all out for me, Midoriya pondered. To make up for what happened during her birthday? Would he have been able to survive this had he been back at school? Izuku could feel his face heat up at the thought.

"Looks like I hit the jackpot." Tooru then set the phone by the side of the bed so her boyfriend could be in full view as she lay down. "Would you enjoy doing more things like this in the future?"

"You d-dressing up?"

"Yeah, even cosplay if you want, as long as it's not too expensive."

This offer was an odd turn. Besides the cheerleader outfit from long ago, this seemed different for his girlfriend. She rarely dressed up to please him besides maybe her swimsuit on his last birthday. But even then, the one he saw was pretty tame. He had no idea about this new one, though.

Hagakure inched towards the phone and asked, "If you want. I have my new swimsuit here too if you wish to see it."

Speak of the devil. Just how many extra outfits did she sneak in her backpack, Midoriya wondered. What happened next? He wasn't so sure why. Was it because he wanted this to go perfectly for his girlfriend, considering everything that had happened as of late? Or did his curiosity get the best of him? Either way, he stated, "S-Sure, go ahead."

"Give me a minute then!"

As Tooru changed her clothes off-screen, Izuku pondered what this all meant. Was this just a natural progression of a relationship? As they got more comfortable with one another, is seeing one another less or more suggestive clothing just the next step? Or did it have to do with recent events involving Hagakure's appearance? Was she trying to distract him from thinking about her visibility? Or even see her invisibility as the better option for this thing? His girlfriend could basically pull off anything clothing-wise she wanted, considering her lack of a face. Should I be happy she is offering this dress-up thing, or concerned?

Suddenly, the discarded maid outfit flew into the frame as it was tossed on the bed. He heard a soft giggle in the distance.

Because of this, Midoriya's thoughts became distracted. Trying to break the silence and not think about her changing, he asked, "Did you have this maid outfit plan since you promised to think up what to do for both our birthdays?"

"I actually wanted to do it for Valentine's Day. I bought it before Christmas last year. But after thinking about it more, I thought it would have been too much for you. I got this swimsuit at the end of May, back when I hoped we would still have a summer break."

So, at least in the case of the maid outfit, that was before everything, Izuku mused. Still, Tooru changed her mind and showed this to him now. However, that might have to do with other factors. Since then, they had slept in the same bed twice. She was comfortable enough to show her bra to him now, too. He didn't feel like this was the best time to ask outright what was spurring this lately.

"I'm ready! Are you?"

Midoriya took a deep breath. For now, he just needed to please his girlfriend while accepting his gift. "Yeah, I'm good."

Hagakure then appeared once more; she threw the maid outfit aside and lay on her side on the bed. It was a bikini this time, her bottom a plain blue, and her top had blue and white stripes that were running up and down but slanted to the right. On her head was a large white flower, and her wrists and ankles had white snap bracelets on.

"What do you think?"

He felt fine before seeing his girlfriend in one piece; this was different. Izuku could see the inside of her bottom, the part that would be touching her butt. It felt wrong to be able to see it from here. He felt he would have the same feeling if she turned around for her top. The boy couldn't deny that this was much more stimulating than before. "I think I'm going to look forward to the next time we go s-swimming together."

"Oh, I knew you would like it," Tooru said gleefully. She then sat in bed, "If anything else comes to mind for me to wear, do tell me." She leaned in towards the phone. "Just nothing too crazy. I have my limits, too, okay?"

Midoriya gave an awkward chuckle. His girlfriend really was too much at times, but deep down, he knew he liked it.

Oh boy, another long one. Had a lot to cover, so it made sense.

I published an update on this fic last month for those who missed it. To summarize all the changes: fixed grammar issues, added my commissioned art to the Ao3 version with the text to places they were directly made for/from, changed the honorific progression between the main couple, added a Tsuyu interaction early + Shoto one later on, and added more backstory/dialogue for Inoue. You do not need to re-read the entire fic because of this update. This is just to bring things together to a similar quality throughout for new readers and those who wish to go back and re-read a few old chapters for old-time sake. If I recommend any chapter that is a must-read, it's really only the last scene of chapter 32. 40+41 adds much more to Inoue, but it isn't essential. I also added a fun bit to Tooru's sleeping over in 52 if you wonder where the bra bit came from. ;p

There is no news on commissions, but for good reason. Saichan's mother passed away after the last chapter was released, so I am in no rush for her to finish my IzuTooru commission. When it's ready, it will be ready. She deserves time to grieve and figure things out.

Tooru's nightmare was actually something I thought up very late into this chapter's outline. After finishing chapter 52 and combing over the outline for this chapter, I could add more to it, and this came up. The meeting with Nezu showed how the chapter would start for some time. Here, we update with the principal, considering how things have changed, and get a teaser of big changes coming in chapter 57.

Now, the big one. Komako Masu. I felt the media and others in U.A. would still be quite curious about Midoriya, especially with the addition of All Might's interview I did. Masu will be the vector for that. And going forward, she will be important for things to come!

The joint activity bridges the aftermath of the interview offer and Tooru's face revealed to her parents. I had this idea of a barbeque way back before both war arcs occurred in the plot, so I am happy to finally use it, even if it's just a short scene.

The recovery effort needed to be expanded, so these weekly outings were my answer. They will provide different settings and more chances for different character interactions. Plus, they throw further foils at Tooru's plans. What fun!

We get more progression with Tooru's appearance plot in both this and the final scene. It will continue to be a bumpy ride for the couple as they get through this. It's a core part of her character, and solving her dilemma will take time and hardship. I am expanding on it so much here because of all the fics I have read that quickly and straightforwardly solve her invisibility issues. It always rubbed me the wrong way. However, I am sure Izuku doesn't mind the eye candy along the way. ;p

KodaJiro 5 is next on the docket, then chapter 54. I am writing another Kacchako oneshot in the background for a zine focusing on the summer! Two of its three scenes are already written, and it's not due for quite some time so that it won't get in the way of things like earlier this year. In the next chapter, we hit over 500,000 words! Half a million! Crazy, huh?