Chapter 3: A Starting Line
The classroom was quiet. Each chair was tucked neatly under its respective desk. Two people stood by the door while unseen little yokai hid under desks, behind the podium, and just outside the door, sniggering, shoving each other, and delightfully watching the confrontation.
The teacher looked down at Izuku, arms crossed and disdain clearly evident in his glare. Izuku sighed. There was nothing he could do to make the teacher or his fellow classmates like him. If daycare and kindergarten had been hard without a quirk, first grade was worse. Now, not only were his classmates increasingly distant, but even the teachers either sidestepped him, like he was made of glass, or they deliberately picked him out from the rest of the class.
Most of the teachers and students avoided Izuku, but Takai-sensei was one of the exceptions. While he ignored Izuku on most days, he would still, more often than less, single him out during or after class.
Takai-sensei began tapping a steady staccato with his forefinger against his crossed arms, "Well, care to explain?"
Izuku bit his lip. Now that they were in the middle of the school year, he knew telling the truth would only make Takai-sensei angry, "I studied for a really long time. I'm sorry I couldn't do better."
Takai-sensei held out their latest reading quiz, a big red fifty percent inked at the top of the page.
"You honestly think I'd believe that you studied?"
Izuku inwardly flinched but outwardly tried to remain calm. Looking guilty would only encourage Takai-sensei to suspect him further. He knew that from experience.
"You've been a problem student since school started in April, and you're only in first grade. You shouldn't be exhibiting these issues already."
Izuku flinched, and Takai-sensei frowned, "Whether you studied or not, you shouldn't resort to cheating when you're struggling, especially since it's a simple kanji test." Takai-sensei pointed to an answer that was clearly correct. Izuku remembered studying it, but it was marked wrong.
Izuku stiffened but did not flinch this time. The sniggering of the yokai grew louder.
"I didn't cheat," Izuku tried to stand tall, his heart fluttering and his stomach churning.
Takai-sensei shook his head, "Don't lie, Midoriya-kun. I'll be watching you in the future, and I'd better not catch you again. Don't use your status as an excuse to do the wrong thing."
Izuku flinched, grimacing when the teacher mentioned his quirkless status but, otherwise, did not respond. Takai-sensei gestured for Izuku to go, and so Izuku left. He ignored the still snickering yokai as he slipped out of the room and, when the door closed, gave his best imitation of Kekyu's proud and aloof glare to the yokai in the hallway.
Izuku whispered, punctuating every word – "Leave. Me. Alone."
The little yokai scoffed but dispersed, shaking their fists as they went. Izuku sighed, clenching his fist, his face troubled. Initially, he did not think that the yokai would listen, but the more confidently he spoke, the more likely the little yokai were to leave him alone. It surprised him at first, but Kekyu merely attributed it to the fact that Izuku had potential and that the yokai in an elementary school were "weak and inconsequential."
Izuku took a deep breath. Speaking so forcefully was not in his nature, but when it came to the yokai, he knew now more than ever that he could not give an inch – at least for the tricksters and the mean ones.
Izuku navigated his way through the hall and toward the front entrance. As he stepped outside, the cool autumn air washed over him, and for a second, he could relax. But a snide and cutting voice assaulted him.
Izuku's head whipped to the side only to see a thin, dark-haired boy leaning against the side of the building.
Jiro-san.
Izuku stiffened. The boy was a fourth grader who liked to pick on the younger children. Even now, Izuku could see the small yokai gathering at his heels, and a few were hovering around his head. They were grinning as they eyed the two greedily.
Some called out encouragement, egging Jiro-san on – just like they did whenever anyone was being bullied.
"Get him!"
"He can't do anything to you. Show him his place!"
Izuku bit his lip; it was always so much harder to deal with the yokai when they hid behind the other students. The small trickster yokai who populated the school fed on the cruelty of the children with baleful glee. They enjoyed students belittling others and always followed the bullies around the school – waiting.
When Izuku was alone, he could generally intimidate them – at least enough to make them back off like the ones in the hall upstairs – but it was when they attached themselves to the students that the trouble began.
