As the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in warm shades of amber and soft violet, the two of them continued their walk at an unhurried pace.
Streetlights flickered on one by one, their glow reflecting faintly in shop windows and puddles left from an earlier drizzle. The air had cooled just enough to be comfortable, carrying with it the quiet calm that only came with evening.
They slowed near the roadside, still talking softly—about classes, about random little things neither of them would've brought up at U.A., about nothing important at all. And somehow, that made it feel more important than any battle.
Then—
A gray Bentley rolled to a smooth stop beside them, its presence refined and unmistakably expensive. The engine purred quietly, patient.
The conversation died instantly.
Momo Yaoyorozu let out a small sigh, shoulders drooping just a little.
"…It's time for me to go," she muttered, disappointment slipping through despite her composed tone.
She turned to face Izuku, her expression soft, almost reluctant.
"I'm sorry," she said. "We should… do this again, though."
Izuku didn't hesitate.
"Of course we will," he replied easily. "I don't mind at all. See you tomorrow, Momo."
That seemed to ease something in her.
Her smile returned—gentle, genuine—as she nodded. For a brief moment, she hesitated, then Izuku stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a quick, natural hug.
Momo stiffened in surprise—
—and then hugged him back just as quickly, her hands resting lightly against his back. The embrace was brief, warm, and just a little awkward in the way first hugs usually were.
When they pulled apart, she lingered for half a second longer, then turned and walked toward the car. The door opened smoothly, and she slid inside. The Bentley pulled away moments later, disappearing down the road with quiet elegance.
Izuku stood there alone, hands in his pockets, watching the taillights fade.
He exhaled slowly.
'…Fuck,' he thought belatedly.
'I could've asked for a lift.'
Shaking his head with a faint grin, he turned and started the walk home—feeling strangely lighter than he had in days.
.....
The very next morning, U.A. felt strangely alive.
Izuku walked into the classroom, stretching his arms above his head as if he hadn't nearly rewritten the laws of physics a day ago.
"Morning, guys," he greeted casually, sliding into his seat.
A few classmates waved back. Others muttered sleepy replies. But most of the room buzzed with nervous energy, conversations overlapping in excited fragments.
Izuku leaned back in his chair, propping his chin on his hand, eyes drifting to the window.
'Sports Festival…' he thought. 'The biggest stage students get. National broadcast. Pro heroes watching.'
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
'The chance to get scouted by the best. I wonder who I'll pick when I win. Shouldn't be too hard to keep my record straight A.'
The classroom door slid open.
And the room froze.
In walked Shota Aizawa—wrapped head to toe in bandages like a poorly rolled mummy. Only his tired eyes and messy hair were visible.
The class collectively inhaled.
"Sensei?!" Mina Ashido blurted out. "Are you alright?!"
"You look terrible!" Ochaco Uraraka added, half out of her seat.
"Man… the villains really did a number on you, huh?" Eijiro Kirishima said nervously.
Aizawa didn't even blink.
"No," he replied flatly. "I fell down the stairs yesterday."
The class stared.
"…What?" someone muttered.
"That doesn't matter," Aizawa continued, shuffling to the front. "What does matter… is that the fight's not over."
The room instantly tensed.
"What?!"
"More villains?!"
"Already?!"
Aizawa paused, letting the tension build—
Then finished, completely deadpan:
"The U.A. Sports Festival is near."
Silence.
Then—
"COME ON!!"
"He always does this!!"
"He can't keep getting away with it!!"
The class erupted.
Izuku covered his mouth, barely holding back a laugh.
'Ahah… man,' he thought. 'That's never not funny.'
Aizawa yawned loudly and stretched, bandages creaking.
"It'll begin in two weeks. Go train. I need a massage." He turned toward the door.
"See you in two weeks—or not. Doesn't matter to me."
And with that, he left.
Chaos remained.
Students immediately clustered together, voices overlapping as excitement and anxiety exploded through the room.
"Two weeks isn't enough!"
"I need a new strategy!"
"I'm gonna win this thing!"
Two voices, however, cut cleanly through the noise.
"I'm not holding back, Midoriya."
Shoto Todoroki stood calmly, eyes sharp and focused.
"Yeah, twerp!" Katsuki Bakugo snapped, teeth bared in a feral grin. "I'm gonna crush you this time, so you better watch your back!"
Izuku didn't even look at them.