"I heard you talking to yourself just a moment ago. Were you blowing off steam since you got caught cheating on your test?" Jiro-san snorted, "How lame. Everyone's talking about how you always seem to be looking at or talking about things that aren't there. I guess it was true."
The yokai cackled.
Izuku swallowed and turned to walk away, but Jiro-san followed.
"I also heard that that Bakugo-kid calls you a Deku. He do that 'cuase you're weak? Well, he's an arrogant punk with that flashy quirk, but you…."
Izuku picked up the pace.
Jiro-san stopped following, much to the chagrin of the yokai, but he still called out, scoffing, "You're not a Deku – you're just a quirkless, and that's all you'll ever be."
Izuku ran.
Once he was far enough away, Izuku slowed down, panting heavily.
He rubbed the wetness from his eyes with the backs of his hands, "Crap."
It was only recently that he had been able to truly speak with conviction – as per Kekyu's suggestion – when dealing with the yokai. Kekyu had even stopped telling stories, all so that Izuku could practice being assertive enough to intimidate them, but it never seemed to be enough.
They backed off when it was only the yokai, but when they hid behind people like Jiro – and Bakugo – he could not muster the courage to be assertive. To stand up for himself. All he did was curl in on himself or run away.
It made the yokai, who were intimidated when they were alone, gleeful – they relished in it. It was the time that they could 'win.'
"Crap," Izuku half-sobbed, half-shouted.
Izuku took a shuddering breath and huffed, "The only good thing is that they don't care about me being quirkless – except when it comes to the human bullies."
Izuku scrubbed at the sides of his head in frustration, "What should I do? I'm pushing back like Kekyu said… I'm being strong… but Jiro saw me. Everyone already thinks I'm weird 'cause they've seen…. If I could only figure out how to make at least one of them leave me alone – the yokai or the bullies."
His shoulders drooped as he continued to walk toward home, but when he looked around, he noticed that he had reached the river bank. Ever since starting school, Izuku took this path when walking home so that he could see Ginro, the kappa he had saved.
Izuku smiled when he saw Ginro wadding in the reeds, just like he did every day as he waited for Izuku.
Ginro perked up as soon as he saw Izuku coming.
Izuku smiled fondly as the kappa paddled to the side of the bank and knelt there, just like he did every day. The sight of someone who was so happy to see him was a blessing.
Izuku dug into his backpack and pulled out his bento box, from which he extracted a cucumber and tossed it to the waiting yokai. Ginro leaped to catch the offering, a toothy smile spreading across his face.
Izuku giggled as Ginro stuffed the cucumber in his mouth, munching on the treat happily. Today, Ginro's enthusiasm helped Izuku forget Takai-sensei's accusations, even if just a little bit.
Izuku was about to continue on his way like he did every other time, but then he slowed.
Izuku turned to face the kappa, a thought rising to the front of his mind – something Kekyu had said when he was debating about whether to save the kappa or not. Since their first meeting Ginro had silently given Izuku pointers on how to take care of minor injuries. It was particularly helpful as Izuku did not want his mother to know about the bullying, but if Ginro was willing to help when Izuku showed up with scrapes and bruises, then maybe he would help with more.
"Hey!" Izuku called out. Ginro looked up, eyes curious, as he continued to chew on the treat. "If I bring an extra cucumber, would you teach me how to wrestle? How to defend myself?"
Ginro pondered the question for a minute, eyes drilling into Izuku, "Hai! Go to home beach. We meet tomorrow."
Izuku beamed, "Thanks!" He waved and ran off.
Ginro watched Izuku out of the corner of his eye as he continued to munch on his treat. Ginro had been at the bottom of the clan under a not-so-powerful Suiko for a long time. Suiko were another type of water yokai and one stronger than the kappa. They were also far more cruel and dangerous than the kappa. This particular Suiko's lowly place compared to other Suiko displeased it. So, the Suiko was particularly cruel when venting its frustration. Ginro's lowly status had been the reason why he was sent out on that swelteringly hot day just over two years before and had almost shriveled up on an unusually hard human pathway.
After being saved by the small human, Ginro became curious, and finding the human's home, began to leave gifts as thanks for saving his life.
Unfortunately, Ginro's situation in the clan did not improve, and he found himself outside the water to do tasks for the others more frequently.
It also meant that he had run into the little human on more than one occasion. A good thing for Ginro, given that he was particularly clumsy on land compared to the other kappa, which they and the Suiko found funny.
Now, though, Ginro had left.
After being saved by the tiny human more than once, he had slipped away – mostly unnoticed since no one cared. However, a few kappa did since it meant that they were now the errand runners. To Ginro, the decision was simple.
After all, Izuku was going to be a powerful human, and Izuku had saved him from shriveling up on the sidewalk – he had his honor as a kappa to keep.
Ginro understood that Izuku was small now, but he did not care. Izuku was a fast learner and was always willing to give him a cucumber in exchange for lessons and pointers about first aid – even though Ginro already owed Izuku his life and would do so without the cucumber.
Ginro was quite indebted to Izuku.
It was not long after Ginro left his former clan that he showed the small human his new home one cold afternoon. However, he liked meeting Izuku as he made his way home from the place called school. So, Ginro always ventured down the river to ensure they crossed paths. The cucumbers were always delicious.
Ginro finished munching on the treat, smacking his lips greedily as his thoughts turned.
It had been almost frustrating when Ginro realized that Izuku already had a familiar. He had met the little brown furball yokai that stood next to Izuku. Yet, even if Ginro was not the first, at least he was the second in Izuku's entourage. It was far better than being the last.
Ginro nodded to himself.
He could teach the little Izuku how to be great. It was something only he could do.
As Izuku left the waterway behind and continued to trot toward home, he came to one of the street crossings. Where something unusual was happening.
In the middle of the road, two tall Ox and Boar-looking humanoids stood clutching each other as cars whizzed by. Both were bellowing, and no one seemed to be paying them any attention.
Izuku only then realized that they were yokai and their appearance was not due to their quirks, meaning no one else could see them. Izuku had only just stopped himself from asking when a hero would show up to help before he grasped the situation.
Izuku's large, round eyes turned to watch the two yokai standing in the middle of the crosswalk.
Maybe they tried to cross with the other people and didn't finish in time.
When the traffic stopped, the two yokai were still huddled together in fear. Just because they could not be seen did not necessarily mean they could not be hurt by objects made by humans. It was why some of the bigger yokai lived far away from cities.
Once the pedestrian light turned on, Izuku rushed toward them, raising both hands to tug on their yukata, "Come with me!"
The Ox and Boar yokai looked down at Izuku, surprise written all over their faces. Izuku tugged at them again, more urgently this time, "We have to go."
After a quick glance at each other, the two took Izuku's tiny hands and allowed him to tug them along as they shakily looked around at the humans passing by.
The first time they tried to cross the road, the humans were all in a rush, just like now – bumping into them and jostling them.
The Boar yokai had tripped, and when the Ox yokai had turned to help his friend, the humans had finished crossing, and then the horrid metal carriages started moving again, surrounding them. Now, one tiny human was leading them across the road. Most of the adults ignored the child, who seemed to be raising his hands into thin air. After all, this is what it looked like to the humans, but a few whispered.
"Creepy kid."
Izuku flinched but did not let go of the Ox and Boar yokai's hands as one adult quickly passed, glaring at Izuku. Izuku worried his lip, and the two yokai tightened their grip reassuringly as they finished crossing the street.
Izuku smiled up at the two yokai, who, after bowing, turned and slowly trotted off. Izuku watched sadly as they left, sighed, and then continued on his way home.
The next morning, in addition to a fish, several berries, colorful leaves, and acorns were left on the front mat.
The next day, they were back to only a fish.
Izuku smiled sadly as he realized that the two yokai would not be staying, but at least he was able to help them after his own bad day at school.
Izuku sat, legs in the lotus pose, while concentrating on his breathing. Ever since asking Ginro to teach him how to defend himself, this was how he and Ginro always started their lessons.