He leaned back deeper into his chair, hands tucked into his pockets, utterly relaxed.
'Get off my dick,' he thought, completely unbothered.
Later – Break time
Class 1-A filed out of their room, only to be met with a wall of first-years from other departments—General Studies, Support, Business. The hall was packed with eyes glaring at them, whispers spreading like wildfire.
"They think they're hot stuff."
"Class A's full of stuck-up brats."
"They won't even last one round."
The pressure was thick, almost suffocating. But Izuku? He didn't even slow his pace.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked straight through the crowd, not sparing anyone a glance.
The glares burned, but he treated them like they were invisible. He only had one goal: cafeteria food.
That's when Mina jogged up beside him, hands laced behind her head and a grin on her face. "You don't look even a little fazed. You must be confident."
Izuku smirked faintly. "Nah, not really. I just don't think too much about things, I guess."
Mina laughed, giving him a playful nudge. "That's what makes you interesting, Izu. Everyone else is sweating bullets, and you're out here acting like you're going for a walk in the park."
Izuku shrugged. "Well, stressing out doesn't make you stronger."
Her grin widened. "Fair point. Still… don't go stealing all the spotlight, alright? Leave a little for the rest of us."
Izuku chuckled. "No promises."
As they made their way down the hallway toward the cafeteria, the noise of lunchtime slowly grew louder—lockers slamming, students laughing, the scent of food drifting through the air. Mina walked beside Izuku, arms swinging loosely, still buzzing with her usual energy.
They rounded a corner—
—and a familiar orange-haired figure stepped directly into their path, hands on her hips, posture confident.
"Well, well," Itsuka Kendo said with a knowing smile. "Hey, remember me?"
Izuku slowed, blinking in surprise before his face broke into an easy grin.
"Yeah, of course," he said. "How've you been?"
"I've been alright," Itsuka replied, folding her arms casually beneath her chest. "I mean, I wasn't attacked by villains, unlike you guys." She smirked. "Seriously—Class A must have some kind of bad juju."
Izuku laughed softly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah… we kinda do."
He glanced to his side and gestured lightly.
"Oh, by the way—this is Mina Ashido. Mina, this is Itsuka."
The two girls turned toward each other.
For just a brief second, there was a subtle pause—an unspoken assessment. Mina's sharp eyes flicked over Itsuka's confident stance, while Itsuka calmly took in Mina's expressive posture and easy closeness to Izuku.
Then both smiled.
"Hey," Mina said brightly.
"Hi," Itsuka replied smoothly. Her gaze flicked back to Izuku almost immediately, curiosity clearly piqued. "So… do you and Izuku go way back?"
Mina tilted her head, lips curling into a playful smirk as she leaned a little closer to Izuku's side—close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm.
"Not really," she said. "But we've hung out so much, we might as well, I guess."
Itsuka's eyes sparkled with unmistakable mischief.
"Ohhh," she drawled. "So… are you two dating?"
Mina froze.
Her face flushed a deep pink almost instantly.
"O–Oh! N-Not yet—!" she blurted out, hands flying up in reflex before she could stop herself.
The words hung in the air.
Izuku raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, glancing sideways at Mina.
"…Not yet?" he echoed lightly.
Itsuka burst into a soft laugh, clearly enjoying herself.
"Relax," she said, waving a hand. "I'm just teasing."
She took a step back, already turning away.
"I'd love to talk more, but I've gotta run. See you later—especially you, Izuku."
She shot him a playful wink before walking off down the hallway, her long ponytail swaying confidently behind her.
Mina stood frozen for a moment, staring after her.
Then she puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms.
"What was that about?"
Izuku shrugged casually, lips twitching.
"Not sure," he said. Then he leaned in slightly, teasing, "What was that from you?"
Mina's blush returned with a vengeance.
"I–I—!" She stammered, then abruptly turned away. "W-We'll talk later, okay?! I, uh—need to use the bathroom!"
And with that, she bolted down the hall, disappearing around the corner before Izuku could say another word.
Izuku exhaled and slid his hands back into his pockets, watching the hallway for a second before shaking his head.
'Damn,' he thought dryly.
'I'm all alone.'
The cafeteria noise swallowed him up as he continued walking—unaware that, in very different ways, he'd just left two girls thinking about him a little more than they planned to.
TO BE CONTINUED