Izuku concentrated, or he concentrated as well as a hyper-active first-grader was capable of. At the very least, Izuku also had a hyper-focused mode – the same one he channeled when he did his hero analysis for the future. The first notebook was almost done, and as a result, it had taken a few moments to focus on the training after his enthusiastic diatribe about his most recent analysis. Much to his disappointment, Kekyu and Ginro only nodded and then focused back on the training. Izuku then quickly centered his thoughts as he knew the training was also for his future as a hero.
Time passed, and Izuku focused only on his breathing until it seemed like the world came to a halt. For the first time since their training began, he found his center. At that moment, it felt like all of his senses were alight. His breathing slowed, and with eyes still closed, he could hear the sound of the wind rustling in the grass, the flow of water over rocks in the nearby stream, the steady flow of traffic from the nearby road, the murmur of people walking the streets – normally Izuku would not be able to hear all of it. Normally, it would all blend together, but right now, everything was crystal clear, and he was able to focus on all of it simultaneously.
He could feel the air moving around him.
He could also feel something like heat coming from the direction in which Kekyu was sitting a few meters away and a cool, refreshing wave from where he knew Ginro was sitting.
This hyper-aware state was much different from his usual hyper-focused mode. One allowed him to focus every sense on one thing. This new one allowed him to be aware of everything at once.
The sudden bark of a dog caused Izuku's eyes to jolt open, and for a moment, everything was glaringly clear. The sky's vibrant blue shimmering, the clouds moving and shifting, the trees swaying in the breeze, each individual blade of grass, and the fluttering of a butterfly's wings were all in sharp focus.
Izuku took steadying breaths, eyes nearly popping out of his head in wonder at the sensory overload that began to steady itself within moments of the dizzying experience.
Kekyu crowed excitedly, "You touched upon your spirit energy!"
Ginro nodded, "Auara needs focus. Focus good! Strengthen Focus!"
Ginro stood, beckoning for Izuku to do the same. "Follow. Do same. Breathe like before. Do same."
Kekyu jumped up, "Now we learn to fight?"
Ginro paused and nodded, "First learn stance. Do same."
Ginro then stepped firmly into a defensive position, tightening his core and flexing his arms to defend his core and head.
"Follow. Do same."
Izuku nodded, copying the stance to the best of his ability.
Ginro pursed his lips and shook his head, performing the move again – "feet, core, arms, stronger! Breathe!"
For the next hour, Ginro had him do the same stance again and again until Izuku did it to his liking, all the while calling out various words in an attempt to help Izuku.
"Stronger."
"Stamp."
"Stamp like shake earth."
"Body like mountain."
"Arms like swim upstream."
Izuku struggled to perform the stance while simultaneously breathing the way Ginro wanted, but he was getting there, slowly but surely.
Izuku followed Ginro's instructions meeting after meeting, and as time passed, he learned more and more stances. Ginro, although not as intelligent as other yokai and not the smartest kappa, was not the least either. He knew humans were not as strong as yokai and vaguely knew that Izuku was very young and would need more time to build up his strength.
Yokai, like the kappa, were strong by nature, but humans had to work for it.
As Izuku continued to perfect the stances and even began to string them together, it became painfully obvious that Izuku needed more of something, but Ginro did not know what. Lessons came and went, and Izuku made progress slowly.
And so, time passed.
A year after their first training session, Izuku was able to master and quickly switch between any stance, but he did not have the necessary strength to use them effectively. While he had the endurance to follow through with the stances for an afternoon – he had none beyond that. The stances themselves helped with strength, just by the power put behind them, but it was not nearly enough.
Ginro pouted. After so long, it was strange that the little human was still so weak and lacked the overall strength needed. Izuku watched Ginro watching him, feeling strange and a bit upset that he could not quite meet Ginro's expectations after so much time. It felt like he could not build the necessary strength quickly enough. It was not like he had a strength quirk, and the kappa was strong.
Ginro and Izuku had just gone through a light-sparing session, but Ginro had quickly pulled back, afraid to hurt Izuku. Izuku rubbed his smarting side, where he was sure to have a series of bruises by the next day. Unfortunately, they would only add to the bruises from earlier that day when one of his classmates had pushed him down in the hallway.
"Too young – too young to fight. Human hurt easy!"
Ginro wailed as Izuku tried to placate the distressed yokai.
"Izuku is weak," Kekyu stated flatly.
Izuku pouted and glared at the furry yokai.
Kekyu, who ignored Izuku, perked up with a sudden realization and spoke, "Other humans go to gym or go for run; even those who go to martial-sensei do other training."
Izuku perked up.
"You need more muscle," Kekyu nodded bluntly.
"I don't have a strength quirk!"
"Other humans without strength quirk have strength! Sparky-boy often goes on morning run. He say it is for training. You do same! Just like you watch quirks and learn, learn how humans grow stronger!"
Izuku blinked, surprised. While he had continued his analysis and was now starting his third notebook, he had not thought about training his body beyond learning stances and meditation from Ginro.
Izuku turned to the kappa, "Ginro-sensei."
Ginro blushed, still unused to his Izuku-dono, referring to him as such, "May I shorten our lessons to work on building up my strength? If I do, I can begin to spar with you and start more advanced lessons. I'll do strength training for at least a year – maybe a little longer, until the end of third grade – and then we can see about sparring again. Until then, may we continue our training as it is now? Meditation and practicing stances?"
Ginro nodded enthusiastically. He did not want to hurt Izuku – ever. So, he was anxious about sparring again. It would give him time to prepare, and for now, they could do what they were both comfortable with.
Izuku nodded back, "I'll be back again tomorrow!"
Kekyu and Ginro waved as Izuku sped off.
Once he reached home, Izuku burst into the house. Inko was in the kitchen. Hurriedly, Izuku bounced behind her.
"Mom, before dinner, can I go online? I have something I want to look up! It won't take long! Can I, Mom?"
Inko smiled, "Sure, sweetie."
Izuku sped off and, swinging into the chair, turned on the computer and quickly navigated the browser, pulling up multiple sites on strength training and cross-referencing everything he found.
At dinner, Izuku glanced at his mother, who was sitting across from him.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Izuku?"
"Well, I've been looking into how to… you know… train."
Inko flinched.
"I just want to… do something…," Izuku cut in quickly.
Inko bit her lip, worry etched on her face. She was hoping that Izuku had put aside his dream of being a hero. The world said you needed a quirk to fight villains, and even with the help of a quirk, it was dangerous.
Inko searched Izuku's face, which was slowly losing its shine as she stayed silent.
"I don't want you to get hurt, Izuku-dear…"
Izuku quickly interjected, "I need to be able to at least run away. If I'm not fit, you know, have the endurance to run and some training… I can't protect myself. People would train in martial arts all the time before quirks and even now! It will give me an edge, and although people can use their quirk to defend themselves, without a license, you can't fight anyway. This is something even I can do!"
"It's still dangerous, Izuku."
"I just want to have a healthy diet and some weight training! I've done the research on health and fitness websites! I won't even ask for you to pay for a dojo membership or karate class!"
Izuku smiled inwardly.
I have Ginro, after all.
"Please, this is all I want! I just need some help making sure I'm fit and toning my muscles. It's all a part of a healthy lifestyle!"
Inko took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Fine, but I have to verify all of the information and fact-check the menu. Also, we are not buying heavy weights – just light ones for toning. You're too young to be doing any extensive weight training anyway. Too much can hinder your growth, and I don't really feel comfortable with you doing it anyway."
Now, it was Izuku's turn to bite his lip.
Inko sighed, "You're only in second grade, Izuku. Wait until you're a bit older to do any major strength training."
"The website said…."
"I don't care what it said about weight training. You are not doing any heavy-weight training. Only toning."
Izuku sighed and nodded.
"We can work through this together, Izuku. I'll be with you all the way so you can be as fit and healthy as you like, baby. We can work on it tonight."
Izuku perked up, "Really?"
Inko stood, picking up the empty plates, "Yes, honey. Let's begin looking at healthy diets and how to best begin toning. You'll want to build a good foundation if you want to do strength training once you're older."
Izuku beamed, and Inko smiled to hide the worry.